Histone methyltransferase MLL4 protects against pressure overload-induced heart failure via a THBS4-mediated protection in ER stress.

Pressure overload-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy eventually leads to heart failure (HF). Unfortunately, lack of effective targeted therapies for HF remains a challenge in clinical management. Mixed-lineage leukemia 4 (MLL4) is a member of the SET family of histone methyltransferase enzymes, which possesses histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4)-specific methyltransferase activity. However, whether and how MLL4 regulates cardiac function is not reported in adult HF. Here we report that MLL4 is required for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress homeostasis of cardiomyocytes and protective against pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and HF. We observed that MLL4 is increased in the heart tissue of HF mouse model and HF patients. The cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of Mll4 (Mll4-cKO) in mice leads to aggravated ER stress and cardiac dysfunction following pressure overloading. MLL4 knockdown neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) also display accelerated decompensated ER stress and hypertrophy induced by phenylephrine (PE). The combined analysis of Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation sequencing (CUT&Tag-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data reveals that, silencing of Mll4 alters the chromatin landscape for H3K4me1 modification and gene expression patterns in NRCMs. Interestingly, the deficiency of MLL4 results in a marked reduction of H3K4me1 and H3K27ac occupations on Thrombospondin-4 (Thbs4) gene loci, as well as Thbs4 gene expression. Mechanistically, MLL4 acts as a transcriptional activator of Thbs4 through mono-methylation of H3K4 and further regulates THBS4-dependent ER stress response, ultimately plays a role in HF. Our study indicates that pharmacologically targeting MLL4 and ER stress might be a valid therapeutic approach to protect against cardiac hypertrophy and HF.

[Histone methylation and diabetic cardiomyopathy].

Histone methylation is one of the key post-translational modifications that plays a critical role in various heart diseases, including diabetic cardiomyopathy. A great deal of evidence has shown that histone methylation is closely related to hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, lipid and advanced glycation end products deposition, inflammatory and oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell apoptosis, and these pathological factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In order to provide a novel theoretical basis and potential targets for the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy from the perspective of epigenetics, this review discussed and elucidated the association between histone methylation and the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy in details.

[Research progress of histone 3 methyltransferase MLL4].

Mixed linked leukemia 4 (MLL4) is a specific methyltransferase of histone 3 position lysine 4 (H3K4). It is also one of the important members of COMPASS/Set1-like protein complex. Both MLL4 protein itself and its mediated H3K4 methylation modification can cause changes in chromatin structure and function, thus regulating gene transcription and expression. With the studies of MLL4 protein in recent years, the roles of MLL4 gene, MLL4 protein and protein complex in the development of tissues and organs, tumor diseases and other physiological and pathophysiological processes have been gradually revealed. In this paper, the research progress of MLL4 gene, MLL4 protein characteristics, biological function and its effect on disease were reviewed, in order to further understand the effect of histone methyltransferase on gene expression regulation, as well as its non-enzyme dependent function. This paper may provide new ideas for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.

A protocol of histone modification-based mechanistic study of acupuncture in patients with stable angina pectoris.

BACKGROUND: Angina pectoris (Angina) is a medical condition related to myocardial ischemia. Although acupuncture has been widely accepted as a clinical approach for angina, there is no sufficient evidence of its effectiveness against this syndrome, and its mechanisms have not yet been well elucidated. We develop this protocol to confirm the clinical efficacy of electro-acupuncture on stable angina pectoris by needling on acupoint Neiguan (PC6). Furthermore, we employ high-throughput sequencing technology to investigate the gene expression profiling and determine involvement of histone modifications in the regulation of genes after electro-acupuncture treatment. METHODS/DESIGN: A randomized, controlled, double-blinded (assessor and patients) trial will be carried out. Sixty participants will be randomly assigned to two acupuncture treatment groups and one control group in a 1:1:1 ratio. Participants in acupuncture groups will receive 12 sessions of electro-acupuncture treatment across 4 weeks, followed by a 12-week randomization period. The acupuncture groups are divided into Neiguan (PC6) on Pericardium Meridian of Hand-jueyin or a non-acupoint. The primary clinical measure of effect is the frequency of angina attacks between these groups for four weeks after randomization. RNAs are extracted from peripheral neutrophils collected from all participants on day 0, day 30, and week 16, and are processed to RNA-Seq. We then investigate profiles of histone modifications by ChIP-Seq, for H3 Lysine 4 (H3K4me) and acetylation of H3 Lysine 27 (H3K27ac), in the presence or absence of acupuncture treatment. DISCUSSION: This study determines the efficacy and mechanisms of electro-acupuncture on stable angina pectoris. We focus on effectiveness of acupuncture on alleviating symptoms of myocardial ischemia and the gene regulation and the chromatin remodeling marks, including H3K4me1, H3K4me2, and H3K27ac, which could be key factors for regulating gene expressions caused by electro-acupuncture treatment at Neiguan. This is the first genome-wide study of electro-acupuncture treatment in angina patients, and will provide valuable information for future studies in the fields of acupuncture and its underlying mechanisms. Fourteen patients have been recruited since recruitment opened in November of 2012. This study is scheduled to end in November of 2014. TRIALS REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-TRC-12002668.

Genome-wide analyses reveal the extent of opportunistic STAT5 binding that does not yield transcriptional activation of neighboring genes.

Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STAT) 5A/B regulate cytokine-inducible genes upon binding to GAS motifs. It is not known what percentage of genes with GAS motifs bind to and are regulated by STAT5. Moreover, it is not clear whether genome-wide STAT5 binding is modulated by its concentration. To clarify these issues we established genome-wide STAT5 binding upon growth hormone (GH) stimulation of wild-type (WT) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and MEFs overexpressing STAT5A more than 20-fold. Upon GH stimulation, 23 827 and 111 939 STAT5A binding sites were detected in WT and STAT5A overexpressing MEFs, respectively. 13 278 and 71 561 peaks contained at least one GAS motif. 1586 and 8613 binding sites were located within 2.5 kb of promoter sequences, respectively. Stringent filtering revealed 78 genes in which the promoter/upstream region (-10 kb to +0.5 kb) was recognized by STAT5 both in WT and STAT5 overexpressing MEFs and 347 genes that bound STAT5 only in overexpressing cells. Genome-wide expression analyses identified that the majority of STAT5-bound genes was not under GH control. Up to 40% of STAT5-bound genes were not expressed. For the first time we demonstrate the magnitude of opportunistic genomic STAT5 binding that does not translate into transcriptional activation of neighboring genes.

Acupuncture promotes white adipose tissue browning by inducing UCP1 expression on DIO mice.

BACKGROUND: To study the influence of acupuncture and its possible mechanism on white adipose tissue of high fat diet-induced obese. METHODS: Four-week-old C57BL/6 J mice were randomly divided into a normal diet group and a high-fat diet (HFD) group. After 8 weeks, the HFD mice were randomly divided into Electro-acupuncture (EA) group and control group. Mice in the EA group were electro-acupunctured, under physical restraint, on Zusanli (ST36) and Neiting (ST44) acupoints, while the mice in the control group were under physical restraint only. Body weight and food intake were monitored, and serum leptin, cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured by using biochemistrical methods. The effect of EA on white adipose tissues (WAT) was assessed by qPCR, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunoprecipitation and cold endurance experiment. RESULTS: The WAT/body weight ratio decreased (P < 0.05) in the EA group, albeit no significant difference on food consumption between EA and control groups. The difference in the darkness of Epi-WAT between EA and control groups could be distinguished visually. HE staining indicated that the EA mice had an increased number of UCP1-immunoreactive paucilocular adipocytes in their WAT. The expressions of brown adipose tissue (BAT) markers, including UCP1, COX4il and Nrtf1 were increased in the WAT of EA mice, acetylation of Pparγ was decreased by electro-acupuncture. CONCLUSION: EA can remodel WAT to BAT through inducing UCP1 expression, and this may be one of the mechanisms by which acupuncture affects weight loss.

Electro-acupuncture at Neiguan pretreatment alters genome-wide gene expressions and protects rat myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion.

This study investigated genome-wide gene expressions and the cardioprotective effects of electro-acupuncture pretreatment at the PC6 Neiguan acupoint on myocardial ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. Male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham operation (SO), I/R, electro-acupuncture at the PC6 Neiguan acupoint pretreatment (EA) and electro-acupuncture at non-acupoint pretreatment (NA). Compared with the I/R group, the survival rate of the EA group was significantly increased, the arrhythmia score, infarction area, serum concentrations of CK, LDH and CK-Mb and plasma level of cTnT were significantly decreased. RNA-seq results showed that 725 genes were up-regulated and 861 genes were down-regulated under I/R conditions compared to the SO group; both EA and NA reversed some of these gene expression levels (592 in EA and 238 in NA group). KEGG pathway analysis indicated that these genes were involved in multiple pathways, including ECM, MAPK signaling, apoptosis, cytokine and leukocyte pathways. In addition, some pathways were uniquely regulated by EA, but not NA pretreatment, such as oxidative stress, cardiac muscle contraction, gap junction, vascular smooth muscle contraction, hypertrophic, NOD-like receptor, and P53 and B-cell receptor pathways. This study was first to reveal the gene expression signatures of acute myocardial I/R injury and electro-acupuncture pretreatment in rats.

Enhanced interaction between genome-edited mesenchymal stem cells and platelets improves wound healing in mice.

Impaired wound healing poses a significant burden on the healthcare system and patients. Stem cell therapy has demonstrated promising potential in the treatment of wounds. However, its clinical application is hindered by the low efficiency of cell homing. In this study, we successfully integrated P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) into the genome of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) using a Cas9-AAV6-based genome editing tool platform. Our findings revealed that PSGL-1 knock-in enhanced the binding of ADSCs to platelets and their adhesion to the injured site. Moreover, the intravenous infusion of PSGL-1 -engineered ADSCs (KI-ADSCs) significantly improved the homing efficiency and residence rate at the site of skin lesions in mice. Mechanistically, PSGL-1 knock-in promotes the release of some therapeutic cytokines by activating the canonical WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway and accelerates the healing of wounds by promoting angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and granulation tissue formation at the wound site. This study provides a novel strategy to simultaneously address the problem of poor migration and adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

The liver-specific tumor suppressor STAT5 controls expression of the reactive oxygen species-generating enzyme NOX4 and the proapoptotic proteins PUMA and BIM in mice.

UNLABELLED: Loss of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) from liver tissue results in steatosis and enhanced cell proliferation. This study demonstrates that liver-specific Stat5-null mice develop severe hepatic steatosis as well as hepatocellular carcinomas at 17 months of age, even in the absence of chemical insults. To understand STAT5's role as a tumor suppressor, we identified and investigated new STAT5 target genes. Expression of Nox4, the gene encoding the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating enzyme NOX4, was induced by growth hormone through STAT5. In addition, the genes encoding the proapoptotic proteins PUMA and BIM were induced by growth hormone through STAT5, which bound to GAS motifs in the promoter regions of all three genes. We further show that STAT5-induced activation of Puma and Bim was dependent on NOX4. Treatment of mice with transforming growth factor-ß, an inducer of apoptosis, resulted in cleaved caspase-3 in control but not in liver-specific Stat5-null mice. This study demonstrates for the first time that cytokines through STAT5 regulate the expression of the ROS-generating enzyme NOX4 and key proapoptotic proteins. CONCLUSION: STAT5 harnesses several distinct signaling pathways in the liver and thereby functions as a tumor suppressor. Besides suppressing the activation of STAT3, STAT5 induces the expression of proapoptotic genes and the production of ROS.

[Anti-depressive effect of acupuncture on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate anti-depressive effects of acupuncture on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). METHODS: Totally 60 patients with depression were randomly assigned to the control group (30 cases) and the treatment group (30 cases). All patients took one kind of SSRIs. Those in the treatment group were additionally treated by acupuncture. All were treated for 6 weeks. Patients' efficacies were evaluated with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Eisenberg antidepressant side effects scale (Asberg). RESULTS: Compared with the control group after 6 weeks of treatment, the cured-markedly effective rate was improved by 33.4% in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The HAMD was lower in the treatment group. The tendency of interaction of sleep disorder factor and anxiety/somatization factor was different between at the end of 1-week treatment and at the end of 6-week treatment in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The SDS score decreased at the end of 6-week treatment in the treatment group. The reduction rate was elevated by 19.23% (P < 0.05). By the end of 6-week treatment, the average score of Asberg decreased by 3.77 score in average in the treatment group, while it decreased by 0.07 score in average in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture could effectively improve anti-depressive effects of SSRIs and reduce their adverse reactions.

Evaluation of time-dependent phenotypes of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in mice.

BACKGROUND: A mouse model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is widely used to study myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/RI). However, few studies focus on the direct comparison of the extent of pathological events resulting from variant durations of ischemia and reperfusion process. METHODS: A mouse model of I/RI was established by ligation and perfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), and the dynamic changes were recorded by electrocardiogram at different stages of I/R. Subsequently, reperfusion duration was used as a variable to directly compare the phenotypes of different myocardial injury degrees induced by 3 h, 6 h and 24 h reperfusion from myocardial infarct size, myocardial apoptosis, myocardial enzyme, and inflammatory cytokine levels. RESULTS: All mice subjected to myocardial I/R surgery showed obvious myocardial infarction, extensive myocardial apoptosis, dynamic changes in serum myocardial enzyme and inflammatory cytokines, at least for the first 24 h of reperfusion. The infarct size and apoptosis rates gradually increased with the extension of reperfusion time. The peaks of serum myocardial enzyme and inflammatory cytokines occurred at 6 h and 3 h of reperfusion, respectively. We also established I/R mice models with 30 and 60 mins of ischemia. After 21 days of remodeling, longer periods of ischemia increased the degree of fibrosis and reduced cardiac function. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we conclude that reperfusion durations of 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h induces different injury phenotypes in ischemia-reperfusion mouse model. At the same time, the ischemia duration before reperfusion also affects the degree of cardiac remodeling.

Comparative Study of Different Acupoints for Treating Acute Myocardial Ischemia in Mice.

Acupuncture point specificity has been recognized as a key scientific issue in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but there is limited clinical trial or animal study to verify the characteristics of PC6, BL15, and ST36 in the protection from myocardial injury. We aimed to compare the effects among these three acupoints on the acute myocardial infarction mice model and to explore possible mechanisms for the first time. We found that PC6 is the most appropriate acupoint to deliver efficacy and safety to treat acute MI in mice. BL15 stimulation improved the systolic function, but increased the risk of arrhythmia. ST36 only slightly attenuated systolic function and had no effect on arrhythmia during MI. RNA profiles of skin tissue in local acupoints demonstrated that the most altered DEGs and related pathways may partly support its best effects of PC6 treatment on MI injury, and support the observed phenomenon of the acupoint specificity.

Loss of Histone Methyltransferase KMT2D Attenuates Angiogenesis in the Ischemic Heart by Inhibiting the Transcriptional Activation of VEGF-A.

Angiogenesis occurred after myocardial infarction (MI) protects heart failure (HF). The aim of our study was to explore function of histone methyltransferase KMT2D (MLL4, mixed-lineage leukemia 4) in angiogenesis post-MI. Western blotting showed that KMT2D protein expression was elevated in MI mouse myocardial. Cardiomyocyte-specific Kmt2d-knockout (Kmt2d-cKO) mice were generated, and echocardiography and immunofluorescence staining detected significantly attenuated cardiac function and insufficient angiogenesis following MI in Kmt2d-cKO mice. Cross-talk assay suggested that Kmt2d-KO H9c2-derived conditioned medium attenuates EA.hy926 EC function. ELISA further identified that VEGF-A released from Kmt2d-KO H9c2 was significantly reduced. CUT&Tag and RT-qPCR revealed that KMT2D deficiency reduced Vegf-a mRNA expression and enrichment of H3K4me1 on the Vegf-a promoter. Moreover, KMT2D silencing in ECs also suppressed endothelial function. Our study indicates that KMT2D depletion in both cardiomyocytes and ECs attenuates angiogenesis and that loss of KMT2D exacerbates heart failure after MI in mice.

Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Microspheres Ameliorate Atherosclerosis Progression In Vitro.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with lipid deposition, which could be converted into acute clinical events by thrombosis or plaque rupture. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC)-encapsulated repair units could be an effective cure for the treatment of AS patients. In this study, we encapsulate human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) in collagen microspheres to fabricate stem cell repair units. Besides, we show that encapsulation in collagen microspheres and cultured in vitro for 14 days maintain the viability and stemness of hADSCs. Moreover, we generate AS progression model and niche in vitro by combining hyperlipemia serum of AS patients with AS cell models. We further systematically demonstrate that hADSC-based microspheres could ameliorate AS progression by inhibiting oxidative stress injury, cell apoptosis, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and lipid accumulation. In addition, we perform transcriptomic analysis and functional studies to demonstrate how hADSCs (three dimensional cultured in microspheres) respond to AS niche compared with healthy microenvironment. These findings reveal a role for ADSC-based microspheres in the treatment of AS and provide new ideas for stem cell therapy in cardiovascular disease. The results may have implications for improving the efficiency of hADSC therapies by illuminating the mechanisms of hADSCs exposed in special pathological niche.

The miR-17/92 cluster is targeted by STAT5 but dispensable for mammary development.

Genome wide analysis revealed the miR-17/92 cluster as a STAT5 target. This cluster encodes six microRNAs, which predictably target genes that play a role in mammary gland development. In this study, we have deleted the miR-17/92 cluster in mammary stem cells and evaluated in the mouse its function during mammary gland development. Loss of the miR-17/92 cluster did not affect mammary development from prepuberty to lactation. Our studies demonstrated that, while expression of the miR-17/92 cluster is under control of the key mammary transcription factor STAT5, its presence is not required for normal mammary development or lactation.

Electroacupuncture altered expression of microRNAs in Stat5 knockout obese mice.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence shows that miRNAs contribute to the establishment and development of obesity by affecting many biological and pathological processes, such as adipocyte differentiation, hepatic lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and neurological regulation of obesity. As a clinical intervention approach, acupuncture has been shown to be effective in the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases. Our previous whole genome study in central nervous system (CNS)-specific Stat5 knockout (NKO) obese mice found that electroacupuncture (EA) could reduce body weight and promote white browning. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the effect of EA on miRNAs and understand how it regulates gene expression. METHODS: Twelve-week-old male Stat5NKO mice with body weight 20% greater than that of Stat5fl/fl (control) mice were divided into a Stat5NKO (model) group and EA-treated Stat5NKO + EA group. A cohort of Stat5fl/fl mice of the same age were included as the control group. EA was administered under isoflurane anesthesia at unilateral ST36 and ST44 daily (left and right sides were treated every other day), 6 times per week for a total of 4 weeks. The miRNA profile was generated and miRNA regulatory networks were analyzed in the Stat5 nestin-cre mice before and after EA treatment. Autophagy-related proteins in adipocytes were detected after over-expression of miR27a. RESULTS: EA altered abnormal miRNA expression, including miRNA27a expression, and reduced the autophagy-related proteins ATG5 and ATG12. CONCLUSION: We found that EA could regulate miRNA27a-mediated autophagy-related proteins and promote white fat browning, which may contribute to weight loss. To our knowledge, this is the first report of miRNAs potentially driving the effect of EA on white fat browning through the autophagy process.

Histone methyltransferase KMT2D contributes to the protection of myocardial ischemic injury.

Histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D) plays an important role in cell development in early life. However, the function of KMT2D in adult cells such as cardiomyocytes or neurons has not been reported. In this study, cardiomyocyte-specific KMT2D knockout (KMT2D-cKO) and control (KMT2D-Ctl) mice were exposed to sham or myocardial ischemia (MI) surgery. Depletion of KMT2D aggravated the ischemic area, led to the increased mortality (26.5% in KMT2D-cKO vs 12.5% in KMT2D-Ctl) of the mice, and weakened the left ventricular systolic function. RNA-seq analysis in cardiac tissues identified genes whose expression was changed by MI and KMT2D deletion. Combined with the genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis, cardiac disease-associated genes Rasd1, Thsd7a, Ednra, and Tns1 were identified. The expression of the Rasd1 was significantly decreased by MI or the loss of KMT2D in vivo. Meanwhile, ChIP assays demonstrated that either MI or loss of KMT2D attenuated monomethylated H3K4 (H3K4me1) enrichment on the enhancer of Rasd1. By generating a KMT2D knockout (H9C2-KO) H9C2 monoclone, we verified that the expression of Rasd1 was controlled by KMT2D, and the expression of Rasd1 was decreased by serum starvation but not low-(O2) treatment in H9C2 cells. KMT2D has a protective effect on ischemic myocardium by regulating cardiac disease-associated genes including Rasd1. KMT2D is required for the H3K4me1 deposition on the enhancer of Rasd1. Our data for the first time suggest that KMT2D-mediated Rasd1 expression may play an important protective effect on adult cells during nutritional deficiency caused by ischemic injury.

Cryptotanshinone inhibits ovarian tumor growth and metastasis by degrading c-Myc and attenuating the FAK signaling pathway.

Cryptotanshinone (CT), a natural compound derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge that is also known as the traditional Chinese medicine Danshen, exhibits antitumor activity in various cancers. However, it remains unclear whether CT has a potential therapeutic benefit against ovarian cancers. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of CT in ovarian cancer cells in vitro and using a xenograft model in NSG mice orthotopically implanted with HEY A8 human ovarian cancer cells and to explore the molecular mechanism(s) underlying CT's antitumor effects. We found that CT inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OVCAR3 and HEY A8 cells, while sensitizing the cell responses to the chemotherapy drugs paclitaxel and cisplatin. CT also suppressed ovarian tumor growth and metastasis in immunocompromised mice orthotopically inoculated with HEY A8 cells. Mechanistically, CT degraded the protein encoded by the oncogene c-Myc by promoting its ubiquitination and disrupting the interaction with its partner protein Max. CT also attenuated signaling via the nuclear focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathway and degraded FAK protein in both cell lines. Knockdown of c-Myc using lentiviral CRISPR/Cas9 nickase resulted in reduction of FAK expression, which phenocopies the effects of CT and the c-Myc/Max inhibitor 10058-F4. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that CT inhibits primary ovarian tumor growth and metastasis by degrading c-Myc and FAK and attenuating the FAK signaling pathway.

Acupuncture at Neiguan suppresses PVCs occurring post-myocardial infarction by alleviating inflammation and fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) has long been used for treating cardiovascular diseases, but its antiarrhythmic effect and the underlying mechanisms have not yet been well investigated, especially regarding premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) that occur post-myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of this study was to study the antiarrhythmic effect of manual acupuncture applied to PC6 for a relatively long period (28 days) and to elucidate the mechanism in mice. METHODS: An MI mouse model was generated by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in male C57/BL6 mice (n = 31). Manual acupuncture at PC6 was applied seven times weekly for 4 weeks. The state of myocardial injury was characterized by electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography. Inflammation was detected by ELISA and immunohistochemical stanning. Fibrosis was evaluated by Masson's trichrome staining. RNA sequencing was used to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the different groups after treatment. RESULTS: Acupuncture at PC6 lowered the incidence of spontaneous PVCs after MI injury (1/9, 11%) compared to that in mice without acupuncture treatment (6/9, 67%) and improved the ejection fraction from 31.77% in the MI mice to 44.18% in the MI + PC6 mice. Fibrosis was reduced after PC6 treatment. RNA-seq showed many DEGs involved in the immune system and inflammatory response pathway. Further studies confirmed that inflammation at the circulation level and cardiac tissue was inhibited in MI + PC6 mice, accompanied by suppressed sympathetic activation. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, 28-day treatment of acupuncture at PC6 reduced spontaneous PVCs and improved systolic function, possibly by suppressing inflammatory response-mediated fibrosis and sympathetic hyperactivity.

The transcription factors signal transducer and activator of transcription 5A (STAT5A) and STAT5B negatively regulate cell proliferation through the activation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2b (Cdkn2b) and Cdkn1a expression.

UNLABELLED: Although the cytokine-inducible transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) promotes proliferation of a wide range of cell types, there are cell-specific and context-specific cases in which loss of STAT5 results in enhanced cell proliferation. Here, we report that loss of STAT5 from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) leads to enhanced proliferation, which was linked to reduced levels of the cell cycle inhibitors p15(INK4B) and p21(CIP1). We further demonstrate that growth hormone, through the transcription factor STAT5, enhances expression of the Cdkn2b (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B) gene and that STAT5A binds to interferon-gamma-activated sequence sites within the promoter. We recently demonstrated that ablation of STAT5 from liver results in hepatocellular carcinoma upon CCl4 treatment. We now establish that STAT5, like in MEFs, activates expression of the Cdkn2b gene in liver tissue. Loss of STAT5 led to diminished p15(INK4B) and increased hepatocyte proliferation. CONCLUSION: This study for the first time demonstrates that cytokines, through STAT5, induce the expression of a key cell cycle inhibitor. These experiments therefore shed mechanistic light on the context-specific role of STAT5 as tumor suppressor.