Sleep Deprivation Induces Gut Damage via Ferroptosis.

Sleep deprivation (SD) has been associated with a plethora of severe pathophysiological syndromes, including gut damage, which recently has been elucidated as an outcome of the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the spatiotemporal analysis conducted in this study has intriguingly shown that specific events cause harmful damage to the gut, particularly to goblet cells, before the accumulation of lethal ROS. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses have identified significant enrichment of metabolites related to ferroptosis in mice suffering from SD. Further analysis revealed that melatonin could rescue the ferroptotic damage in mice by suppressing lipid peroxidation associated with ALOX15 signaling. ALOX15 knockout protected the mice from the serious damage caused by SD-associated ferroptosis. These findings suggest that melatonin and ferroptosis could be targets to prevent devastating gut damage in animals exposed to SD. To sum up, this study is the first report that proposes a noncanonical modulation in SD-induced gut damage via ferroptosis with a clearly elucidated mechanism and highlights the active role of melatonin as a potential target to maximally sustain the state during SD.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 exerts opposing roles through CXCR4 and CXCR7 in angiotensin II-induced adventitial remodeling.

Recent studies have emphasized the role of vascular adventitia inflammation and immune response in hypertension. It has been reported that stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) plays various biological functions through its receptors C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and CXCR7 in tumor growth and tissue repair. However, it is unclear that whether SDF-1/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis is involved in hypertensive vascular remodeling. In the present study, the involvement of SDF-1/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis was evaluated with lentivirus-mediated shRNA of SDF-1 and CXCR7, CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 and CXCR7 agonist VUF11207 in angiotensin II (AngII)-induced hypertensive mice and in cultured adventitial fibroblasts (AFs). Results showed that AngII infusion markedly increased SDF-1 expressed in vascular adventitia, but not in media and endothelium. Importantly, blockade of SDF-1/CXCR4 axis strikingly potentiated AngII-induced adventitial thickening and fibrosis, as indicated by enhanced collagen I deposition. In contrast, CXCR7 shRNA largely attenuated AngII-induced adventitial thickness and fibrosis, whereas CXCR7 activation with VUF11207 significantly potentiated AngII-induced adventitial thickening and fibrosis. In consistent with these in vivo study, CXCR4 inhibition with AMD3100 and CXCR7 activation with VUF11207 aggravated AngII-induced inflammation, proliferation and migration in cultured AFs. In summary, these results suggested that SDF-1 exerted opposing effects through CXCR4 and CXCR7 in AngII-induced vascular adventitial remodeling.

Deficiency of Complement C3a and C5a Receptors Prevents Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension via Regulatory T Cells.

RATIONALE: Inflammation and immunity play crucial roles in the development of hypertension. Complement activation-mediated innate immune response is involved in the regulation of hypertension and target-organ damage. However, whether complement-mediated T-cell functions could regulate blood pressure elevation in hypertension is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aim to determine whether C3aR (complement component 3a receptor) and C5aR (complement component 5a receptor) could regulate blood pressure via modulating regulatory T cells (Tregs). METHODS AND RESULTS: We showed that angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension resulted in an elevated expression of C3aR and C5aR in Foxp3 (forkhead box P3)+ Tregs. By using C3aR and C5aR DKO (double knockout) mice, we showed that C3aR and C5aR deficiency together strikingly decreased both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in response to Ang II compared with WT (wild type), single C3aR-deficient (C3aR-/-), or C5aR-deficient (C5aR-/-) mice. Flow cytometric analysis showed that Ang II-induced Treg reduction in the kidney and blood was also blocked in DKO mice. Histological analysis indicated that renal and vascular structure remodeling and damage after Ang II treatment were attenuated in DKO mice compared with WT mice. In vitro, Ang II was able to stimulate C3aR and C5aR expression in cultured CD4+CD25+ natural Tregs. CD3 and CD28 antibody stimuli downregulated Foxp3 expression in WT but not DKO Tregs. More important, depletion of Tregs with CD25 antibody abolished the protective effects against Ang II-induced hypertension and target-organ damage in DKO mice. Adoptive transfer of DKO Tregs showed much more profound protective effects against Ang II-induced hypertension than WT Treg transfer. Furthermore, we demonstrated that C5aR expression in Foxp3+ Tregs was higher in hypertensive patients compared with normotensive individuals. CONCLUSIONS: C3aR and C5aR DKO-mediated Treg function prevents Ang II-induced hypertension and target-organ damage. Targeting C3aR and C5aR in Tregs specifically may be an alternative novel approach for hypertension treatment.

Developmental and functional characteristics of the thoracic aorta perivascular adipocyte.

Thoracic aorta perivascular adipose tissue (T-PVAT) has critical roles in regulating vascular homeostasis. However, the developmental characteristics and cellular lineage of adipocyte in the T-PVAT remain unclear. We show that T-PVAT contains three long strip-shaped fat depots, anterior T-PVAT (A-T-PVAT), left lateral T-PVAT (LL-T-PVAT), and right lateral T-PVAT (RL-T-PVAT). A-T-PVAT displays a distinct transcriptional profile and developmental origin compared to the two lateral T-PVATs (L-T-PVAT). Lineage tracing studies indicate that A-T-PVAT adipocytes are primarily derived from SM22α+ progenitors, whereas L-T-PVAT contains both SM22α+ and Myf5+ cells. We also show that L-T-PVAT contains more UCP1+ brown adipocytes than A-T-PVAT, and L-T-PVAT exerts a greater relaxing effect on aorta than A-T-PVAT. Angiotensin II-infused hypertensive mice display greater macrophage infiltration into A-T-PVAT than L-T-PVAT. These combined results indicate that L-T-PVAT has a distinct development from A-T-PVAT with different cellular lineage, and suggest that L-T-PVAT and A-T-PVAT have different physiological and pathological functions.

Mediator MED23 plays opposing roles in directing smooth muscle cell and adipocyte differentiation.

The Mediator complex functions as a control center, orchestrating diverse signaling, gene activities, and biological processes. However, how Mediator subunits determine distinct cell fates remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we show that Mediator MED23 controls the cell fate preference that directs differentiation into smooth muscle cells (SMCs) or adipocytes. Med23 deficiency facilitates SMC differentiation but represses adipocyte differentiation from the multipotent mesenchymal stem cells. Gene profiling revealed that the presence or absence of Med23 oppositely regulates two sets of genes: the RhoA/MAL targeted cytoskeleton/SMC genes and the Ras/ELK1 targeted growth/adipogenic genes. Mechanistically, MED23 favors ELK1-SRF binding to SMC gene promoters for repression, whereas the lack of MED23 favors MAL-SRF binding to SMC gene promoters for activation. Remarkably, the effect of MED23 on SMC differentiation can be recapitulated in zebrafish embryogenesis. Collectively, our data demonstrate the dual, opposing roles for MED23 in regulating the cytoskeleton/SMC and growth/adipogenic gene programs, suggesting its "Ying-Yang" function in directing adipogenesis versus SMC differentiation.

Gene-targeted deletion in mice of the Ets-1 transcription factor, a candidate gene in the Jacobsen syndrome kidney "critical region," causes abnormal kidney development.

Ets-1 is a member of the Ets family of transcription factors and has critical roles in multiple biological functions. Structural kidney defects occur at an increased frequency in Jacobsen syndrome (OMIM #147791), a rare chromosomal disorder caused by deletions in distal 11q, implicating at least one causal gene in distal 11q. In this study, we define an 8.1 Mb "critical region" for kidney defects in Jacobsen syndrome, which spans ~50 genes. We demonstrate that gene-targeted deletion of Ets-1 in mice results in some of the most common congenital kidney defects occurring in Jacobsen syndrome, including: duplicated kidney, hypoplastic kidney, and dilated renal pelvis and calyces. Taken together, our results implicate Ets-1 in normal mammalian kidney development and, potentially, in the pathogenesis of some of the most common types of human structural kidney defects.

Activating transcription factor 3 SUMOylation is involved in angiotensin II-induced endothelial cell inflammation and dysfunction.

Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is an adaptive-response protein induced by various environmental stresses and is implicated in the pathogenesis of many disease states. However, the role of ATF3 SUMOylation in hypertension-induced vascular injury remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the function of ATF3 SUMOylation in vascular endothelial cells (ECs). The expression of ATF3 and small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 (SUMO1) was increased in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Microscopic analyses further revealed that the expression of ATF3 and SUMO1 is upregulated and colocalized in the endothelium of thoracic aortas from Ang II-induced hypertensive mice. However, Ang II-induced upregulation of ATF3 and SUMO1 in vitro and in vivo was blocked by Ang II type I receptor antagonist olmesartan. Moreover, Ang II induced ATF3 SUMOylation at lysine 42, which is SUMO1 dependent. ATF3 SUMOylation attenuated ATF3 ubiquitination and in turn promoted ATF3 protein stability. ATF3 or SUMO1 knockdown inhibited Ang II-induced expression of inflammatory molecules such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. Wild type ATF3 but not ATF3-K42R (SUMOylation defective mutant) reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO), a key indicator of EC function. Consistently, ginkgolic acid, an inhibitor of SUMOylation, increased NO production in HUVECs and significantly improved vasodilatation of aorta from Ang II-induced hypertensive mice. Our findings demonstrated that ATF3 SUMOylation is involved in Ang II-induced EC inflammation and dysfunction in vitro and in vivo through inhibiting ATF3 ubiquitination and increasing ATF3 protein stability.

Complement-mediated macrophage polarization in perivascular adipose tissue contributes to vascular injury in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt mice.

OBJECTIVE: We have previously shown an increased expression of complement 3 (C3) in the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive model. This study aims to examine the role and underlying mechanism of C3 in PVAT for understanding the pathogenesis of hypertensive vascular remodeling further. APPROACH AND RESULTS: The role of C3 in macrophage polarization was investigated using peritoneal macrophages from wild-type and C3-deficient (C3KO) mice because we found that C3 was primarily expressed in macrophages in PVAT of blood vessels from DOCA-salt mice, and results showed a decreased expression of M1 phenotypic marker in contrast to an increased level of M2 marker in the C3KO macrophages. Bone marrow transplantation studies further showed in vivo that DOCA-salt recipient mice had fewer M1 but more M2 macrophages in PVAT when the donor bone marrows were from C3KO compared with those from wild-type mice. Of note, this macrophage polarization shift was accompanied with an ameliorated vascular injury. Furthermore, we identified the complement 5a (C5a) as the major C3 activation product that was involved in macrophage polarization and DOCA-salt-induced vascular injury. Consistently, in vivo depletion of macrophages prevented the induction of C3 and C5a in PVAT, and ameliorated hypertensive vascular injury as well. CONCLUSIONS: The presence and activation of bone marrow-derived macrophages in PVAT are crucial for complement activation in hypertensive vascular inflammation, and C5a plays a critical role in DOCA-salt-induced vascular injury by stimulating macrophage polarization toward a proinflammatory M1 phenotype in PVAT.

Rare SNP rs12731181 in the miR-590-3p Target Site of the Prostaglandin F2α Receptor Gene Confers Risk for Essential Hypertension in the Han Chinese Population.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether rs12731181 (A→G) interrupted miR-590-3p-mediated suppression of the prostaglandin F2α receptor (FP) and whether it is associated with essential hypertension in the Chinese population. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We found that miR-590-3p regulates human FP gene expression by binding to its 3'-untranslated region. rs12731181 (A→G) altered the binding affinity between miR-590-3p and its FP 3'-untranslated region target, thus reducing the suppression of FP expression, which, in turn, enhanced FP receptor-mediated contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells. Overexpression of FP augmented vascular tone and elevated blood pressure in mice. An association study was performed to analyze the relationship between the FP gene and essential hypertension in the Han Chinese population. The results indicated that the rs12731181 G allele was associated with susceptibility to essential hypertension. Carriers of the AG genotype exhibited significantly higher blood pressure than those of the AA genotype. FP gene expression was significantly higher in human peripheral leukocytes from individuals with the AG genotype than that in leukocytes from individuals with the AA genotype. CONCLUSIONS: rs12731181 in the seed region of the miR-590-3p target site is associated with increased risk of essential hypertension and represents a new paradigm for FP involvement in blood pressure regulation.

Correlation between Echo-Tracking Parameters and In Vitro Measurements of Arterial Contraction and Relaxation in Rats Fed a High-Cholesterol Diet.

BACKGROUND: Echo-tracking (ET) is a new technique that allows the assessment of arterial function and stiffness. This study aimed to ascertain the utility of the echo-tracking (ET) technique to assess vascular stiffness in rats with hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: ET was used to measure the arterial stiffness of the aorta in cholesterol-fed Sprague-Dawley rats (group T1, n=10, for 4 weeks; group T2, n=10, for 12 weeks) and normal control rats (group C1, n=10; group C2, n=10). In vitro isometric tension experiments were used to measure the maximum contractile tension (MCT) and maximum relaxation percentage (MRR%) of aortic rings. Indicators of arterial stiffness and aortic MCT and MRR% were compared between groups using linear regression analysis. Light microscopic evaluation was used to demonstrate atherosclerotic changes in the aorta. RESULTS: The rat models were successfully induced; pathological examination of the aortas showed significant atherosclerosis in group T2, but not in groups C1, C2, or T1. The arterial stiffness parameters obtained using ET and aortic rings in vitro showed significant impairments in T1 and T2 rats compared with C1 and C2 controls (all P<0.05 vs. controls). In addition, these impairments were greater in the T2 group than in the T1 group (all P<0.05). Finally, MRR% correlated with the distensibility coefficient (r=0.396, P=0.012), arterial compliance (r=0.317, P=0.047), stiffness parameter b (r=-0.406, P=0.009) and one-point pulse wave ß (r=-0.434, P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ET could be used to evaluate the changes in arterial wall elasticity associated with atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia.

Daily occupational exposure in swine farm alters human skin microbiota and antibiotic resistome.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global public health, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are widely distributed across humans, animals, and environment. Farming environments are emerging as a key research area for ARGs and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). While the skin is an important reservoir of ARGs and ARB, transmission mechanisms between farming environments and human skin remain unclear. Previous studies confirmed that swine farm environmental exposures alter skin microbiome, but the timeline of these changes is ill defined. To improve understanding of these changes and to determine the specific time, we designed a cohort study of swine farm workers and students through collected skin and environmental samples to explore the impact of daily occupational exposure in swine farm on human skin microbiome. Results indicated that exposure to livestock-associated environments where microorganisms are richer than school environment can reshape the human skin microbiome and antibiotic resistome. Exposure of 5 h was sufficient to modify the microbiome and ARG structure in workers' skin by enriching microorganisms and ARGs. These changes were preserved once formed. Further analysis indicated that ARGs carried by host microorganisms may transfer between the environment with workers' skin and have the potential to expand to the general population using farm workers as an ARG vector. These results raised concerns about potential transmission of ARGs to the broader community. Therefore, it is necessary to take corresponding intervention measures in the production process to reduce the possibility of ARGs and ARB transmission.

Nebivolol stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Nebivolol is a third-generation ß-adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) blocker with additional beneficial effects, including the improvement of lipid and glucose metabolism in obese individuals. However, the underlying mechanism of nebivolol's role in regulating the lipid profile remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of nebivolol in mitochondrial biogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Exposure of 3T3-L1 cells to nebivolol for 24h increased mitochondrial DNA copy number, mitochondrial protein levels and the expression of transcription factors involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, including PPAR-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3), mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) and nuclear related factor 1 (Nrf1). These changes were accompanied by an increase in oxygen consumption and in the expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and antioxidant enzymes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, including nebivolol-induced endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), as well as an increase in the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) attenuated nebivolol-induced mitochondrial biogenesis, as did the soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ODQ. Treatment with nebivolol and ß3-AR blocker SR59230A markedly attenuated PGC-1α, Sirt3 and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) protein levels in comparison to treatment with nebivolol alone. These data indicate that the mitochondrial synthesis and metabolism in adipocytes that is promoted by nebivolol is primarily mediated through the eNOS/cGMP-dependent pathway and is initiated by the activation of ß3-AR receptors.

Occupational exposure in swine farm defines human skin and nasal microbiota.

Anthropogenic environments take an active part in shaping the human microbiome. Herein, we studied skin and nasal microbiota dynamics in response to the exposure in confined and controlled swine farms to decipher the impact of occupational exposure on microbiome formation. The microbiota of volunteers was longitudinally profiled in a 9-months survey, in which the volunteers underwent occupational exposure during 3-month internships in swine farms. By high-throughput sequencing, we showed that occupational exposure compositionally and functionally reshaped the volunteers' skin and nasal microbiota. The exposure in farm A reduced the microbial diversity of skin and nasal microbiota, whereas the microbiota of skin and nose increased after exposure in farm B. The exposure in different farms resulted in compositionally different microbial patterns, as the abundance of Actinobacteria sharply increased at expense of Firmicutes after exposure in farm A, yet Proteobacteria became the most predominant in the volunteers in farm B. The remodeled microbiota composition due to exposure in farm A appeared to stall and persist, whereas the microbiota of volunteers in farm B showed better resilience to revert to the pre-exposure state within 9 months after the exposure. Several metabolic pathways, for example, the styrene, aminobenzoate, and N-glycan biosynthesis, were significantly altered through our PICRUSt analysis, and notably, the function of beta-lactam resistance was predicted to enrich after exposure in farm A yet decrease in farm B. We proposed that the differently modified microbiota patterns might be coordinated by microbial and non-microbial factors in different swine farms, which were always environment-specific. This study highlights the active role of occupational exposure in defining the skin and nasal microbiota and sheds light on the dynamics of microbial patterns in response to environmental conversion.

T-cell senescence accelerates angiotensin II-induced target organ damage.

AIMS: Aging is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and adaptive immunity has been implicated in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced target organ dysfunction. Herein, we sought to determine the role of T-cell senescence in Ang II-induced target organ impairment and to explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Flow cytometric analysis revealed that T cell derived from aged mice exhibited immunosenescence. Adoptive transfer of aged T cells to immunodeficient RAG1 KO mice accelerates Ang II-induced cardiovascular and renal fibrosis compared with young T-cell transfer. Aged T cells also promote inflammatory factor expression and superoxide production in these target organs. In vivo and in vitro studies revealed that Ang II promotes interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production in the aged T cells comparing to young T cells. Importantly, transfer of senescent T cell that IFN-γ KO mitigates the impairment. Aged T-cell-conditioned medium stimulates inflammatory factor expression and oxidative stress in Ang II-treated renal epithelial cells compared with young T cells, and these effects of aged T-cell-conditioned medium are blunted after IFN-γ-neutralizing antibody pre-treatment. CONCLUSION: These results provide a significant insight into the contribution of senescent T cells to Ang II-induced cardiovascular dysfunction and provide an attractive possibility that targeting T cell specifically might be a potential strategy to treat elderly hypertensive patients with end-organ dysfunction.

Involvement of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor and Calcium Channel in Vascular Remodeling and Endothelial Dysfunction in Rats with Pressure Overload.

Vascular remodeling is an adaptive response to various stimuli, including mechanical forces, inflammatory cytokines and hormones. In the present study, we investigated the role of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and calcium channel in carotid artery remodeling in response to increased biomechanical forces by using the transverse aortic constriction (TAC) rat model. TAC was induced on ten-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats and these models were treated with AT1R blocker olmesartan (1 mg/kg/day) or/and calcium channel blocker (CCB) amlodipine (0.5 mg/kg/day) for 14 days. After the treatment, the right common carotid artery proximal to the band (RCCA-B) was collected for further assay. Results showed that olmesartan, but not amlodipine, significantly prevented TAC-induced adventitial hyperplasia. Similarly, olmesartan, but not amlodipine, signifcantly prevented vascular infammation, as indicated by increased tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and increased p65 phosphorylation, an indicator of nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) activation in RCCA-B. In contrast, both olmesartan and amlodipine reversed the decreased expression of endothelial nitric oxidase synthase (eNOS) and improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation, whereas combination of olmesartan and amlodipine showed no further synergistic protective effects. These results suggest that AT1R was involved in vascular remodeling and inflammation in response to pressure overload, whereas AT1R and subsequent calcium channel were involved in endothelial dysfunction.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia in Immunosuppressed Renal Transplant Recipients: A Summary of 10 Confirmed Cases in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have focused on populations with normal immunity, but lack data on immunocompromised populations. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 pneumonia in kidney transplant recipients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10 renal transplant recipients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia were enrolled in this retrospective study. In addition, 10 of their family members diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia were included in the control group. INTERVENTION: Immunosuppressant reduction and low-dose methylprednisolone therapy. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The clinical outcomes (the severity of pneumonia, recovery rate, time of virus shedding, and length of illness) were compared with the control group by statistical analysis. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: The clinical symptomatic, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of COVID-19 pneumonia in the renal transplant recipients were similar to those of severe COVID-19 pneumonia in the general population. The severity of COVID-19 pneumonia was greater in the transplant recipients than in the control group (five severe/three critical cases vs one severe case). Five patients developed transient renal allograft damage. After a longer time of virus shedding (28.4 ± 9.3 vs 12.2 ± 4.6 d in the control group) and a longer course of illness (35.3 ± 8.3 vs 18.8 ± 10.5 d in the control group), nine of the 10 transplant patients recovered successfully after treatment. One patient developed acute renal graft failure and died of progressive respiratory failure. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney transplant recipients had more severe COVID-19 pneumonia than the general population, but most of them recovered after a prolonged clinical course and virus shedding. Findings from this small group of cases may have important implications for the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia in immunosuppressed populations. PATIENT SUMMARY: Immunosuppressed transplant recipients with coronavirus disease 2019 infection had more severe pneumonia, but most of them still achieved a good prognosis after appropriate treatment.

Endothelial-specific deletion of Ets-1 attenuates Angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis via suppression of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Cardiac fibrosis is a common feature in chronic hypertension patients with advanced heart failure, and endothelial-tomesenchymal transition (EndMT) is known to promote Angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated cardiac fibrosis. Previous studies have suggested a potential role for the transcription factor, ETS-1, in Ang II-mediated cardiac remodeling, however the mechanism are not well defined. In this study, we found that mice with endothelial Ets-1 deletion showed reduced cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy following Ang II infusion. The reduced cardiac fibrosis was accompanied by decreased expression of fibrotic matrix genes, reduced EndMT with decreased Snail, Slug, Twist, and ZEB1 expression, as well as reduced cardiac hypertrophy and expression of hypertrophyassociated genes was observed. In vitro studies using cultured H5V cells further confirmed that ETS-1 knockdown inhibited TGF-ß1-induced EndMT. This study revealed that deletion of endothelial Ets-1 attenuated Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis via inhibition of EndMT, indicating an important ETS-1 function in mediating EndMT. Inhibition of ETS-1 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of heart failure secondary to chronic hypertension. [BMB Reports 2019; 52(10): 595-600].

Recurrent or de novo IgA nephropathy with crescent formation after renal transplantation.

IgA nephropathy is the most common glomerular disease in China, accounting for 38.8% of primary glomerular disease. It has been reported that 20.8% patients of IgA nephropathy had a different degree of crescent formation. From January 1995 to December 2004, 1000 patients had undergone cadaveric renal transplantation, and 1742 allograft renal biopsies were reviewed in the Department of Nephrology at Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University. Among them, 18 cases were found with crescent formation, in which 10 patients were diagnosed as recurrent or de novo IgA nephropathy because their immunofluorescence showed strong IgA deposition in mesangial area and capillary. The initial treatment protocol was CsA+Azp+Pred, except in two cases of CsA+MMF+Pred. There were 8 males and 2 females, with ages from 25 to 69 (mean of 37.1) years old. All of them showed progressive renal dysfunction with increasing level of serum creatinine ranged from 1.48 to 6.25 mg/dL. Seven cases presented edema with an increasing level of proteinuria (1.36 to 3.58 g/24hr), and nine cases presented with hematuria ranging from 50 to 1250 x 10(4)/mL (one showed gross hematuria). In pathological examinations, they showed mesangial proliferation and matrix expansion with 10% to 66.7% crescents (mean of 37.5%) in their allograft renal biopsy's samples. All patients changed their immunosuppressive regimens; however, nine of them eventually advanced to ESRD and returned to hemodialysis after 6 to 36 months. Two cases received second renal transplantation after six months to five years, and one kept stable renal function with 2.5 mg/dL of serum creatinine after three years of follow-up. IgA nephropathy with crescentic formation was not rare in renal allografts or native glomerulonephritis in Chinese patients. These patients showed rapidly progressive renal dysfunction, and most of them lost graft function and needed hemodialysis therapy.

Decrease of Perivascular Adipose Tissue Browning Is Associated With Vascular Dysfunction in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats During Aging.

Functional perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is necessary to maintain vascular physiology through both mechanical support and endocrine or paracrine ways. PVAT shows a brown adipose tissue (BAT)-like feature and the browning level of PVAT is dependent on the anatomic location and species. However, it is not clear whether PVAT browning is involved in the vascular tone regulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). In the present study, we aimed to illustrate the effect of aging on PVAT browning and subsequent vasomotor reaction in SHRs. Herein we utilized histological staining and western blot to detect the characteristics of thoracic PVAT (tPVAT) in 8-week-old and 16-week-old SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We also detected vascular reactivity analysis to determine the effect of tPVAT on vasomotor reaction during aging. The results showed that tPVAT had a similar phenotype to BAT, including smaller adipocyte size and positive uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) staining. Interestingly, the tPVAT of 8-week-old SHR showed increased BAT phenotypic marker expression compared to WKY, whereas the browning level of tPVAT had a more dramatic decrease from 8 to 16 weeks of age in SHR than age-matched WKY rats. The vasodilation effect of tPVAT on aortas had no significant difference in 8-week-old WKY and SHR, whereas this effect is obviously decreased in 16-week-old SHR compared to WKY. In contrast, tPVAT showed a similar vasoconstriction effect in 8- or 16-week-old WKY and SHR rats. Moreover, we identified an important vasodilator adenosine, which regulates adipocyte browning and may be a potential PVAT-derived relaxing factor. Adenosine is dramatically decreased from 8 to 16 weeks of age in the tPVAT of SHR. In summary, aging is associated with a decrease of tPVAT browning and adenosine production in SHR rats. These may result in attenuated vasodilation effect of the tPVAT in SHR during aging.