Genetic and epigenetic fine mapping of causal autoimmune disease variants.

Genome-wide association studies have identified loci underlying human diseases, but the causal nucleotide changes and mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we developed a fine-mapping algorithm to identify candidate causal variants for 21 autoimmune diseases from genotyping data. We integrated these predictions with transcription and cis-regulatory element annotations, derived by mapping RNA and chromatin in primary immune cells, including resting and stimulated CD4(+) T-cell subsets, regulatory T cells, CD8(+) T cells, B cells, and monocytes. We find that ∼90% of causal variants are non-coding, with ∼60% mapping to immune-cell enhancers, many of which gain histone acetylation and transcribe enhancer-associated RNA upon immune stimulation. Causal variants tend to occur near binding sites for master regulators of immune differentiation and stimulus-dependent gene activation, but only 10-20% directly alter recognizable transcription factor binding motifs. Rather, most non-coding risk variants, including those that alter gene expression, affect non-canonical sequence determinants not well-explained by current gene regulatory models.

Synergy between sacubitril and valsartan leads to hemodynamic, antifibrotic, and exercise tolerance benefits in rats with preexisting heart failure.

Simultaneous neprilysin inhibition (NEPi) and angiotensin receptor blockade (ARB) with sacubitril/valsartan improves cardiac function and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure. However, it is not known whether these therapeutic benefits are primarily due to NEPi with sacubitril or ARB with valsartan or their combination. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the potential contribution of sacubitril and valsartan to the benefits of the combination therapy on left ventricular (LV) function and exercise tolerance. Heart failure was induced by volume overload via partial disruption of the aortic valve in rats. Therapy began 4 wk after valve disruption and lasted through 8 wk. Drugs were administered daily via oral gavage [sacubitril/valsartan (68 mg/kg), valsartan (31 mg/kg), and sacubitril (31 mg/kg)]. Hemodynamic assessments were conducted using Millar technology, and an exercise tolerance test was conducted using a rodent treadmill. Therapy with sacubitril/valsartan improved load-dependent indexes of LV contractility (dP/d tmax) and relaxation (dP/d tmin), exercise tolerance, and mitigated myocardial fibrosis, whereas monotherapies with valsartan, or sacubitril did not. Both sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan similarly improved a load-independent index of contractility [slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship ( Ees)]. Sacubitril did not improve Ees. First, synergy of NEPi with sacubitril and ARB with valsartan leads to the improvement of load-dependent LV contractility and relaxation, exercise tolerance, and reduction of myocardial collagen content. Second, the improvement in load-independent LV contractility with sacubitril/valsartan appears to be solely due to ARB with valsartan constituent. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our data suggest the following explanation for the effects of sacubitril/valsartan: 1) synergy of sacubitril and valsartan leads to the improvement of load-dependent left ventricular contractility and relaxation, exercise tolerance, and reduction of myocardial fibrosis and 2) improvement in load-independent left ventricular contractility is solely due to the valsartan constituent. The findings offer a better understanding of the outcomes observed in clinical studies and might facilitate the continuing development of the next generations of angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors.

Interaction Between Sacubitril and Valsartan in Preventing Heart Failure Induced by Aortic Valve Insufficiency in Rats.

BACKGROUND: Synergistic interactions between neprilysin inhibition (NEPi) with sacubitril and angiotensin receptor type1 blockade (ARB) with valsartan have been implicated in improvement of left ventricular (LV) contractility, relaxation, exercise tolerance, and fibrosis in preexisting heart failure (HF) induced by aortic valve insufficiency (AVI). It is not known whether this pharmacologic synergy can prevent cardiovascular pathology in a similar AVI model. Our aim was to investigate the pharmacology of sacubitril/valsartan in an experimental setting with therapy beginning immediately after creation of AVI. METHODS: HF was induced through partial disruption of the aortic valve in rats. Therapy began 3 hours after valve disruption and lasted 8 weeks. Sacubitril/valsartan (68 mg/kg), valsartan (31 mg/kg), sacubitril (31 mg/kg), or vehicle were administered daily via oral gavage (N=8 in each group). Hemodynamic assessments were conducted using Millar technology, and an exercise tolerance test was conducted using a rodent treadmill. RESULTS: Only sacubitril/valsartan increased total arterial compliance and ejection fraction (EF). Therapies with sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan similarly improved load-dependent (dP/dtmax) and load independent indices (Ees) of LV contractility, and exercise tolerance, whereas sacubitril did not. None of the therapies improved LV relaxation (dP/dtmin), whereas all reduced myocardial fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The synergistic interaction between NEPi and ARB in early therapy with sacubitril/valsartan leads to increased total arterial compliance and EF. 2) Improvement in indices of LV contractility, and exercise tolerance with sacubitril/valsartan is likely because of ARB effect of valsartan. 3) All three therapies provided antifibrotic effects, suggesting both ARB and NEPi are capable of reducing myocardial fibrosis.