Vascular Adaptation to Exercise in Humans: Role of Hemodynamic Stimuli.

On the 400th anniversary of Harvey's Lumleian lectures, this review focuses on "hemodynamic" forces associated with the movement of blood through arteries in humans and the functional and structural adaptations that result from repeated episodic exposure to such stimuli. The late 20th century discovery that endothelial cells modify arterial tone via paracrine transduction provoked studies exploring the direct mechanical effects of blood flow and pressure on vascular function and adaptation in vivo. In this review, we address the impact of distinct hemodynamic signals that occur in response to exercise, the interrelationships between these signals, the nature of the adaptive responses that manifest under different physiological conditions, and the implications for human health. Exercise modifies blood flow, luminal shear stress, arterial pressure, and tangential wall stress, all of which can transduce changes in arterial function, diameter, and wall thickness. There are important clinical implications of the adaptation that occurs as a consequence of repeated hemodynamic stimulation associated with exercise training in humans, including impacts on atherosclerotic risk in conduit arteries, the control of blood pressure in resistance vessels, oxygen delivery and diffusion, and microvascular health. Exercise training studies have demonstrated that direct hemodynamic impacts on the health of the artery wall contribute to the well-established decrease in cardiovascular risk attributed to physical activity.

Sitting leg vasculopathy: potential adaptations beyond the endothelium.

Increased sitting time, the most common form of sedentary behavior, is an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality; however, the mechanisms linking sitting to cardiovascular risk remain largely elusive. Studies over the last decade have led to the concept that excessive time spent in the sitting position and the ensuing reduction in leg blood flow-induced shear stress cause endothelial dysfunction. This conclusion has been mainly supported by studies using flow-mediated dilation in the lower extremities as the measured outcome. In this review, we summarize evidence from classic studies and more recent ones that collectively support the notion that prolonged sitting-induced leg vascular dysfunction is likely also attributable to changes occurring in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Indeed, we provide evidence that prolonged constriction of resistance arteries can lead to modifications in the structural characteristics of the vascular wall, including polymerization of actin filaments in VSMCs and inward remodeling, and that these changes manifest in a time frame that is consistent with the vascular changes observed with prolonged sitting. We expect this review will stimulate future studies with a focus on VSMC cytoskeletal remodeling as a potential target to prevent the detrimental vascular ramifications of too much sitting.

Effect of acute intranasal insulin administration on muscle sympathetic nerve activity in healthy young adults.

Systemic insulin increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) via both central actions within the brainstem and peripheral activation of the arterial baroreflex. Augmented MSNA during hyperinsulinemia likely restrains peripheral vasodilation and contributes to the maintenance of blood pressure (BP). However, in the absence of insulin action within the peripheral vasculature, whether central insulin stimulation increases MSNA and influences peripheral hemodynamics in humans remains unknown. Herein, we hypothesized intranasal insulin administration would increase MSNA and BP in healthy young adults. Participants were assigned to time control [TC, n = 13 (5 females/8 males), 28 ± 1 yr] or 160 IU of intranasal insulin administered over 5 min [n = 15 (5 females/10 males), 26 ± 2 yr]; five (1 female/4 males) participants completed both conditions. MSNA (fibular microneurography), BP (finger photoplethysmography), and leg blood flow (LBF, femoral Doppler ultrasound) were assessed at baseline, and 15 and 30 min following insulin administration. Leg vascular conductance [LVC = (LBF ÷ mean BP) × 100] was calculated. Venous insulin and glucose concentrations remained unchanged throughout (P > 0.05). Following intranasal insulin administration, MSNA (burst frequency; baseline = 100%; minute 15, 121 ± 8%; minute 30, 118 ± 6%; P = 0.009, n = 7) and mean BP (baseline = 100%; minute 15, 103 ± 1%; minute 30, 102 ± 1%; P = 0.003) increased, whereas LVC decreased (baseline = 100%; minute 15, 93 ± 3%; minute 30, 99 ± 3%; P = 0.03). In contrast, MSNA, mean BP, and LVC were unchanged in TC participants (P > 0.05). We provide the first evidence that intranasal insulin administration in healthy young adults acutely increases MSNA and BP and decreases LVC. These results enhance mechanistic understanding of the sympathetic and peripheral hemodynamic response to insulin.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Systemic insulin increases muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) via central actions within the brainstem and peripheral activation of the arterial baroreflex. In the absence of peripheral insulin action, whether central insulin stimulation increases MSNA and influences peripheral hemodynamics in humans was unknown. We provide the first evidence that intranasal insulin administration increases MSNA and blood pressure and reduces leg vascular conductance. These results enhance mechanistic understanding of the sympathetic and hemodynamic response to insulin.

Neuraminidase-induced externalization of phosphatidylserine activates ADAM17 and impairs insulin signaling in endothelial cells.

Endothelial insulin resistance represents a causal factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and vascular disease, thus the need to identify molecular mechanisms underlying defects in endothelial insulin signaling. We previously have shown that a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17 (ADAM17) is increased while insulin receptor α-subunit (IRα) is decreased in the vasculature of patients with T2D, leading to impaired insulin-induced vasodilation. We have also demonstrated that ADAM17 sheddase activity targets IRα; however, the mechanisms driving endothelial ADAM17 activity in T2D are largely unknown. Herein, we report that externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane causes ADAM17-mediated shedding of IRα and blunting of insulin signaling in endothelial cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that endothelial PS externalization is mediated by the phospholipid scramblase anoctamin-6 (ANO6) and that this process can be stimulated by neuraminidase, a soluble enzyme that cleaves sialic acid residues. Of note, we demonstrate that men and women with T2D display increased levels of neuraminidase activity in plasma, relative to age-matched healthy individuals, and this occurs in conjunction with increased ADAM17 activity and impaired leg blood flow responses to endogenous insulin. Collectively, this work reveals the neuraminidase-ANO6-ADAM17 axis as a novel potential target for restoring endothelial insulin sensitivity in T2D.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work provides the first evidence that neuraminidase, an enzyme increased in the circulation of men and women with type 2 diabetes (T2D), promotes anoctamin-6 (ANO6)-dependent externalization of phosphatidylserine in endothelial cells, which in turn leads to activation of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17 (ADAM17) and consequent shedding of the insulin receptor-α from the cell surface. Hence, this work supports that consideration should be given to the neuraminidase-ANO6-ADAM17 axis as a novel potential target for restoring endothelial insulin sensitivity in T2D.

Neuraminidase inhibition improves endothelial function in diabetic mice.

Neuraminidases cleave sialic acids from glycocalyx structures and plasma neuraminidase activity is elevated in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore, we hypothesize circulating neuraminidase degrades the endothelial glycocalyx and diminishes flow-mediated dilation (FMD), whereas its inhibition restores shear mechanosensation and endothelial function in T2D settings. We found that compared with controls, subjects with T2D have higher plasma neuraminidase activity, reduced plasma nitrite concentrations, and diminished FMD. Ex vivo and in vivo neuraminidase exposure diminished FMD and reduced endothelial glycocalyx presence in mouse arteries. In cultured endothelial cells, neuraminidase reduced glycocalyx coverage. Inhalation of the neuraminidase inhibitor, zanamivir, reduced plasma neuraminidase activity, enhanced endothelial glycocalyx length, and improved FMD in diabetic mice. In humans, a single-arm trial (NCT04867707) of zanamivir inhalation did not reduce plasma neuraminidase activity, improved glycocalyx length, or enhanced FMD. Although zanamivir plasma concentrations in mice reached 225.8 ± 22.0 ng/mL, in humans were only 40.0 ± 7.2 ng/mL. These results highlight the potential of neuraminidase inhibition for ameliorating endothelial dysfunction in T2D and suggest the current Food and Drug Administration-approved inhaled dosage of zanamivir is insufficient to achieve desired outcomes in humans.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work identifies neuraminidase as a key mediator of endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes that may serve as a biomarker for impaired endothelial function and predictive of development and progression of cardiovascular pathologies associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Data show that intervention with the neuraminidase inhibitor zanamivir at effective plasma concentrations may represent a novel pharmacological strategy for restoring the glycocalyx and ameliorating endothelial dysfunction.

Sympathetic transduction to blood pressure during euglycemic-hyperinsulinemia in young healthy adults: role of burst amplitude.

Insulin acts centrally to stimulate sympathetic vasoconstrictor outflow to skeletal muscle and peripherally to promote vasodilation. Given these divergent actions, the "net effect" of insulin on the transduction of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) into vasoconstriction and thus, blood pressure (BP) remains unclear. We hypothesized that sympathetic transduction to BP would be attenuated during hyperinsulinemia compared with baseline. In 22 young healthy adults, MSNA (microneurography), and beat-to-beat BP (Finometer or arterial catheter) were continuously recorded, and signal-averaging was performed to quantify the mean arterial pressure (MAP) and total vascular conductance (TVC; Modelflow) responses following spontaneous bursts of MSNA at baseline and during a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. Hyperinsulinemia significantly increased MSNA burst frequency and mean burst amplitude (baseline: 46 ± 6 au; insulin: 65 ± 16 au, P < 0.001) but did not alter MAP. The peak MAP (baseline: 3.2 ± 1.5 mmHg; insulin: 3.0 ± 1.9 mmHg, P = 0.67) and nadir TVC (P = 0.45) responses following all MSNA bursts were not different between conditions indicating preserved sympathetic transduction. However, when MSNA bursts were segregated into quartiles based on their amplitudes at baseline and compared with similar amplitude bursts during hyperinsulinemia, the peak MAP and TVC responses were blunted (e.g., largest burst quartile: MAP, baseline: Δ4.4 ± 1.7 mmHg; hyperinsulinemia: Δ3.0 ± 0.8 mmHg, P = 0.02). Notably, ∼15% of bursts during hyperinsulinemia exceeded the size of any burst at baseline, yet the MAP/TVC responses to these larger bursts (MAP, Δ4.9 ± 1.4 mmHg) did not differ from the largest baseline bursts (P = 0.47). These findings indicate that increases in MSNA burst amplitude contribute to the overall maintenance of sympathetic transduction during hyperinsulinemia.

Impact of sex and diet-induced weight loss on vascular insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes.

Vascular insulin resistance, a major characteristic of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), manifests with blunting of insulin-induced vasodilation. Although there is evidence that females are more whole body insulin sensitive than males in the healthy state, whether sex differences exist in vascular insulin sensitivity is unclear. Also uncertain is whether weight loss can reestablish vascular insulin sensitivity in T2D. The purpose of this investigation was to 1) establish if sex differences in vasodilatory responses to insulin exist in absence of disease, 2) determine whether female sex affords protection against the development of vascular insulin resistance with long-term overnutrition and obesity, and 3) examine if diet-induced weight loss can restore vascular insulin sensitivity in men and women with T2D. First, we show in healthy mice and humans that sex does not influence insulin-induced femoral artery dilation and insulin-stimulated leg blood flow, respectively. Second, we provide evidence that female mice are protected against impairments in insulin-induced dilation caused by overnutrition-induced obesity. Third, we show that men and women exhibit comparable levels of vascular insulin resistance when T2D develops but that diet-induced weight loss is effective at improving insulin-stimulated leg blood flow, particularly in women. Finally, we provide indirect evidence that these beneficial effects of weight loss may be mediated by a reduction in endothelin-1. In aggregate, the present data indicate that female sex confers protection against obesity-induced vascular insulin resistance and provide supportive evidence that, in women with T2D, vascular insulin resistance can be remediated with diet-induced weight loss.

Role of the arterial baroreflex in the sympathetic response to hyperinsulinemia in adult humans.

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) increases during hyperinsulinemia, primarily attributed to central nervous system effects. Whether peripheral vasodilation induced by insulin further contributes to increased MSNA via arterial baroreflex-mediated mechanisms requires further investigation. Accordingly, we examined baroreflex modulation of the MSNA response to hyperinsulinemia. We hypothesized that rescuing peripheral resistance with coinfusion of the vasoconstrictor phenylephrine would attenuate the MSNA response to hyperinsulinemia. We further hypothesized that the insulin-mediated increase in MSNA would be recapitulated with another vasodilator (sodium nitroprusside, SNP). In 33 young healthy adults (28 M/5F), MSNA (microneurography) and arterial blood pressure (BP, Finometer/brachial catheter) were measured, and total peripheral resistance (TPR, ModelFlow) and baroreflex sensitivity were calculated at rest and during intravenous infusion of insulin (n = 20) or SNP (n = 13). A subset of participants receiving insulin (n = 7) was coinfused with phenylephrine. Insulin infusion decreased TPR (P = 0.01) and increased MSNA (P < 0.01), with no effect on arterial baroreflex sensitivity or BP (P > 0.05). Coinfusion with phenylephrine returned TPR and MSNA to baseline, with no effect on arterial baroreflex sensitivity (P > 0.05). Similar to insulin, SNP decreased TPR (P < 0.02) and increased MSNA (P < 0.01), with no effect on arterial baroreflex sensitivity (P > 0.12). Acute hyperinsulinemia shifts the baroreflex stimulus-response curve to higher MSNA without changing sensitivity, likely due to insulin's peripheral vasodilatory effects. Results show that peripheral vasodilation induced by insulin contributes to increased MSNA during hyperinsulinemia.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We hypothesized that elevation in muscle sympathetic nervous system activity (MSNA) during hyperinsulinemia is mediated by its peripheral vasodilator effect on the arterial baroreflex. Using three separate protocols in humans, we observed increases in both MSNA and cardiac output during hyperinsulinemia, which we attributed to the baroreflex response to peripheral vasodilation induced by insulin. Results show that peripheral vasodilation induced by insulin contributes to increased MSNA during hyperinsulinemia.

New insights into mechanisms of endothelial insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance in the vasculature is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and blunting of insulin-induced vasodilation is its primary consequence. Individuals with T2D exhibit a marked impairment in insulin-induced dilation in resistance arteries across vascular beds. Importantly, reduced insulin-stimulated vasodilation and blood flow to skeletal muscle limits glucose uptake and contributes to impaired glucose control in T2D. The study of mechanisms responsible for the suppressed vasodilatory effects of insulin has been a growing topic of interest for not only its association with glucose control and extension to T2D but also its relationship with cardiovascular disease development and progression. In this mini-review, we integrate findings from recent studies by our group with the existing literature focused on the mechanisms underlying endothelial insulin resistance in T2D.

Cystamine reduces vascular stiffness in Western diet-fed female mice.

Consumption of diets high in fat, sugar, and salt (Western diet, WD) is associated with accelerated arterial stiffening, a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Women with obesity are more prone to develop arterial stiffening leading to more frequent and severe CVD compared with men. As tissue transglutaminase (TG2) has been implicated in vascular stiffening, our goal herein was to determine the efficacy of cystamine, a nonspecific TG2 inhibitor, at reducing vascular stiffness in female mice chronically fed a WD. Three experimental groups of female mice were created. One was fed regular chow diet (CD) for 43 wk starting at 4 wk of age. The second was fed a WD for the same 43 wk, whereas a third cohort was fed WD, but also received cystamine (216 mg/kg/day) in the drinking water during the last 8 wk on the diet (WD + C). All vascular stiffness parameters assessed, including aortic pulse wave velocity and the incremental modulus of elasticity of isolated femoral and mesenteric arteries, were significantly increased in WD- versus CD-fed mice, and reduced in WD + C versus WD-fed mice. These changes coincided with respectively augmented and diminished vascular wall collagen and F-actin content, with no associated effect in blood pressure. In cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells, cystamine reduced TG2 activity, F-actin:G-actin ratio, collagen compaction capacity, and cellular stiffness. We conclude that cystamine treatment represents an effective approach to reduce vascular stiffness in female mice in the setting of WD consumption, likely because of its TG2 inhibitory capacity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study evaluates the novel role of transglutaminase 2 (TG2) inhibition to directly treat vascular stiffness. Our data demonstrate that cystamine, a nonspecific TG2 inhibitor, improves vascular stiffness induced by a diet rich in fat, fructose, and salt. This research suggests that TG2 inhibition might bear therapeutic potential to reduce the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease in females in conditions of chronic overnutrition.

ADAM17 cleaves the insulin receptor ectodomain on endothelial cells and causes vascular insulin resistance.

Inflammation and vascular insulin resistance are hallmarks of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, several potential mechanisms causing abnormal endothelial insulin signaling in T2D need further investigation. Evidence indicates that the activity of ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17) and the presence of insulin receptor (IR) in plasma are increased in subjects with T2D. Accordingly, we hypothesized that in T2D, increased ADAM17 activity sheds the IR ectodomain from endothelial cells and impairs insulin-induced vasodilation. We used small visceral arteries isolated from a cross-sectional study of subjects with and without T2D undergoing bariatric surgery, human cultured endothelial cells, and recombinant proteins to test our hypothesis. Here, we demonstrate that arteries from subjects with T2D had increased ADAM17 expression, reduced presence of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP3), decreased extracellular IRα, and impaired insulin-induced vasodilation versus those from subjects without T2D. In vitro, active ADAM17 cleaved the ectodomain of the IRß subunit. Endothelial cells with ADAM17 overexpression or exposed to the protein kinase-C activator, PMA, had increased ADAM17 activity, decreased IRα presence on the cell surface, and increased IR shedding. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of ADAM17 with TAPI-0 rescued PMA-induced IR shedding and insulin-signaling impairments in endothelial cells and insulin-stimulated vasodilation in human arteries. In aggregate, our findings suggest that ADAM17-mediated shedding of IR from the endothelial surface impairs insulin-mediated vasodilation. Thus, we propose that inhibition of ADAM17 sheddase activity should be considered a strategy to restore vascular insulin sensitivity in T2D.NEW & NOTEWORTHY To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the involvement of ADAM17 in causing impaired insulin-induced vasodilation in T2D. We provide evidence that ADAM17 activity is increased in the vasculature of patients with T2D and support the notion that ADAM17-mediated shedding of endothelial IRα ectodomains is a novel mechanism causing vascular insulin resistance. Our results highlight that targeting ADAM17 activity may be a potential therapeutic strategy to correct vascular insulin resistance in T2D.

Role of adropin in arterial stiffening associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Adropin is a peptide largely secreted by the liver and known to regulate energy homeostasis; however, it also exerts cardiovascular effects. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that low circulating levels of adropin in obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) contribute to arterial stiffening. In support of this hypothesis, we report that obesity and T2D are associated with reduced levels of adropin (in liver and plasma) and increased arterial stiffness in mice and humans. Establishing causation, we show that mesenteric arteries from adropin knockout mice are also stiffer, relative to arteries from wild-type counterparts, thus recapitulating the stiffening phenotype observed in T2D db/db mice. Given the above, we performed a set of follow-up experiments, in which we found that 1) exposure of endothelial cells or isolated mesenteric arteries from db/db mice to adropin reduces filamentous actin (F-actin) stress fibers and stiffness, 2) adropin-induced reduction of F-actin and stiffness in endothelial cells and db/db mesenteric arteries is abrogated by inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and 3) stimulation of smooth muscle cells or db/db mesenteric arteries with a NO mimetic reduces stiffness. Lastly, we demonstrated that in vivo treatment of db/db mice with adropin for 4 wk reduces stiffness in mesenteric arteries. Collectively, these findings indicate that adropin can regulate arterial stiffness, likely via endothelium-derived NO, and thus support the notion that "hypoadropinemia" should be considered as a putative target for the prevention and treatment of arterial stiffening in obesity and T2D.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Arterial stiffening, a characteristic feature of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), contributes to the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. Herein we establish that adropin is decreased in obese and T2D models and furthermore provide evidence that reduced adropin may directly contribute to arterial stiffening. Collectively, findings from this work support the notion that "hypoadropinemia" should be considered as a putative target for the prevention and treatment of arterial stiffening in obesity and T2D.

Endothelial HSP72 is not reduced in type 2 diabetes nor is it a key determinant of endothelial insulin sensitivity.

Impaired endothelial insulin signaling and consequent blunting of insulin-induced vasodilation is a feature of type 2 diabetes (T2D) that contributes to vascular disease and glycemic dysregulation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying endothelial insulin resistance remain poorly known. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that endothelial insulin resistance in T2D is attributed to reduced expression of heat shock protein 72 (HSP72). HSP72 is a cytoprotective chaperone protein that can be upregulated with heating and is reported to promote insulin sensitivity in metabolically active tissues, in part via inhibition of JNK activity. Accordingly, we further hypothesized that, in individuals with T2D, 7 days of passive heat treatment via hot water immersion to waist level would improve leg blood flow responses to an oral glucose load (i.e., endogenous insulin stimulation) via induction of endothelial HSP72. In contrast, we found that: 1) endothelial insulin resistance in T2D mice and humans was not associated with reduced HSP72 in aortas and venous endothelial cells, respectively; 2) after passive heat treatment, improved leg blood flow responses to an oral glucose load did not parallel with increased endothelial HSP72; and 3) downregulation of HSP72 (via small-interfering RNA) or upregulation of HSP72 (via heating) in cultured endothelial cells did not impair or enhance insulin signaling, respectively, nor was JNK activity altered. Collectively, these findings do not support the hypothesis that reduced HSP72 is a key driver of endothelial insulin resistance in T2D but provide novel evidence that lower-body heating may be an effective strategy for improving leg blood flow responses to glucose ingestion-induced hyperinsulinemia.

Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in the Hemodynamic Response to Hyperinsulinemia-Implications for Obesity and Insulin Resistance.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Herein, we summarize recent advances which provide new insights into the role of the autonomic nervous system in the control of blood flow and blood pressure during hyperinsulinemia. We also highlight remaining gaps in knowledge as it pertains to the translation of findings to relevant human chronic conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. RECENT FINDINGS: Our findings in insulin-sensitive adults show that increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity with hyperinsulinemia do not result in greater sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction in the peripheral circulation. Both an attenuation of α-adrenergic-receptor vasoconstriction and augmented ß-adrenergic vasodilation in the setting of high insulin likely explain these findings. In the absence of an increase in sympathetically mediated restraint of peripheral vasodilation during hyperinsulinemia, blood pressure is supported by increases in cardiac output in insulin-sensitive individuals. We highlight a dynamic interplay between central and peripheral mechanisms during hyperinsulinemia to increase sympathetic nervous system activity and maintain blood pressure in insulin-sensitive adults. Whether these results translate to the insulin-resistant condition and implications for long-term cardiovascular regulation warrants further exploration.

The right ventricular transcriptome signature in Ossabaw swine with cardiometabolic heart failure: implications for the coronary vasculature.

Heart failure (HF) patients with deteriorating right ventricular (RV) structure and function have a nearly twofold increased risk of death compared with those without. Despite the well-established clinical risk, few studies have examined the molecular signature associated with this HF condition. The purpose of this study was to integrate morphological, molecular, and functional data with the transcriptome data set in the RV of a preclinical model of cardiometabolic HF. Ossabaw swine were fed either normal diet without surgery (lean control, n = 5) or Western diet and aortic-banding (WD-AB; n = 4). Postmortem RV weight was increased and positively correlated with lung weight in the WD-AB group compared with CON. Total RNA-seq was performed and gene expression profiles were compared and analyzed using principal component analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, module enrichment analysis, and ingenuity pathway analysis. Gene networks specifically associated with RV hypertrophic remodeling identified a hub gene in MAPK8 (or JNK1) that was associated with the selective induction of the extracellular matrix (ECM) component fibronectin. JNK1 and fibronectin protein were increased in the right coronary artery (RCA) of WD-AB animals and associated with a decrease in matrix metalloproteinase 14 protein, which specifically degrades fibronectin. RCA fibronectin content was correlated with increased vascular stiffness evident as a decreased elastin elastic modulus in WD-AB animals. In conclusion, this study establishes a molecular and transcriptome signature in the RV using Ossabaw swine with cardiometabolic HF. This signature was associated with altered ECM regulation and increased vascular stiffness in the RCA, with selective dysregulation of fibronectin.

Mutation of the 5'-untranslated region stem-loop mRNA structure reduces type I collagen deposition and arterial stiffness in male obese mice.

Arterial stiffening, a characteristic feature of obesity and type 2 diabetes, contributes to the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Currently, no effective prophylaxis or therapeutics is available to prevent or treat arterial stiffening. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying arterial stiffening is vital to identify newer targets and strategies to reduce CVD burden. A major contributor to arterial stiffening is increased collagen deposition. In the 5'-untranslated regions of mRNAs encoding for type I collagen, an evolutionally conserved stem-loop (SL) structure plays an essential role in its stability and post-transcriptional regulation. Here, we show that feeding a high-fat/high-sucrose (HFHS) diet for 28 wk increases adiposity, insulin resistance, and blood pressure in male wild-type littermates. Moreover, arterial stiffness, assessed in vivo via aortic pulse wave velocity, and ex vivo using atomic force microscopy in aortic explants or pressure myography in isolated femoral and mesenteric arteries, was also increased in those mice. Notably, all these indices of arterial stiffness, along with collagen type I levels in the vasculature, were reduced in HFHS-fed mice harboring a mutation in the 5'SL structure, relative to wild-type littermates. This protective vascular phenotype in 5'SL-mutant mice did not associate with a reduction in insulin resistance or blood pressure. These findings implicate the 5'SL structure as a putative therapeutic target to prevent or reverse arterial stiffening and CVD associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the 5'-untranslated (UTR) regions of mRNAs encoding for type I collagen, an evolutionally conserved SL structure plays an essential role in its stability and posttranscriptional regulation. We demonstrate that a mutation of the SL mRNA structure in the 5'-UTR decreases collagen type I deposition and arterial stiffness in obese mice. Targeting this evolutionarily conserved SL structure may hold promise in the management of arterial stiffening and CVD associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Hyperinsulinemia blunts sympathetic vasoconstriction: a possible role of ß-adrenergic activation.

Herein we report in a sample of healthy young men (n = 14) and women (n = 12) that hyperinsulinemia induces time-dependent decreases in total peripheral resistance and its contribution to the maintenance of blood pressure. In the same participants, we observe profound vasodilatory effects of insulin in the lower limb despite concomitant activation of the sympathetic nervous system. We hypothesized that this prominent peripheral vasodilation is possibly due to the ability of the leg vasculature to escape sympathetic vasoconstriction during systemic insulin stimulation. Consistent with this notion, we demonstrate in a subset of healthy men (n = 9) and women (n = 7) that systemic infusion of insulin blunts sympathetically mediated leg vasoconstriction evoked by a cold pressor test, a well-established sympathoexcitatory stimulus. Further substantiating this observation, we show in mouse aortic rings that insulin exposure suppresses epinephrine and norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction. Notably, we found that such insulin-suppressing effects on catecholamine-induced constriction are diminished following ß-adrenergic receptor blockade. In accordance, we also reveal that insulin augments ß-adrenergic-mediated vasorelaxation in isolated arteries. Collectively, these findings support the idea that sympathetic vasoconstriction can be attenuated during systemic hyperinsulinemia in the leg vasculature of both men and women and that this phenomenon may be in part mediated by potentiation of ß-adrenergic vasodilation neutralizing α-adrenergic vasoconstriction.

Voluntary Wheel Running Partially Compensates for the Effects of Global Estrogen Receptor-α Knockout on Cortical Bone in Young Male Mice.

Estrogen receptor-α knockout (ERKO) in female, but not male, mice results in an impaired osteogenic response to exercise, but the mechanisms behind this ability in males are unknown. We explored the main and interactive effects of ERKO and exercise on cortical geometry, trabecular microarchitecture, biomechanical strength, and sclerostin expression in male mice. At 12 weeks of age, male C57BL/6J ERKO and WT animals were randomized into two groups: exercise treatment (EX) and sedentary (SED) controls, until 22 weeks of age. Cortical geometry and trabecular microarchitecture were measured via µCT; biomechanical strength was assessed via three-point bending; sclerostin expression was measured via immunohistochemistry. Two-way ANOVA was used to assess sclerostin expression and trabecular microarchitecture; two-way ANCOVA with body weight was used to assess cortical geometry and biomechanical strength. ERKO positively impacted trabecular microarchitecture, and exercise had little effect on these outcomes. ERKO significantly impaired cortical geometry, but exercise was able to partially reverse these negative alterations. EX increased cortical thickness regardless of genotype. There were no effects of genotype or exercise on sclerostin expression. In conclusion, male ERKO mice retain the ability to build bone in response to exercise, but altering sclerostin expression is not one of the mechanisms involved.

Tissue-specific small heat shock protein 20 activation is not associated with traditional autophagy markers in Ossabaw swine with cardiometabolic heart failure.

The small heat shock protein 20 (HSPB6) emerges as a potential upstream mediator of autophagy. Although autophagy is linked to several clinical disorders, how HSPB6 and autophagy are regulated in the setting of heart failure (HF) remains unknown. The goal of this study was to assess the activation of the HSPB6 and its association with other well-established autophagy markers in central and peripheral tissues from a preclinical Ossabaw swine model of cardiometabolic HF induced by Western diet and chronic cardiac pressure overload. We hypothesized HSPB6 would be activated in central and peripheral tissues, stimulating autophagy. We found that autophagy in the heart is interrupted at various stages of the process in a chamber-specific manner. Protein levels of HSPB6, Beclin 1, and p62 are increased in the right ventricle, whereas only HSPB6 was increased in the left ventricle. Unlike the heart, samples from the triceps brachii long head showed only an increase in the protein level of p62, highlighting interesting central versus peripheral differences in autophagy regulation. In the right coronary artery, total HSPB6 protein expression was decreased and associated with an increase in LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio, demonstrating a different mechanism of autophagy dysregulation in the coronary vasculature. Thus, contrary to our hypothesis, activation of HSPB6 was differentially regulated in a tissue-specific manner and observed in parallel with variable states of autophagy markers assessed by protein levels of LC3B, p62, and Beclin 1. Our data provide insight into how the HSPB6/autophagy axis is regulated in a preclinical swine model with potential relevance to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study shows that the activation of HSPB6 is tissue specific and associated with variable states of downstream markers of autophagy in a unique preclinical swine model of cardiometabolic HF with potential relevance to HFpEF. These findings suggest that targeted approaches could be an important consideration regarding the development of drugs aimed at this intracellular recycling process.

Assessment of resistance vessel function in human skeletal muscle: guidelines for experimental design, Doppler ultrasound, and pharmacology.

The introduction of duplex Doppler ultrasound almost half a century ago signified a revolutionary advance in the ability to assess limb blood flow in humans. It is now widely used to assess blood flow under a variety of experimental conditions to study skeletal muscle resistance vessel function. Despite its pervasive adoption, there is substantial variability between studies in relation to experimental protocols, procedures for data analysis, and interpretation of findings. This guideline results from a collegial discussion among physiologists and pharmacologists, with the goal of providing general as well as specific recommendations regarding the conduct of human studies involving Doppler ultrasound-based measures of resistance vessel function in skeletal muscle. Indeed, the focus is on methods used to assess resistance vessel function and not upstream conduit artery function (i.e., macrovasculature), which has been expertly reviewed elsewhere. In particular, we address topics related to experimental design, data collection, and signal processing as well as review common procedures used to assess resistance vessel function, including postocclusive reactive hyperemia, passive limb movement, acute single limb exercise, and pharmacological interventions.