RESUMO
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes severe blindness in the elderly due to choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which results from the dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). While normal RPE depends exclusively on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for energy production, the inflammatory conditions associated with metabolic reprogramming of the RPE play a pivotal role in CNV. Although mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) is a central node of energy metabolism, its role in the development of CNV in neovascular AMD has not been investigated. In the present study, we used a laser-induced CNV mouse model to evaluate the effects of Pdk4 gene ablation and treatment with pan-PDK or specific PDK4 inhibitors on fluorescein angiography and CNV lesion area. Among PDK isoforms, only PDK4 was upregulated in the RPE of laser-induced CNV mice, and Pdk4 gene ablation attenuated CNV. Next, we evaluated mitochondrial changes mediated by PDK1-4 inhibition using siRNA or PDK inhibitors in inflammatory cytokine mixture (ICM)-treated primary human RPE (hRPE) cells. PDK4 silencing only in ICM-treated hRPE cells restored mitochondrial respiration and reduced inflammatory cytokine secretion. Likewise, GM10395, a specific PDK4 inhibitor, restored oxidative phosphorylation and decreased ICM-induced upregulation of inflammatory cytokine secretion. In a laser-induced CNV mouse model, GM10395 significantly alleviated CNV. Taken together, we demonstrate that specific PDK4 inhibition could be a therapeutic strategy for neovascular AMD by preventing mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming in the RPE under inflammatory conditions.
Assuntos
Neovascularização de Coroide , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Degeneração Macular , Piruvato Desidrogenase Quinase de Transferência de Acetil , Epitélio Pigmentado da Retina , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Degeneração Macular/metabolismo , Degeneração Macular/patologia , Neovascularização de Coroide/metabolismo , Neovascularização de Coroide/patologia , Neovascularização de Coroide/tratamento farmacológico , Piruvato Desidrogenase Quinase de Transferência de Acetil/metabolismo , Epitélio Pigmentado da Retina/metabolismo , Epitélio Pigmentado da Retina/patologia , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias/efeitos dos fármacos , Fosforilação Oxidativa/efeitos dos fármacos , Reprogramação MetabólicaRESUMO
The large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BKCa) channel, which is crucial for urinary bladder smooth muscle relaxation, is a potential target for overactive bladder treatment. Our prior work unveiled CTIBD as a promising BKCa channel activator, altering V 1/2 and G max This study investigates CTIBD's activation mechanism, revealing its independence from the Ca2+ and membrane voltage sensing of the BKCa channel. Cryo-electron microscopy disclosed that two CTIBD molecules bind to hydrophobic regions on the extracellular side of the lipid bilayer. Key residues (W22, W203, and F266) are important for CTIBD binding, and their replacement with alanine reduces CTIBD-mediated channel activation. The triple-mutant (W22A/W203A/F266A) channel showed the smallest V 1/2 shift with a minimal impact on activation and deactivation kinetics by CTIBD. At the single-channel level, CTIBD treatment was much less effective at increasing P o in the triple mutant, mainly because of a drastically increased dissociation rate compared with the WT. These findings highlight CTIBD's mechanism, offering crucial insights for developing small-molecule treatments for BKCa-related pathophysiological conditions.
Assuntos
Agonistas dos Canais de Cloreto , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Canais de Potássio Ativados por Cálcio de Condutância Alta , Animais , Humanos , Sítios de Ligação , Cálcio/metabolismo , Células HEK293 , Ativação do Canal Iônico , Cinética , Subunidades alfa do Canal de Potássio Ativado por Cálcio de Condutância Alta/agonistas , Subunidades alfa do Canal de Potássio Ativado por Cálcio de Condutância Alta/química , Subunidades alfa do Canal de Potássio Ativado por Cálcio de Condutância Alta/metabolismo , Canais de Potássio Ativados por Cálcio de Condutância Alta/agonistas , Canais de Potássio Ativados por Cálcio de Condutância Alta/química , Canais de Potássio Ativados por Cálcio de Condutância Alta/metabolismo , Bicamadas Lipídicas/metabolismo , Mutação , Ligação Proteica , Agonistas dos Canais de Cloreto/química , Agonistas dos Canais de Cloreto/farmacologiaRESUMO
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is currently the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), an advanced form of MASLD, can progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Based on recent findings by our team that liver 5HT2A knockout male mice suppressed steatosis and reduced fibrosis-related gene expression, we developed a peripheral 5HT2A antagonist, compound 11c for MASH. It shows good in vitro activity, stability, and in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) in rats and dogs. Compound 11c also shows good in vivo efficacy in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) male mice model and in a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) male mice model, effectively improving histologic features of MASH and fibrosis. According to the tissue distribution study using [14C]-labeled 11c, the compound was determined to be a peripheral 5HT2A antagonist. Collectively, first-in-class compound 11c shows promise as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of MASLD and MASH.