Arid2-IR promotes NF-κB-mediated renal inflammation by targeting NLRC5 transcription.

Increasing evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in a variety of disorders including kidney diseases. It is well recognized that inflammation is the initial step of kidney injury and is largely mediated by nuclear factor Kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. We had previously identified lncRNA-Arid2-IR is an inflammatory lncRNA associated with NF-κB-mediated renal injury. In this study, we examined the regulatory mechanism through which Arid2-IR activates NF-κB signaling. We found that Arid2-IR was differentially expressed in response to various kidney injuries and was induced by transforming growth factor beta 1(TGF-ß1). Using RNA sequencing and luciferase assays, we found that Arid2-IR regulated the activity of NF-κB signal via NLRC5-dependent mechanism. Arid2-IR masked the promoter motifs of NLRC5 to inhibit its transcription. In addition, during inflammatory response, Filamin A (Flna) was increased and functioned to trap Arid2-IR in cytoplasm, thereby preventing its nuclear translocation and inhibition of NLRC5 transcription. Thus, lncRNA Arid2-IR mediates NF-κB-driven renal inflammation via a NLRC5-dependent mechanism and targeting Arid2-IR may be a novel therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases in general.

Identification of Smad3-related transcriptomes in type-2 diabetic nephropathy by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing.

Smad3 deficiency prevents the development of type 2 diabetic nephropathy; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify Smad3-related genes involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to profile the whole transcriptome in the diabetic kidney of Smad3 WT-db/db, Smad3 KO-db/db, Smad3+/- db/db and their littermate control db/m mice at 20 weeks. The gene ontology, pathways and alternative splicing of differentially expressed protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs related to Smad3 in diabetic kidney were analysed. Compared to Smad3 WT-db/db mice, Smad3 KO-db/db mice exhibited an alteration of genes associated with RNA splicing and metabolism, whereas heterozygosity deletion of Smad3 (Smad3+/- db/db mice) significantly altered genes related to cell division and cell cycle. Notably, three protein-coding genes (Upk1b, Psca and Gdf15) and two lncRNAs (NONMMUG023520.2 and NONMMUG032975.2) were identified to be Smad3-dependent and to be associated with the development of diabetic nephropathy. By using whole transcriptome RNA sequencing, we identified novel Smad3 transcripts related to the development of diabetic nephropathy. Thus, targeting these transcripts may represent a novel and effective therapy for diabetic nephropathy.

Association between monocyte count to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and mortality in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Previous studies had demonstrated that elevated monocyte count to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR), a novel marker of inflammation, was associated with higher cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. However, the association between MHR and mortality in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) has received little attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between MHR and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in PD patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this single center retrospective cohort study, PD patients who had catheter insertion in our PD center from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2016 were enrolled. All patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of baseline MHR levels and followed up until December 31, 2018. The associations of MHR levels with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were assessed by using Cox proportional hazards models. Of 1584 patients, mean age was 46.02 ± 14.65 years, 60.1% were male, and 24.2% had diabetes. The mean MHR level was 0.39 ± 0.23. During a median follow up time of 45.6 (24.6-71.8) months, 349 patients died, and 181 deaths were caused by cardiovascular disease. After adjusting for confounders, the highest MHR tertile was significantly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality with a hazard ratio of 1.43 (95%CI = 1.06-1.93, P = 0.019), 1.54 (95%CI = 1.01-2.35, P = 0.046), respectively. CONCLUSION: Higher MHR level was an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in PD patients.

Association between urinary VEGFA and renal pathology of IgA nephropathy patients.

BACKGROUND: Renal biopsy remains the golden standard for diagnosing and monitoring IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was crucial for the survival of glomerular cells. Our aim was to screen the expression pattern of urinary, circulating and renal VEGFA in IgAN patients to reveal their relationship with renal pathology and outcomes. METHODS: Baseline VEGFA levels were determined with ELISA, real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Associations between VEGFA expression and clinical-pathological parameters, and renal outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, urinary VEGFA level was obviously elevated in IgAN patients (76.19 ± 63.67 pg/mg Cr vs 146.67 ± 232.71 pg/mg Cr, p = 0.0291) and not correlated with serum VEGFA level. Baseline urinary VEGFA was significantly associated with gender and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis by stepwise multivariate regression analysis. Urinary VEGFA was higher in male patients accompanied with higher serum creatinine, larger proportion of hypertension and recurrent hematuria than in female patients. In the kidney of IgAN patients, VEGFA were robustly expressed in the parietal epithelial cells, podocytes, mesangial cells and tubular epithelial cells. After a follow-up duration of 38.53 ± 27.14 months, IgAN patients with higher urinary VEGFA level were found to have a poorer renal outcome of renal replacement therapy (HR = 1.027, p = 0.037) or composite outcome (HR = 1.023, p = 0.039) after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Increased urinary VEGFA might reflect certain renal pathology and, although not fully specific, still could be served as a valuable noninvasive indicator in predicting renal progression of IgAN.

The impact of sphygmomanometer placement and cuff placement on blood pressure measurements.

Background: Hypertension is the most significant global risk factor for mortality and morbidity, making standardized blood pressure measurement crucial. Objectives: To investigate whether the location of blood pressure monitors and the positioning of cuffs yield differing results in blood pressure measurements. Methods: Patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang College between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023 were enrolled in this study and randomly allocated into four groups. These groups were defined based on the positioning of monitoring equipment as follows: varied placements of cuffs on automatic blood pressure monitors, different heights for mercury column blood pressure monitors, varied heights for automatic blood pressure monitors, and different orientations for the cuff airbag tubes on electrocardiogram monitors. Blood pressure was measured and recorded for each group, followed by an analysis of the variations in readings across the different setups. Results: In the first cohort of 763 individuals, mean systolic blood pressure measured at the standard upper arm site was 128.8 ± 10.5 mmHg, compared to 125.3 ± 10.4 mmHg at the elbow fossa. The corresponding diastolic pressures were 79.2 ± 10.7 and 75.0 ± 10.6 mmHg, respectively. The difference in systolic pressure between these positions was significant at 3.48 ± 3.22 mmHg (t1 = 29.91, p1 < 0.001) and for diastolic pressure at 4.23 ± 1.31 mmHg (t2 = 88.98, p2 < 0.001). For the subsequent groups, involving 253, 312, and 225 individuals, respectively, blood pressure measurements were analyzed and compared across different methods within each group. All p-values exceeded 0.05, indicating no statistically significant differences. Conclusions: Blood pressure values measured at the elbow fossa position using an upper arm-type automatic sphygmomanometer were found to be lower than those measured at the upper arm position, with a difference of 3.48 mmHg for systolic and 4.23 mmHg for diastolic pressures. It is therefore essential to position the cuff correctly, specifically 2-3 cm above the elbow fossa, when utilizing an upper arm-type automatic sphygmomanometer for blood pressure monitoring. Conversely, the placement of the mercury column sphygmomanometer and the automated sphygmomanometer at varying heights had no significant effect on blood pressure readings. Similarly, the orientation of the electrocardiogram's cuffed balloon tube, whether facing upward or downward, did not influence blood pressure measurement outcomes.

Circ_0020123 plays an oncogenic role in non-small cell lung cancer depending on the regulation of miR-512-3p/CORO1C.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes responsible for cancer-associated death globally. The aim of this study was to illustrate the function of circular RNA_0020123 (circ_0020123) in NSCLC progression and its associated mechanism. METHODS: RNA and protein expression was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot assay. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, apoptosis and autophagy were analyzed to assess the role of circ_0020123/microRNA-512-3p (miR-512-3p)/coronin 1C (CORO1C) axis in NSCLC cells. Tumorigenesis in nude mice was analyzed to determine the in vivo role of circ_0020123. The intermolecular target relation was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. RESULTS: Circ_0020123 expression was aberrantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0020123 interference markedly restrained cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis and autophagy and induced cell apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Circ_0020123 knockdown suppressed xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0020123 acted as a molecular sponge for miR-512-3p. Circ_0020123 silencing-induced effects in NSCLC cells were largely reversed by the knockdown of miR-512-3p. miR-512-3p interacted with the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of CORO1C. CORO1C overexpression largely reversed miR-512-3p accumulation-induced influences in NSCLC cells. Circ_0020123 positively regulated CORO1C expression by sponging miR-512-3p in NSCLC cells. CONCLUSION: Circ_0020123 aggravated NSCLC progression by binding to miR-512-3p to induce CORO1C expression, which provided new potential targets for the treatment of NSCLC.

ALKBH1-demethylated DNA N6-methyladenine modification triggers vascular calcification via osteogenic reprogramming in chronic kidney disease.

Vascular calcification (VC) predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). To date, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We detected leukocyte DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA) levels in patients with CKD with or without aortic arch calcification. We used arteries from CKD mice infected with vascular smooth muscle cell-targeted (VSMC-targeted) adeno-associated virus encoding alkB homolog 1 (Alkbh1) gene or Alkbh1 shRNA to evaluate features of calcification. We identified that leukocyte 6mA levels were significantly reduced as the severity of VC increased in patients with CKD. Decreased 6mA demethylation resulted from the upregulation of ALKBH1. Here, ALKBH1 overexpression aggravated whereas its depletion blunted VC progression and osteogenic reprogramming in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, ALKBH1-demethylated DNA 6mA modification could facilitate the binding of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) to bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) promoter and activate BMP2 transcription. This resulted in osteogenic reprogramming of VSMCs and subsequent VC progression. Either BMP2 or Oct4 depletion alleviated the procalcifying effects of ALKBH1. This suggests that targeting ALKBH1 might be a therapeutic method to reduce the burden of VC in CKD.

The spatial non-stationary effect of urban landscape pattern on urban waterlogging: a case study of Shenzhen City.

The problem of urban waterlogging has consistently affected areas of southern China, and has generated widespread concerns among the public and professionals. The geographically weighted regression model (GWR) is widely used to reflect the spatial non-stationarity of parameters in different locations, with the relationship between variables able to change with spatial position. In this research, Shenzhen City, which has a serious waterlogging problem, was used as a case study. Several key results were obtained. (1) The spatial autocorrelation of flood spot density in Shenzhen was significant at the 5% level, but because the Z value was not large it was not very obvious. (2) The degree of impact on flood disasters from large to small was: Built up_ DIVISION > SHDI > Built up_ COHESION > CONTAG > Built up_ LPI. (3) The degree of waterlogging disasters in higher altitude regions was less affected by the landscape pattern. The results of this study highlight the important role of the landscape pattern on waterlogging disasters and also indicate the different impacts of different regional landscape patterns on waterlogging disasters, which provides useful information for planning the landscape pattern and controlling waterlogging.

Statins ameliorate cholesterol-induced inflammation and improve AQP2 expression by inhibiting NLRP3 activation in the kidney.

Background: Chronic kidney diseases (CKD) are usually associated with dyslipidemia. Statin therapy has been primarily recommended for the prevention of cardiovascular risk in patients with CKD; however, the effects of statins on kidney disease progression remain controversial. This study aims to investigate the effects of statin treatment on renal handling of water in patients and in animals on a high-fat diet. Methods: Retrospective cohort patient data were reviewed and the protein expression levels of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and NLRP3 inflammasome adaptor ASC were examined in kidney biopsy specimens. The effects of statins on AQP2 and NLRP3 inflammasome components were examined in nlrp3-/- mice, 5/6 nephroectomized (5/6Nx) rats with a high-fat diet (HFD), and in vitro. Results: In the retrospective cohort study, serum cholesterol was negatively correlated to eGFR and AQP2 protein expression in the kidney biopsy specimens. Statins exhibited no effect on eGFR but abolished the negative correlation between cholesterol and AQP2 expression. Whilst nlrp3+/+ mice showed an increased urine output and a decreased expression of AQP2 protein after a HFD, which was moderately attenuated in nlrp3 deletion mice with HFD. In 5/6Nx rats on a HFD, atorvastatin markedly decreased the urine output and upregulated the protein expression of AQP2. Cholesterol stimulated the protein expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components ASC, caspase-1 and IL-1ß, and decreased AQP2 protein abundance in vitro, which was markedly prevented by statins, likely through the enhancement of ASC speck degradation via autophagy. Conclusion: Serum cholesterol level has a negative correlation with AQP2 protein expression in the kidney biopsy specimens of patients. Statins can ameliorate cholesterol-induced inflammation by promoting the degradation of ASC speck, and improve the expression of aquaporin in the kidneys of animals on a HFD.

Mechanism of interactions between endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy in hypoxia/reoxygenation­induced injury of H9c2 cardiomyocytes.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy are involved in myocardial ischemia­reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, their roles in this type of injury remain unclear. The present study investigated the roles of ER stress and autophagy, and their underlying mechanisms, in H9c2 cells during hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury. Cell viability was detected by CCK­8 assay. The autophagy flux was monitored with mCherry­GFP­LC3­adenovirus transfection. The expression levels of autophagy­related proteins and ER stress­related proteins were measured by western blotting. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and western blotting. The results indicated that autophagy was induced, ER stress was activated and apoptosis was promoted in H9c2 cells during H/R injury. The inhibition of ER stress by 4­phenylbutyrate or C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP)­targeting small interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased autophagy and ameliorated cell apoptosis during H/R injury. Activation of autophagy by rapamycin attenuated ER stress and ameliorated cell apoptosis. Inhibition of autophagy by 3­methyladenine or Beclin1­targeting siRNA aggravated ER stress and exacerbated cell apoptosis, and activation of ER stress by thapsigargin decreased autophagy and induced cell apoptosis. Collectively, the findings of the present study demonstrated that H/R induced apoptosis and autophagy via ER stress in H9c2 cells, and that CHOP may serve an important role in ER stress­induced autophagy and apoptosis. Autophagy, as an adaptive response, was activated by ER stress and alleviated ER stress­induced cell apoptosis during H/R injury.