The double life of cardiac mesenchymal cells: epimetabolic sensors and therapeutic assets for heart regeneration

Organ-specific mesenchymal cells naturally reside in the stroma, where they are exposed to some environmental variables affecting their biology and functions. Risk factors such as diabetes or aging influence their adaptive response. In these cases, permanent epigenetic modifications may be introduced in the cells with important consequences on their local homeostatic activity and therapeutic potential. Numerous results suggest that mesenchymal cells, virtually present in every organ, may contribute to tissue regeneration mostly by paracrine mechanisms. Intriguingly, the heart is emerging as a source of different cells, including pericytes, cardiac progenitors, and cardiac fibroblasts. According to phenotypic, functional, and molecular criteria, these should be classified as mesenchymal cells. Not surprisingly, in recent years, the attention on these cells as therapeutic tools has grown exponentially, although only very preliminary data have been obtained in clinical trials to date. In this review, we summarized the state of the art about the phenotypic features, functions, regenerative properties, and clinical applicability of mesenchymal cells, with a particular focus on those of cardiac origin

Structural and biological characterization of new hybrid drugs joining an HDAC inhibitor to different NO-donors

HDAC inhibitors and NO donors have already revealed independently their broad therapeutic potential in pathologic contexts. Here we further investigated the power of their combination in a single hybrid molecule. Nitrooxy groups or substituted furoxan derivatives were joined to the α-position of the pyridine ring of the selective class I HDAC inhibitor MS-275. Biochemical analysis showed that the association with the dinitrooxy compound 31 or the furoxan derivative 16 gives hybrid compounds the ability to preserve the single moiety activities. The two new hybrid molecules were then tested in a muscle differentiation assay. The hybrid compound bearing the moiety 31 promoted the formation of large myotubes characterized by highly multinucleated fibers, possibly due to a stimulation of myoblast fusion, as implicated by the strong induction of myomaker expression. Thanks to their unique biological features, these compounds may represent new therapeutic tools for cardiovascular, neuromuscular and inflammatory diseases

Epigenetic Signaling and RNA Regulation in Cardiovascular Diseases

RNA epigenetics is perhaps the most recent field of interest for translational epigeneticists. RNA modifications create such an extensive network of epigenetically driven combinations whose role in physiology and pathophysiology is still far from being elucidated. Not surprisingly, some of the players determining changes in RNA structure are in common with those involved in DNA and chromatin structure regulation, while other molecules seem very specific to RNA. It is envisaged, then, that new small molecules, acting selectively on RNA epigenetic changes, will be reported soon, opening new therapeutic interventions based on the correction of the RNA epigenetic landscape. In this review, we shall summarize some aspects of RNA epigenetics limited to those in which the potential clinical translatability to cardiovascular disease is emerging

Cytosolic and mitochondrial ROS in staurosporine-induced retinal cell apoptosis

In this study, we investigated the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium in staurosporine (STS)-induced apoptosis in cultured retinal neurons, under conditions of maintained membrane integrity. The antioxidants idebenone (IDB), glutathione-ethylester (GSH/EE), trolox, and Mn(III)tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin chloride (MnTBAP) significantly reduced STS-induced caspase-3-like activity and intracellular ROS generation. Endogenous sources of ROS production were investigated by testing the effect of the following inhibitors: 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a specific inhibitor of the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS); arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3), a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor; allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor; and the mitochondrial inhibitors rotenone and oligomycin. All these compounds decreased caspase-3-like activity and ROS generation, showing that both mitochondrial and cytosolic sources of ROS are implicated in this mechanism. STS induced a significant increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), which was partially prevented in the presence of IDB and GSH/EE, indicating its dependence on ROS generation. These two antioxidants and the inhibitors allopurinol and 7-NI also reduced the number of TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells. Thus, endogenous ROS generation and the rise in intracellular calcium are important inter-players in STS-triggered apoptosis. Furthermore, the antioxidants may help to prolong retinal cell survival upon apoptotic cell death.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T38-4B1Y892-D/1/de8345fb5df912dddbc572b28cc1f4b

α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase inhibition counteracts breast cancer-associated lung metastasis

Metastasis formation requires active energy production and is regulated at multiple levels by mitochondrial metabolism. The hyperactive metabolism of cancer cells supports their extreme adaptability and plasticity and facilitates resistance to common anticancer therapies. In spite the potential relevance of a metastasis metabolic control therapy, so far, limited experience is available in this direction. Here, we evaluated the effect of the recently described α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH) inhibitor, (S)-2-[(2,6-dichlorobenzoyl) amino] succinic acid (AA6), in an orthotopic mouse model of breast cancer 4T1 and in other human breast cancer cell lines. In all conditions, AA6 altered Krebs cycle causing intracellular α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) accumulation. Consequently, the activity of the α-KG-dependent epigenetic enzymes, including the DNA demethylation ten-eleven translocation translocation hydroxylases (TETs), was increased. In mice, AA6 injection reduced metastasis formation and increased 5hmC levels in primary tumours. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo treatment with AA6 determined an α-KG accumulation paralleled by an enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO). This epigenetically remodelled metabolic environment efficiently counteracted the initiating steps of tumour invasion inhibiting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically, AA6 treatment could be linked to upregulation of the NO-sensitive anti-metastatic miRNA 200 family and down-modulation of EMT-associated transcription factor Zeb1 and its CtBP1 cofactor. This scenario led to a decrease of the matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) and to an impairment of 4T1 aggressiveness. Overall, our data suggest that AA6 determines an α-KG-dependent epigenetic regulation of the TET–miR200–Zeb1/CtBP1–MMP3 axis providing an anti-metastatic effect in a mouse model of breast cancer-associated metastasis

Evidence for Biological Age Acceleration and Telomere Shortening in COVID-19 Survivors

The SARS-CoV-2 infection determines the COVID-19 syndrome characterized, in the worst cases, by severe respiratory distress, pulmonary and cardiac fibrosis, inflammatory cytokine release, and immunosuppression. This condition has led to the death of about 2.15% of the total infected world population so far. Among survivors, the presence of the so-called persistent post-COVID-19 syndrome (PPCS) is a common finding. In COVID-19 survivors, PPCS presents one or more symptoms: fatigue, dyspnea, memory loss, sleep disorders, and difficulty concentrating. In this study, a cohort of 117 COVID-19 survivors (post-COVID-19) and 144 non-infected volunteers (COVID-19-free) was analyzed using pyrosequencing of defined CpG islands previously identified as suitable for biological age determination. The results show a consistent biological age increase in the post-COVID-19 population, determining a DeltaAge acceleration of 10.45 ± 7.29 years (+5.25 years above the range of normality) compared with 3.68 ± 8.17 years for the COVID-19-free population (p < 0.0001). A significant telomere shortening parallels this finding in the post-COVID-19 cohort compared with COVID-19-free subjects (p < 0.0001). Additionally, ACE2 expression was decreased in post-COVID-19 patients, compared with the COVID-19-free population, while DPP-4 did not change. In light of these observations, we hypothesize that some epigenetic alterations are associated with the post-COVID-19 condition, particularly in younger patients (< 60 years)