AIM:Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heart disease. Old people with HCM are at high risk of heart failure (HF). This study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to evaluate the risk of HF in older patients with HCM. METHODS:GSE89714 and GSE116250 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and DEGs were identified by using limma R package with P < 0.05 and logFC> 1 as cut off. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, Genome Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed for the identified DEGs. NetworkAnalyst online tool was applied for Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) analysis. RESULTS:We identified 124 overlap DEGs from the 2 datasets. PPI network showed that COL1A1, COL3A1, COL1A2, BGN, COL5A1, LUM, TGFB2, FMOD, ASPN, and COL14A1 were the top ten genes related to HCM and HF compared with control. Functional and pathway analyses showed that the overlap genes were mainly related to ECM-receptor interaction, ECM organization, Focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling, TGF-beta signaling, and Platelet activation signaling and aggregation. Among the overlap genes, COL5A1 and LUM were significantly upregulated, while TGFB2, FMOD, ASPN, and COL14A1 were significantly downregulated in HF dataset compared with HCM dataset. CONCLUSIONS:Bioinformatics-based analysis revealed potential genes associated with HCM and HF, which could be utilized to evaluate the risk of HF in older patients with HCM.

OBJECTIVE:Inflammation markers have been proposed as the predictors of adverse cardiac events in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). This study aimed to investigate prognostic value of serum cystatin C (Cys-C) for NSTE-ACS patients.METHODS:Cys-C, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were examined in 212 NSTE-ACS patients and 60 controls. Global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) score and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in NSTE-ACS patients were recorded.RESULTS:Cys-C level in the serum was significantly higher in NSTE-ACS patients than in control, and was positively correlated with hsCRP level and NLR as well as GRACE score at admission and 6 months after discharge in NSTE-ACS patients. Serum Cys-C level was identified as a new predictor of MACE.CONCLUSION:Serum Cys-C level may be an inflammation biomarker in patients with NSTE-ACS, and could be used as an independent predictor of MACE.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system plays an important role in protein degradation. The process of ubiquitination requires ubiquitin activating enzyme E1, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2, and ubiquitin ligase E3 to complete the coordination. Our previous studies have shown that HUWE1 (HECT, UBA and WWE domain containing 1), as an E3 ubiquitin ligase, can degrade epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to inhibit renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. However, E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes binding to HUWE1 are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to identify E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes of HUWE1. Real-time PCR was used to identify E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that may interact with HUWE1. The expression of E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme was detected in kidney of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice and HK-2 cells treated with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). The results showed that the expressions of E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2Q2 were significantly down-regulated at both RNA and protein levels in UUO kidneys. The expression of UBE2Q2 was also down-regulated in HK-2 cells stimulated with TGF-β, which was consistent with the change in the expression of HUWE1. These findings indicated that UBE2Q2 expression was synergistic with HUWE1 in the injured kidney. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments showed that HUWE1 interacted with UBE2Q2 in HK-2 cells. The co-localization of UBE2Q2 and HUWE1 was confirmed by cell immunofluorescence staining. After knocking down UBE2Q2 by siRNA, ubiquitin binding to HUWE1 and EGFR was decreased. In sum, our results demonstrated that UBE2Q2, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, works with HUWE1 to mediate ubiquitination and degradation of target protein in kidney.

The vascular eendothelial cells are highly heterogeneous and associated with numerous diseases. Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) plays pleiotropic roles in endothelial cell differentiation, migration and angiogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms played by Tβ4 in the regulation of endothelial cells have not yet been well investigated. In the present study, Tβ4 -GFP adenovirus, transfected into human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and cell morphology were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. ELISA was used to determine the concentration of Tβ4 expression. Furthermore, the effects of Tβ4 overexpression on HUVECs proliferation, apoptosis and migration were investigated. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blot were conducted to examine mRNA and protein expression in HUVECs with Tβ4 overexpression. Moreover, the underlying molecular mechanism of Tβ4 in HUVECs function was tested through treatment with LY294002, a PI3K/AKT inhibitor. Overexpression of Tβ4 increased the cell ability of HUVECs, and up-regulated the expression of the proliferation markers PCNA and Cyclin D1. In addition, overexpression of Tβ4 reduced HUVECs apoptosis, both under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Moreover, overexpression of Tβ4 increased the ability of HUVECs to migrate through the membrane and up-regulated levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The use of LY294002 decreased the p-AKT (Ser473) level, which was induced by Tβ4 overexpression. Importantly, LY294002 reduced Tβ4-induced HUVECs proliferation and migration. In conclusion, our results suggest that Tβ4 is a major regulator of HUVECs function by activating the AKT signaling pathway.

Background : Circular RNA (circRNA) is rising as an indispensable regulatory molecule in the progression of various kinds of malignant growth. However, little is known about the capacity and instruments of circRNA_0008727 in gastric cancer (GC). Our point was to recognize a novel circRNA-microRNA-mRNA useful system in gastric cancer. Method : CircRNA_0008278 was identified in three paired cancer specimens and adjacent normal tissues by RNA sequencing and genome-wide bioinformatic analysis and verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Knockdown or exogenous expression of circRNA_0008278 combined with in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to prove the functional significance of circRNA_0008278. The molecular mechanism of circRNA_0008278 was demonstrated by searching the CircNet database and confirmed by RNA in vivo precipitation assays, western blotting, luciferase assays and rescue experiments. Results : CircRNA_0008278 was frequently upregulated in GC tissues, and high circRNA_0008278 expression was associated with poor prognosis, lymph node metastasis and poor TNM stage in GC patients. Functionally, circRNA_0008278 overexpression promoted GC cell proliferation and tumourigenicity in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, circRNA_0008278 over-expression enhanced GC cell migration and invasion in vitro and tumour metastasis in vivo. In addition, we demonstrated that circRNA_0008278 could sponge miR-378, thus indirectly regulating theYY1 expression and contributing to GC tumourigenesis. Conclusion : Our findings demonstrate that circRNA_0008278 functions as a tumour promoter in GC, and a new pathway circRNA_0008278/miR-378/YY1 which may be potential method for gastric cancer treatment.

Renal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis and sodium absorption. While insulin participates in controlling sodium transport across the renal epithelium, the underlying molecular mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we found that insulin increased the expression and function of alpha-epithelial sodium channel (α-ENaC) as well as phosphorylation of cofilin, a family of actin-binding proteins which disassembles actin filaments, in mouse cortical collecting duct (mpkCCDc14) cells. The wild-type (WT) cofilin and its constitutively phosphorylated form (S3D), but not its constitutively non-phosphorylable form (S3A), contributed to the elevated expression on α-ENaC. Overexpression of 14-3-3ε, β, or γ increased the expression of α-ENaC and cofilin phosphorylation, which was blunted by knockdown of 14-3-3ε, β, or γ. Moreover, it was found that insulin increased the interaction between cofilin and 14-3-3 isoforms, which indicated relevance of 14-3-3 isoforms with cofilin. Furthermore, LIMK1/SSH1 pathway was involved in regulation of cofilin and α-ENaC expression by insulin. The results from this work indicate that cofilin participates in the regulation of α-ENaC by interaction with 14-3-3 isoforms.

Renal fibrosis arises by the generation of matrix-producing fibroblasts and myofibroblasts through the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process in which epithelial cells undergo a transition into a fibroblast phenotype. A key feature of the EMT is the reorganization of the cytoskeletons, which may involve the Ca2+-binding protein S100A16, a newly reported member of the S100 protein family. However, very few studies have examined the role of S100A16 in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. In this study, S100A16 expression was examined by immunohistochemical staining of kidney biopsy specimens from patients with various nephropathies and kidney tissues from a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model. Renal histological changes were investigated in S100A16Tg, S100A16+/−, and WT mouse kidneys after UUO. The expression of epithelia marker E-cadherin, mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, and vimentin, extracellular matrix protein, and S100A16, as well as the organization of F-actin, were investigated in S100A16 overexpression or knockdown HK-2 cells. Mass spectrometry was employed to screen for S100A16 binding proteins in HK-2 cells. The results indicated that S100A16 is high expressed and associated with renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in patient kidney biopsies and in those from UUO mice. S100A16 promotes renal interstitial fibrosis in UUO mice. S100A16 expression responded to increasing Ca2+ and interacted with myosin-9 during kidney injury or TGF-β stimulation to promote cytoskeleton reorganization and EMT progression in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Therefore, S100A16 is a critical regulator of renal tubulointerstitial fibroblast activation and is therefore a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

Injury of renal tubular epithelial cells is a key feature of the pathogenicity associated with tubulointerstitial fibrosis and other kidney diseases. HUWE1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, acts by participating in ubiquitination and degradation of its target proteins. However, the detailed mechanisms by which HUWE1 might regulate fibrosis in renal tubular epithelial cells have not been established. Here, the possible regulation of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis by HUWE1 was investigated by examining the expression of HUWE1 and EGFR in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice. Markedly consistent reciprocal changes in HUWE1 and EGFR expression were observed at the protein and mRNA levels in the kidney after UUO injury. Expression of HUWE1 inhibited TGF-β-induced injury to HK-2 cells, while HUWE1 overexpression decreased the expression of EGFR. Further analysis indicated that HUWE1 physically interacted with EGFR and promoted its ubiquitination and degradation. HUWE1 expression also showed clinical relevance in renal disease, as it notably decreased in multiple types of clinical nephropathy, while EGFR expression significantly increased when compared to the normal kidney. Therefore, this study demonstrated that HUWE1, which serves as an E3 ubiquitin ligase specific for EGFR, promotes EGFR ubiquitination and degradation, thereby regulating EGFR expression and providing protection against kidney injury.