The Angiopoietin ligands and Tie receptors: potential diagnostic biomarkers of vascular disease

Abstract

The Angiopoietin-1 (Angpt1)/Tie2 signaling pathway is important in regulating vascular function. Angpt1-induced Tie2 activation promotes vascular endothelial cell survival and reduces vascular leakage. Angiopoietin-2 (Angpt2), a weak agonist/antagonist of Tie2, opposes and regulates Angpt1 action. The Tie family of receptor tyrosine kinases, Tie2 and Tie1, exist as either homo-or heterodimers. The molecular complex between the receptors is also crucial in controlling Angpt1 signaling; hence, the molecular balance between Angpt1:Angpt2 and Tie2:Tie1 is important in determining endothelial integrity and vascular stability. This review presents evidence of the change observed in the Angiopoietin/Tie molecules in various pathophysiological conditions and discusses the potential clinical applications of these molecules in vascular complications.     

From synaptic spines to nuclear signaling: nuclear and synaptic actions of the amyloid precursor protein

Despite intensive studies of the secretase‐mediated processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to form the amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ), in relation to Alzheimer's disease (AD), no new therapeutic agents have reached the clinics based on reducing Aβ levels through the use of secretase inhibitors or immunotherapy. Furthermore, the normal neuronal functions of APP and its various metabolites still remain under‐investigated and unclear. Here, we highlight emerging areas of APP function that may provide new insights into synaptic development, cognition, and gene regulation. By modulating expression levels of endogenous APP in primary cortical neurons, the frequency and amplitude of calcium oscillations is modified, implying a key role for APP in maintaining neuronal calcium homeostasis essential for synaptic transmission. Disruption of this homeostatic mechanism predisposes to aging and AD. Synaptic spine loss is a feature of neurogeneration resulting in learning and memory deficits, and emerging evidence indicates a role for APP, probably mediated via one or more of its metabolites, in spine structure and functions. The intracellular domain of APP (AICD) has also emerged as a key epigenetic regulator of gene expression controlling a diverse range of genes, including APP itself, the amyloid‐degrading enzyme neprilysin, and aquaporin‐1. A fuller understanding of the physiological and pathological actions of APP and its metabolic network could provide new opportunities for therapeutic intervention in AD.     

Improving medication adherence in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review

Adherence to medication among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is suboptimal and has negative impacts on survival and health care costs. No systematic review has examined the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve medication adherence. Electronic databases Medline and Cochrane were searched using a combination of MeSH and keywords. Eligible studies were interventions with a primary or secondary aim to improve medication adherence among individuals with COPD published in English. Included studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) criteria. Of the 1,186 papers identified, seven studies met inclusion criteria. Methodological quality of the studies was variable. Five studies identified effective interventions. Strategies included: brief counselling; monitoring and feedback about inhaler use through electronic medication delivery devices; and multi-component interventions consisting of self-management and care co-ordination delivered by pharmacists and primary care teams. Further research is needed to establish the most effective and cost effective interventions. Special attention should be given to increasing patient sample size and using a common measure of adherence to overcome methodological limitations. Interventions that involve caregivers and target the healthcare provider as well as the patient should be further explored.     

Genetic disruption of mammalian endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation: Human phenotypes and animal and cellular disease models

Endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) is a stringent quality control mechanism through which misfolded, unassembled and some native proteins are targeted for degradation to maintain appropriate cellular and organelle homeostasis. Several in vitro and in vivo ERAD-related studies have provided mechanistic insights into ERAD pathway activation and its consequent events; however, a majority of these have investigated the effect of ERAD substrates and their consequent diseases affecting the degradation process. In this review, we present all reported human single-gene disorders caused by genetic variation in genes that encode ERAD components rather than their substrates. Additionally, after extensive literature survey, we present various genetically manipulated higher cellular and mammalian animal models that lack specific components involved in various stages of the ERAD pathway.     

Co-administration of APD668, a G protein-coupled receptor 119 agonist and linagliptin,a DPPIV inhibitor,prevents progression of steatohepatitis in mice fed on a high trans-fat diet

Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis (NASH) is the more severe form of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and is characterized by the presence of hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, hepatocyte injury with or without fibrosis. Recently, GPR119 receptor has emerged as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of APD668, a GPR119 agonist alone or in combination with linagliptin, a DPPIV inhibitor on the progression of steatohepatitis in mice fed on a high trans-fat diet. In this study, monotherapy with either APD668 or linagliptin caused a reduction in the levels of ALT, AST, glucose, cholesterol and epididymal fat mass but the effect was more pronounced upon treatment with combination of both drugs.On the other hand, combined treatment of APD668 with linagliptin demonstrated a non-significant additive effect in reduction of hepatic triglyceride (?78%) and cholesterol (?56%) compared to monotherapy groups. Moreover, co-administration of APD668 and linagliptin resulted in enhanced levels of active GLP-1 with additional benefit of significant synergistic decrease in body weight gain (?19%) in mice. We speculated that the enhanced effect observed with the combination treatment could be due to either 1) direct activation of GPR119 receptors present in liver and intestine or 2) enhanced active GLP-1 levels or 3) decreased degradation of GLP-1 in-vivo through DPPIV inhibition. Therefore, these findings clearly suggest that GPR119 receptor agonists in combination with DPPIV inhibitors may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.     

Genetic aberrations in macroautophagy genes leading to diseases

The catabolic process of macroautophagy, through the rapid degradation of unwanted cellular components, is involved in a multitude of cellular and organismal functions that are essential to maintain homeostasis. Those functions include adaptation to starvation, cell development and differentiation, innate and adaptive immunity, tumor suppression, autophagic cell death, and maintenance of stem cell stemness. Not surprisingly, an impairment or block of macroautophagy can lead to severe pathologies. A still increasing number of reports, in particular, have revealed that mutations in the autophagy-related (ATG) genes, encoding the key players of macroautophagy, are either the cause or represent a risk factor for the development of several illnesses. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the diseases and disorders currently known that are or could be caused by mutations in core ATG proteins but also in the so-called autophagy receptors, which provide specificity to the process of macroautophagy. Our compendium underlines the medical relevance of this pathway and underscores the importance of the eventual development of therapeutic approaches aimed at modulating macroautophagy.     

A new target for Alzheimer’s disease: A small molecule SERCA activator is neuroprotective in vitro and improves memory and cognition in APP/PS1 mice

Amongst the cellular cacophony of altered signals in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), disrupted Ca²⁺ homeostasis and consequential endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signals have been recognized as key determinants of neuron fate. This altered Ca²⁺ state is accompanied by a failing sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase (SERCA) pump, which has been recognized as a causal feature of the underlying disease state. Repair of the Ca²⁺ dyshomeostasis represents a putative drug target via alleviation of ER stress and rescue of injured neurons, effectively modifying the AD state. Herein, we report a small molecule SERCA activator that rescues brain cells and raises ER Ca²⁺ in vitro, and shows efficacy in the APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. These results support SERCA activation as a therapeutic target for AD.     

血清腺苷脱氨酶、糖类抗原199、红细胞沉降率与活动性肺结核患者病情严重程度及预后的关系研究

摘要 目的：探讨血清腺苷脱氨酶（ADA）、糖类抗原199（CA199）、红细胞沉降率（ESR）与活动性肺结核（ATB）患者病情严重程度及预后的关系。方法：选取2021年1月～2022年10月湖南省胸科医院收治的75例ATB患者作为观察组,另外选取60例同期在我院体检健康的体检者作为对照组。比较两组血清ADA、CA199及ESR水平。根据病情严重程度将ATB患者分为轻度组、中度组和重度组。比较不同病情严重程度ATB患者的血清ADA、CA199及ESR水平。观察组接受抗结核治疗,根据疗效分为预后良好组和预后不良组,比较不同预后ATB患者的血清ADA、CA199及ESR水平。收集ATB患者的临床资料,多因素Logistic回归分析ATB患者预后的影响因素。受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清ADA、CA199、ESR对ATB患者预后的预测价值。结果：观察组血清ADA、CA199、ESR均高于对照组（P＜0.05）。将观察组患者分为轻度组26例、中度组34例和重度组15例。中度组和重度组血清ADA、CA199、ESR高于轻度组（P＜0.05）,重度组血清ADA、CA199、ESR高于中度组（P＜0.05）。治疗后,根据疗效将观察组患者分为预后良好组50例和预后不良组25例,预后良好组和预后不良组在性别、年龄、BMI、吸烟史、饮酒史、糖尿病史、居住地、哮喘、支气管扩张、乙型肝炎、胸片改变等方面比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）,预后不良组患者血清PCT、白细胞计数、ADA、CA199、ESR高于预后良好组（P＜0.05）。经多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示,血清ADA、CA199、ESR升高是ATB患者预后不良的危险因素（P＜0.05）。绘制ROC曲线结果显示,血清ADA、CA199、ESR单独预测ATB患者预后不良的AUC分别为0.655、0.675、0.699,血清ADA、CA199、ESR联合预测ATB患者预后不良的AUC为0.828,大于各指标单独检测。结论：血清ADA、CA199、ESR升高可提示ATB患者的病情严重程度,血清ADA、CA199、ESR联合检测对预测ATB患者预后不良具有较高的价值。