DOCSLIB.ORG

Serum Elabela Level Significantly Increased in Patients with Complete Heart Block

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2020;35(5):683-8 Serum Elabela Level Significantly Increased in Patients with Complete Heart Block Armağan Acele1, MD; Atilla Bulut1, MD; Yurdaer Donmez1, MD; Mevlut Koc1, MD DOI: 10.21470/1678-9741-2019-0461 Abstract Objective: To investigate the change in serum Elabela level, (NT-proBNP) levels, but negatively correlated with heart rate, a new apelinergic system peptide, in patients with complete high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and cardiac output. In linear atrioventricular (AV) block and healthy controls. regression analysis, it was found that these parameters were only Methods: The study included 50 patients with planned cardiac closely related to heart rate and NT-proBNP. Serum Elabela level pacemaker (PM) implantation due to complete AV block and 50 was determined in the patients with AV block independently; healthy controls with similar age and gender. Elabela level was an Elabela level > 9.5 ng/ml determined the risk of complete AV- measured in addition to routine anamnesis, physical examination, block with 90.2% sensitivity and 88.0% specificity. and laboratory tests. Patients were divided into two groups, with Conclusion: In patients with complete AV block, the serum and without AV block, and then compared. Elabela level increases significantly before the PM implantation Results: In patients with AV block, serum Elabela level was procedure. According to the results of our study, it was concluded significantly higher and heart rate and cardiac output were that serum Elabela level could be used in the early determination significantly lower than in healthy controls. Serum Elabela of patients with complete AV block. level was found to be positively correlated with high-sensitive Keywords: Atrioventricular Block. Pacemaker Artificial. C-reactive protein and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide Cardiac Output. C-Reactive Protein. Cholesterol, HDL. Abbreviations, acronyms & symbols INTRODUCTION AT1 = Angiotensin II receptor type 1 The cardiovascular system, cardiac myocytes, and cardiac AV = Atrioventricular conduction system are under the influence of many systemic and local bioactive peptides and the neural and hormonal systems. HDL = High-density lipoprotein The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system, sympathetic Hs-CRP = High-sensitive C-reactive protein nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system, and natriuretic LDL = Low-density lipoprotein peptide system are well known and previously researched. These LV = Left ventricular systems are interrelated and are often activated for the purpose NT-proBNP = N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide of protecting the cardiovascular condition, and they can be used PM = Pacemaker in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The RAA = Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone apelinergic system has been reported to play an important role in the modulation of the cardiovascular system via apelin peptide ROC = Receiver operating characteristic and APJ receptor[1,2]. The APJ receptor has 31% similarity to the 1Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences – Adana Health Practice Correspondence Address: and Research Center, Adana, Turkey. Yurdaer Donmez https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4745-7801 This study was carried out at the Adana City Training and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences – Adana Health Practice Adana, Turkey. and Research Center Dr. Mithat Özsan Bulvarı Kışla Mah. 4522 Sok. No: 1 Yüreğir, Adana, Turkey Zip Code: 01230 E-mail: [email protected] Article received on December 10th, 2019. Article accepted on January 7th, 2020. 683 Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery Acele A, et al. - Elabela and Heart Block Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2020;35(5):683-8 final receptor of the RAA system, the angiotensin II receptor type filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 or > 30 mg/L of proteinuria 1 (AT1)[3]. Elabela and apelin antagonize the RAA system and, were excluded. Patients with secondary hypertension, renal artery therefore, play a crucial role in the prevention of cardiovascular stenosis, familial hyperlipidemia, moderate or severe valvular disease and slowing disease progression[3]. In recent studies, heart disease, known heart failure, and nephrectomy were also apelin and these related peptide receptors have been shown to excluded. This study followed the recommendations of the ethics have cardioprotective effects in atherosclerosis and myocardial principles published in the Declaration of Helsinki, developed infarction, heart failure, and pulmonary arterial hypertension[4-6]. by the World Medical Association – WMA and approved by the Recently, a peptide called Elabela, which binds to the local ethics committee. The clinical information for the informed same receptor as apelin and has similar effects, has been consent was explained to the patients in detail, and patients were found[7]. Elabela's cardiac positive effect is more effective than included in the study after consent was obtained. Anamnesis apelin. The effects of these peptides begin in the embryonic was taken and detailed physical examinations were performed. stage and are associated with angiogenesis. In the literature, Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure studies have reported that Elabela is associated with many were measured. The demographic data were recorded including cardiovascular conditions and diseases[3]. Apelinergic system age, sex, hypertension, and the presence of diabetes mellitus. activity is increasing especially in cases of remodeling, heart The weight and height of all cases were measured. failure, and arterial hypertension after myocardial infarction and it has positive effects by blocking the RAA system[3]. In a study Ethical Approval on conscious rats, intravenous, intracoronary, or intraperitoneal The study was approved by the Çukurova University School administration of apelin or Elabela showed a significant increase of Medicine Local Ethics Committee (approved at October 5th in heart rate[8-11]. This effect is not related to the AT1 receptor and 2018, decision number 81), and the requirement for informed may be associated with a positive chronotropic effect on the consent was waived. cardiovascular system. However, to the best of our knowledge, in the literature, there is no study investigating the serum Elabela or Laboratory Parameters apelin levels in patients with cardiac conduction system disease or third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block who require cardiac Routine laboratory parameters of all subjects (glucose, pacemaker implantation. We hypothesized that an increase in high-sensitive troponin I, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic the activity of the apelinergic system may occur in response to peptide [NT-proBNP], renal functions, lipid parameters, high- bradycardia and, therefore, an increase in serum apelin or Elabela sensitive C-reactive protein [Hs-CRP], and complete blood levels may be considered. count) were analyzed. Serum Elabela levels were determined Hence, in our study, we aimed to investigate whether there using commercial kits (Sunred Biological Technology, Shanghai, is a change in serum Elabela level, a new apelinergic system China). Elabela-32 isoform was measured. The kit used a double- peptide, in patients with third-degree AV block compared to antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay – healthy controls. ELISA to assay the level of Elabela in blood samples. According to the manufacturer, this assay has inter-assay coefficients of METHODS variation < 12% and intra-assay coefficients of variation < 10%. All of the abovementioned tests were performed from blood Subjects Identification samples that were taken at the 24th hour of hospital admission. This cross-sectional study included 50 patients (24 males, 26 females, mean age 52.7±6.8 years) who were diagnosed with a Echocardiographic Evaluation third-degree AV block and, therefore, underwent conventional Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiographic pacemaker implantation and 50 healthy individuals (22 males, 28 evaluations were performed using an echocardiography device females, mean age 51.6±6.0 years). The study was conducted in (EPIQ 7; Philips Healthcare, Andover, Massachusetts, United a single center between October 2018 and March 2019 at the States of America). The standards of the American Society of Adana City Training and Research Hospital, Turkey. The duration Echocardiography were used for all measurements. Biplane of bradycardia before AV block was unknown. All patients Simpson’s method was used for the calculation of left ventricular with complete and permanent AV block were included in this ejection fraction[13]. Cardiac output measurement was calculated study before pacemaker implantation. Pacemaker implantation with the stroke volume ´ heart rate/1000 formula[13]. indication was decided according to the European Society of Cardiology Cardiac Pacing and Cardiac Resynchronization Statistical Analysis Guidelines[12]. After the diagnosis of complete AV block, all patients were evaluated in terms of secondary reasons for a All analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics complete algorithm (laboratory tests, medical treatment history, (Chicago, Illinois, United States of America) statistical software echocardiography, and ischemia evaluation) to determine the package, version 22.0. The distribution of continuous variables causes of reversible complete AV block. Patients who received was evaluated by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Continuous medications
Recommended publications
  • ELABELA, a Peptide Hormone for Heart Development

    ELABELA, a Peptide Hormone for Heart Development

    RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS parasites and confirmed its role in OXA resistance by showing that RNA The cancer epigenome of mice and men interference knockdown of Smp_089320 in drug-sensitive parasites Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of human resulted in an increase in resistance. They found that the Smp_089320 disease rarely take into account epigenetic alterations, which protein in sensitive but not resistant strains showed sulfonation activity, contribute to many human cancers. Now, Stephen Tapscott and identifying a mechanism for the drug in which it acts as a sulfotrans- colleagues compare genome-wide patterns of cancer-specific ferase that activates OXA. Finally, the authors determined the crystal DNA methylation in human patients and three GEMMs of structure of Smp_089320 protein from sensitive parasites with OXA medulloblastoma (Epigenetics 8, 1254–1260, 2013). Using two bound and suggest that the mechanism of resistance involves disruption independent methods to measure CpG methylation, they find, of the drug-protein interaction in resistant strains. Comparative and in contrast to the hypermethylation patterns previously observed phylogenetic analysis with other schistosomes also suggests the basis in patients with medulloblastoma, that GEMMs had only modest for the species specificity in OXA drug action. OB increase in CpG methylation of gene promoters relative to wild- type controls. Whereas a human medulloblastoma tumor sample showed >60% increase in methylation at 121 loci, consistent ELABELA, a peptide hormone for heart with the authors’ previous work, there were only 0–16 such loci development in the GEMMs. They further extend these findings to mouse models of Burkitt lymphoma and breast cancer, which showed Bruno Reversade and colleagues identify a highly conserved gene encod- similar results.
  • Computational Analysis Predicts Hundreds of Coding Lncrnas in Zebrafish

    Computational Analysis Predicts Hundreds of Coding Lncrnas in Zebrafish

    biology Communication Computational Analysis Predicts Hundreds of Coding lncRNAs in Zebrafish Shital Kumar Mishra 1,2 and Han Wang 1,2,* 1 Center for Circadian Clocks, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; [email protected] 2 School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected]; Tel.: +86-512-6588-2115 Simple Summary: Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulate a variety of fundamental life processes such as development, physiology, metabolism and circadian rhythmicity. RNA-sequencing (RNA- seq) technology has facilitated the sequencing of the whole transcriptome, thereby capturing and quantifying the dynamism of transcriptome-wide RNA expression profiles. However, much remains unrevealed in the huge noncoding RNA datasets that require further bioinformatic analysis. In this study, we applied six bioinformatic tools to investigate coding potentials of approximately 21,000 lncRNAs. A total of 313 lncRNAs are predicted to be coded by all the six tools. Our findings provide insights into the regulatory roles of lncRNAs and set the stage for the functional investigation of these lncRNAs and their encoded micropeptides. Abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that numerous long noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs having more than 200 nucleotide base pairs (lncRNAs)) actually encode functional micropeptides, which likely represents the next regulatory biology frontier. Thus, identification of coding lncRNAs from ever-increasing lncRNA databases would be a bioinformatic challenge. Here we employed the Coding Potential Alignment Tool (CPAT), Coding Potential Calculator 2 (CPC2), LGC web server, Citation: Mishra, S.K.; Wang, H. Coding-Non-Coding Identifying Tool (CNIT), RNAsamba, and MicroPeptide identification tool Computational Analysis Predicts (MiPepid) to analyze approximately 21,000 zebrafish lncRNAs and computationally to identify Hundreds of Coding lncRNAs in 2730–6676 zebrafish lncRNAs with high coding potentials, including 313 coding lncRNAs predicted Zebrafish.
  • Endothelial Cell Dynamics in Vascular Development: Insights from Live-Imaging in Zebrafish

    Endothelial Cell Dynamics in Vascular Development: Insights from Live-Imaging in Zebrafish

    fphys-11-00842 July 20, 2020 Time: 12:10 # 1 REVIEW published: 22 July 2020 doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00842 Endothelial Cell Dynamics in Vascular Development: Insights From Live-Imaging in Zebrafish Kazuhide S. Okuda1,2 and Benjamin M. Hogan1,2,3* 1 Organogenesis and Cancer Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 2 Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 3 Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia The formation of the vertebrate vasculature involves the acquisition of endothelial cell identities, sprouting, migration, remodeling and maturation of functional vessel networks. To understand the cellular and molecular processes that drive vascular development, live-imaging of dynamic cellular events in the zebrafish embryo have proven highly informative. This review focusses on recent advances, new tools and new insights from imaging studies in vascular cell biology using zebrafish as a model system. Keywords: vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, anastomosis, endothelial cell, zebrafish Edited by: INTRODUCTION Elizabeth Anne Vincent Jones, KU Leuven, Belgium Vascular development is an early and essential process in the formation of a viable vertebrate Reviewed by: embryo. Blood and lymphatic vascular networks are composed of a complex mix of cell types: for Anna Rita Cantelmo, example smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, pericytes and immune cells are intimately associated and Université Lille Nord de France, even integrated within mature vessel walls (Rouget, 1873; Horstmann, 1952; Nicosia and Madri, France 1987; Fantin et al., 2010; Gordon et al., 2010). The inner lining of the vasculature, made up of Jingjing Zhang, endothelial cells (ECs), is the earliest part of the vasculature to develop in the embryo and is Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, China instructive in recruiting other lineages and cell types as the vascular system matures.
  • ELABELA and an ELABELA Fragment Protect Against AKI

    ELABELA and an ELABELA Fragment Protect Against AKI

    BASIC RESEARCH www.jasn.org ELABELA and an ELABELA Fragment Protect against AKI † † ‡ Hong Chen,* Lin Wang, Wenjun Wang, Cheng Cheng,* Yu Zhang,* Yu Zhou, | † † Congyi Wang,§ Xiaoping Miao, Jiao Wang,* Chao Wang,* Jianshuang Li, Ling Zheng, and Kun Huang* *Tongji School of Pharmacy, §The Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital, and |School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; †Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; and ‡Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri ABSTRACT Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is the most common cause of AKI, which associates with high mortality and has no effective therapy. ELABELA (ELA) is a newly identified 32-residue hormone pep- tide highly expressed in adult kidney. To investigate whether ELA has protective effects on renal I/R injury, we administered the mature peptide (ELA32) or the 11-residue furin-cleaved fragment (ELA11) to hypoxia-reperfusion (H/R)–injured or adriamycin-treated renal tubular cells in vitro.ELA32and ELA11 significantly inhibited the elevation of the DNA damage response, apoptosis, and inflammation in H/R-injured renal tubular cells and suppressed adriamycin-induced DNA damage response. Similarly, overexpression of ELA32 or ELA11 significantly inhibited H/R-induced cell death, DNA damage re- sponse, and inflammation. Notably, treatment of mice with ELA32 or ELA11 but not an ELA11 mutant with a cysteine to alanine substitution at the N terminus (AE11C) inhibited I/R injury-induced renal fibrosis, inflammation, apoptosis, and the DNA damage response and markedly reduced the renal tubular lesions and renal dysfunction.
  • Minireview: Novel Micropeptide Discovery by Proteomics and Deep Sequencing Methods

    Minireview: Novel Micropeptide Discovery by Proteomics and Deep Sequencing Methods

    fgene-12-651485 May 6, 2021 Time: 11:28 # 1 MINI REVIEW published: 06 May 2021 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.651485 Minireview: Novel Micropeptide Discovery by Proteomics and Deep Sequencing Methods Ravi Tharakan1* and Akira Sawa2,3 1 National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States, 2 Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States, 3 Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States A novel class of small proteins, called micropeptides, has recently been discovered in the genome. These proteins, which have been found to play important roles in many physiological and cellular systems, are shorter than 100 amino acids and were overlooked during previous genome annotations. Discovery and characterization of more micropeptides has been ongoing, often using -omics methods such as proteomics, RNA sequencing, and ribosome profiling. In this review, we survey the recent advances in the micropeptides field and describe the methodological and Edited by: conceptual challenges facing future micropeptide endeavors. Liangliang Sun, Keywords: micropeptides, miniproteins, proteogenomics, sORF, ribosome profiling, proteomics, genomics, RNA Michigan State University, sequencing United States Reviewed by: Yanbao Yu, INTRODUCTION J. Craig Venter Institute (Rockville), United States The sequencing and publication of complete genomic sequences of many organisms have aided Hongqiang Qin, the medical sciences greatly, allowing advances in both human genetics and the biology of human Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China disease, as well as a greater understanding of the biology of human pathogens (Firth and Lipkin, 2013).
  • Reduced ELABELA Expression Attenuates Trophoblast Invasion Through the PI3K/AKT/Mtor Pathway in Early Onset Preeclampsia T

    Reduced ELABELA Expression Attenuates Trophoblast Invasion Through the PI3K/AKT/Mtor Pathway in Early Onset Preeclampsia T

    Placenta 87 (2019) 38–45 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Placenta journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/placenta Reduced ELABELA expression attenuates trophoblast invasion through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in early onset preeclampsia T Lijing Wanga,b, Yan Zhangc, Hongmei Qud, Fengsen Xub, Haiyan Hub, Qian Zhangb, ∗ Yuanhua Yea,c, a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Qingdao Municipal Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China b Department of Obstetrics, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, 266000, China c Department of Obstetrics, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China d Department of Obstetrics, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, 264000, China ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Introduction: Early onset preeclampsia is linked to abnormal trophoblast invasion, leading to insufficient re- ELA casting of uterine spiral arteries and shallow placental implantation. This study investigated ELABELA (ELA) PI3K expression and its involvement in the pathogenesis of early onset preeclampsia. AKT Methods: We used immunohistochemistry, quantitative PCR and Western blot to calculate ELA levels in the Invasion placentas. Transwell assays were utilize to assess the invasion and migration of trophoblastic Cells. Western blot Preeclampsia was used to identify the concentrations of vital kinases in PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways and invasion-related proteins in trophoblast cells. Results: ELA was expressed in villous cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts in placental tissue. Compared with the normal pregnancies, ELA mRNA and protein expression was significantly reduced in early onset pre- eclampsia placentas. In the HTR-8/SVneo cells, when ELA was knocked down, the invasion and migration capability of cells decreased significantly, with MMP2 and MMP9 expression downregulated and the expression of important kinases in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways being significantly decreased compared to the control group.
  • Scientific Release 6 December 2013 A*Star Scientists

    Scientific Release 6 December 2013 A*Star Scientists

    SCIENTIFIC RELEASE 6 DECEMBER 2013 A*STAR SCIENTISTS DISCOVER NOVEL HORMONE ESSENTIAL FOR HEART DEVELOPMENT This unusual discovery could aid cardiac repair and provide new therapies to common heart diseases and hypertension 1. Scientists at A*STAR’s Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMCB) have identified a gene encoding a hormone that could potentially be used as a therapeutic molecule to treat heart diseases. The hormone - which they have chosen to name ELABELA - is only 32 amino-acids long, making it amongst the tiniest proteins made by the human body. 2. The team led by Dr Bruno Reversade carried out experiments to determine ELABELA’s function, since its existence was hitherto unsuspected. Using zebrafish designed to specifically lack this hormone, they uncovered that ELABELA is indispensable for heart formation. Zebrafish embryos without this gene had rudimentary or no heart at all (see Figure 1). Their results were published in the 5 December 2013 online issue of Developmental Cell. 3. Deficiencies in hormones are the cause of many diseases, such as the loss of insulin or insulin resistance, that results in diabetes, and irregularities in appetite and satiety hormones that can cause obesity. Hormones are known to control functions such as sleep, appetite and fertility. However, this is the first time that scientists have revealed the existence of a conserved1 hormone playing such an early role during embryogenesis, effectively orchestrating the development of an entire organ. 4. The team also found that ELABELA uses a receptor previously believed to be specific to APELIN, a blood-pressure controlling hormone.
  • Is ELABELA a Reliable Biomarker for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy?

    Is ELABELA a Reliable Biomarker for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy?

    Pregnancy Hypertension 17 (2019) 226–232 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Pregnancy Hypertension journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/preghy Is ELABELA a reliable biomarker for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy? T Rong Huanga,1, Jing Zhua,b,1, Lin Zhangb, Xiaolin Huab, Weiping Yeb, Chang Chena,c, Kun Sund, ⁎ ⁎ Weiye Wanga, Liping Fenga,e, , Jun Zhanga,c, , for the Shanghai Birth Cohort study a Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children’s Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China c School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China d Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China e Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Objective: We aimed to examine the ELABELA levels at different stages of pregnancy among normotensive ELABELA controls and women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy Study design: A total of 336 blood samples of 169 women were collected from pre-pregnancy, the first, second, Biomarker and third trimesters. Women were divided into the following six groups: 1) non-pregnant healthy women; 2) healthy pregnant controls; 3) chronic hypertension; 4) gestational hypertension; 5) preeclampsia; and 6) pre- eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension. ELABELA plasma concentrations were measured by human ELA Elisa Kit (Peninsula Laboratories International, Inc. USA). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test whether ELABELA level in each type of HDP differed from that in gestational week-matched normotensive controls.
  • Identification of Rhythmically Expressed Lncrnas in the Zebrafish Pineal Gland and Testis

    Identification of Rhythmically Expressed Lncrnas in the Zebrafish Pineal Gland and Testis

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Identification of Rhythmically Expressed LncRNAs in the Zebrafish Pineal Gland and Testis Shital Kumar Mishra 1,2, Taole Liu 1,2 and Han Wang 1,2,* 1 Center for Circadian Clocks, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; [email protected] (S.K.M.); [email protected] (T.L.) 2 School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected]; Tel.: +86-51265882115 Abstract: Noncoding RNAs have been known to contribute to a variety of fundamental life processes, such as development, metabolism, and circadian rhythms. However, much remains unrevealed in the huge noncoding RNA datasets, which require further bioinformatic analysis and experimental investigation—and in particular, the coding potential of lncRNAs and the functions of lncRNA- encoded peptides have not been comprehensively studied to date. Through integrating the time- course experimentation with state-of-the-art computational techniques, we studied tens of thousands of zebrafish lncRNAs from our own experiments and from a published study including time-series transcriptome analyses of the testis and the pineal gland. Rhythmicity analysis of these data revealed approximately 700 rhythmically expressed lncRNAs from the pineal gland and the testis, and their GO, COG, and KEGG pathway functions were analyzed. Comparative and conservative analyses determined 14 rhythmically expressed lncRNAs shared between both the pineal gland and the testis, and 15 pineal gland lncRNAs as well as 3 testis lncRNAs conserved among zebrafish, mice, and humans. Further, we computationally analyzed the conserved lncRNA-encoded peptides, and revealed three pineal gland and one testis lncRNA-encoded peptides conserved among these three Citation: Mishra, S.K.; Liu, T.; Wang, species, which were further investigated for their three-dimensional (3D) structures and potential H.
  • Peptide Hormone ELABELA Enhances Extravillous Trophoblast

    Peptide Hormone ELABELA Enhances Extravillous Trophoblast

    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Peptide hormone ELABELA enhances extravillous trophoblast diferentiation, but placenta is not the major source of circulating ELABELA in pregnancy Danai Georgiadou1, Souad Boussata1, Willemijn H. M. Ranzijn1, Leah E. A. Root1, Sanne Hillenius1, Jeske M. bij de Weg2, Carolien N. H. Abheiden2, Marjon A. de Boer2, Johanna I. P. de Vries2, Tanja G. M. Vrijkotte3, Cornelis B. Lambalk4, Esther A. M. Kuijper4, Gijs B. Afnk1 & Marie van Dijk1* Preeclampsia is a frequent gestational hypertensive disorder with equivocal pathophysiology. Knockout of peptide hormone ELABELA (ELA) has been shown to cause preeclampsia-like symptoms in mice. However, the role of ELA in human placentation and whether ELA is involved in the development of preeclampsia in humans is not yet known. In this study, we show that exogenous administration of ELA peptide is able to increase invasiveness of extravillous trophoblasts in vitro, is able to change outgrowth morphology and reduce trophoblast proliferation ex vivo, and that these efects are, at least in part, independent of signaling through the Apelin Receptor (APLNR). Moreover, we show that circulating levels of ELA are highly variable between women, correlate with BMI, but are signifcantly reduced in frst trimester plasma of women with a healthy BMI later developing preeclampsia. We conclude that the large variability and BMI dependence of ELA levels in circulation make this peptide an unlikely candidate to function as a frst trimester preeclampsia screening biomarker, while in the future administering ELA or a derivative might be considered as a potential preeclampsia treatment option as ELA is able to drive extravillous trophoblast diferentiation.
  • ELABELA Ameliorates Hypoxic/Ischemic-Induced Bone

    ELABELA Ameliorates Hypoxic/Ischemic-Induced Bone

    Fu et al. Stem Cell Research & Therapy (2020) 11:541 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-020-02063-1 RESEARCH Open Access ELABELA ameliorates hypoxic/ischemic- induced bone mesenchymal stem cell apoptosis via alleviation of mitochondrial dysfunction and activation of PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 pathways Jiaying Fu1,2†, Xuxiang Chen1†, Xin Liu1,2†, Daishi Xu1, Huan Yang1, Chaotao Zeng2, Huibao Long2, Changqing Zhou1, Haidong Wu1, Guanghui Zheng2, Hao Wu2, Wuming Wang1 and Tong Wang1* Abstract Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have exerted their brilliant potential to promote heart repair following myocardial infarction. However, low survival rate of MSCs after transplantation due to harsh conditions with hypoxic and ischemic stress limits their therapeutic efficiency in treating cardiac dysfunction. ELABELA (ELA) serves as a peptide hormone which has been proved to facilitate cell growth, survival, and pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells. Although ELA works as an endogenous ligand of a G protein-coupled receptor APJ (Apelin receptor, APLNR), whether APJ is an essential signal for the function of ELA remains elusive. The effect of ELA on apoptosis of MSCs is still vague. Objective: We studied the role of ELABELA (ELA) treatment on the anti-apoptosis of MSCs in hypoxic/ischemic (H/I) conditions which mimic the impaired myocardial microenvironment and explored the possible mechanisms in vitro. Methods: MSCs were obtained from donated rats weighing between 80~120 g. MSCs were exposed to serum-free and hypoxic (1% O2) environments for 24 h, which mimics hypoxic/ischemic damage in vivo, using serum- containing normoxic conditions (20% O2) as a negative control.
  • Prediction of Novel Bioactive Micropeptides in the Immune System

    Prediction of Novel Bioactive Micropeptides in the Immune System

    Prediction of novel bioactive micropeptides in the immune system Fengyuan Hu The Babraham Institute St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge June 2020 Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge Declaration of Originality This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. I further state that no substantial part of my dissertation has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee. Fengyuan Hu 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ……...……………………………………………………………………...06 Abstract……...…………………………………………………………………………………..08 Abbreviation……………………………………………………………………………………..09 1 Introduction……………………...…………..10 1.1 Roles of bioactive peptides and small proteins in the immune system ....................................... 111 1.2 Small open reading frames (smORFs) and micropeptides ............................................................