Current Opinion in Physiology最新文献

The endothelium was originally described and viewed as an inert simple barrier layer lining the vasculature, however, further research exposed the endothelium as an active organ, which contributes not only to normal physiology but also the pathophysiology of several diseases. More recently, evidence is emerging demonstrating that the endothelium can act as a paracrine organ that can dynamically respond to circulating changes depending upon its location and stimuli, including changes in the whole-body metabolic environment. Over the last few decades, changes in human lifestyle have contributed to a pandemic of nutritional obesity, leading to a significant increase in the prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, understanding the paracrine actions of the endothelium, especially in the setting of metabolic imbalance, will provide novel therapeutic avenues.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is increasingly employed in a variety of clinical settings due to the growing evidence of increased efficacy compared with moderate-intensity exercise for a range of health and physical function and exercise outcomes. In this brief review, we highlight the recent findings from randomized trials, discuss the evidence and rationale for the greater physiological adaptations to HIIT, and identify future areas of research that will aid in the optimization of HIIT as an adjunctive therapy in the management of heart failure.

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a physiological process that is equally important during development and under certain pathological conditions in adult tissues. The last decade has witnessed a remarkable explosion of information about EndMT from molecular mechanisms responsible for its development to its role in various disease processes. The emerging picture is that of a complex set of interactions that underlie the pathophysiological basis of some of the most deadly and intractable diseases. This mini review brings together recent advances and attempts to present a unified view of this complex field.

A poor uterine environment causes changes in fetal development that affect the health of offspring long-term. Although there are multiple pathways that contribute to the development of cardiovascular and neurological disease, low birth weight or fetal growth restriction (FGR) predisposes offspring to these diseases. There is a link between fetal exposure to adverse influences and hypertension later in life. Many epidemiological studies support the link between fetal life and the risk of disease later in life. Experimental models have sought to provide mechanistic proof of this link while simultaneously investigating potential therapeutics or treatment pathways. Preeclampsia (PE), one of several hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for both the mother and fetus. Studies have shown that PE is a state of chronic inflammation and there is an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and regulatory immune cells and mediators. There is no cure for PE beyond the delivery of the fetal–placental unit, and many PE pregnancies result in FGR and preterm birth. Epidemiological data demonstrate that the sex of the offspring is correlated with the degree of cardiovascular disease that develops with the age of the offspring, yet few studies examine the effect of sex on the development of neurological disorders. Even fewer studies examine the effects of therapeutics on offspring of different genders following a PE pregnancy. Moreover, there remain significant gaps in knowledge concerning the role the immune system plays in FGR offspring developing hypertension or neurovascular disorders later in life. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to highlight current research on sex differences in the developmental programming of hypertension and neurological disorders following a PE pregnancy.

Nearly 98% of the human genome is transcriptionally active but does not encode proteins, reflecting a wide range of noncoding genomes with essential regulatory and structural roles. Understanding the endothelial cell (EC) function in vascular biology has been pivotal for grasping the repair mechanisms in ischaemic tissue and during cardiovascular diseases. However, only a tiny portion of the human genome's noncoding region has been studied to understand its role in new mechanisms in EC biology. Herein, we provide an overview of the non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in endothelium. We also discuss the latest research focusing on canonical and noncanonical aspects in ncRNA biology, ncRNA, cell-to-cell communication and transcriptional and epigenetic regulation by ncRNA in the endothelium.

Bioactive sphingolipids have emerged as critical players in inflammation and metabolic diseases. The major metabolites of sphingolipids, including ceramides and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), are often elevated in blood plasma and injured tissues. But they do not freely exist. Instead, they are carried by so-called chaperone molecules such as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and serum albumin, as well as by recently emerging carriers, extracellular vesicles. In this short review, we briefly summarize the current knowledge about the role of sphingolipids in various diseases and describe how sphingolipids are associated with their carriers for their functions. Some issues are highlighted such as S1P negatively correlated with apolipoprotein M of HDL in obesity, adaptive immune responses driven by native LDLs rather than oxidized LDLs, and sphingolipid exchange between HDL and LDL or albumin. This review aims to show the importance of sphingolipid carriers in disease processes and in the development of effective therapeutics.

Endothelial homeostasis is a central feature of vascular health. The vascular endothelium is under constant mechanical stress resulting from blood flow and, therefore, requires a high degree of resilience to adapt to stresses and resist development of disease. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms by which the endothelium maintains proteostasis in response to haemodynamic forces by regulating three key areas: protein synthesis, recycling and degradation.

The vasculature is characterized by a thin cell layer that comprises the inner wall of all blood vessels, the continuous endothelium. Endothelial cells can also be found in the eye’s cornea. And even though cornea and vascular endothelial (VE) cells differ from each other in structure, they both function as barriers and express similar junctional proteins such as the adherens junction VE-cadherin and tight-junction member claudin-5. How these barriers are controlled to maintain the barrier and thereby its integrity is of major interest in the development of potential therapeutic targets. An important target of endothelial barrier remodeling is the actin cytoskeleton, which is centrally coordinated by Rho GTPases that are in turn regulated by Rho-regulatory proteins. In this review, we give a brief overview of how Rho-regulatory proteins themselves are spatiotemporally regulated during the process of endothelial barrier remodeling. Additionally, we propose a roadmap for the comprehensive dissection of the Rho GTPase signaling network in its entirety.

Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is a characteristic complication of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19). This review discusses the role of the endothelium during the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with a focus on different vascular beds, possible routes of infectivity and the impact of EC dysfunction across multiple organ systems. It is now known that COVID-19 disease elicits a distinct transcriptomic and molecular profile that is different to other viral infections, such as Influenza A (H1N1). Interestingly, there is also a suggested interplay between the heart and lungs that promotes the amplification of inflammatory cascades, leading to an exacerbation in disease severity. Multiomic studies have informed common pathways that may be responsible for endothelial activation while also highlighting key differences in COVID-19 pathogenesis between organ systems. At a pathological level, endothelialitis is an endpoint result regardless of either a direct viral infection or via indirect effects independent of infection. Understanding if ECs are directly targeted by SARS-CoV-2 or are collaterally damaged amid a cytokine storm originating from other cells and organs can provide novel insights into disease progression and may highlight possible new therapeutic opportunities targeted at the damaged endothelium.

Lymphatic vessels, luminally lined by lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), are present throughout most vascularized organs and tissues. The lymphatic vasculature plays a role in many physiological processes, including the drainage of tissue interstitium, resorption of excess fluid, and extravasation of immune cells. Defects in the structure and function of the lymphatic vasculature can lead to lymphedema. Extreme obesity can lead to impaired lymphatic function and development of obesity-induced lymphedema (OIL). Although the molecular underpinnings of OIL pathobiology are unclear, evidence suggests that adipose tissue LECs are key players. However, adipose tissue LECs are relatively poorly characterized, and their roles in adipose tissue biology have only recently gained attention. In this review, we highlight recent literature that provides insight into the diverse functions of LECs in adipose tissue metabolic homeostasis and the associated derangements that occur in obesity.