Disease-associated SNPs at the 9p21 locus predominantly affect the expression of ANRIL. Overall, our results suggest that several CVD-associated SNPs in the 9p21 locus affect the expression of ANRIL, which, in turn modulate cell growth, possibly via CDKN2A/B regulation.

Klotho is a senescence suppressor protein that, when overexpressed, extends the lifespan of mice. Klotho-disrupted mice exhibit atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction, which led us to investigate the effect of the Klotho protein on vascular inflammation, particularly adhesion molecule expression. In this study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were preincubated with Klotho protein and then exposed to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or vehicle. Reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that Klotho suppressed TNF-alpha-induced expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). NF-kappaB activation, IkappaB phosphorylation induced by TNF-alpha were also attenuated by Klotho protein administration. The inhibition of eNOS phosphorylation by TNF-alpha was reversed by Klotho. Furthermore, Klotho inhibited TNF-alpha-induced monocyte adhesion to HUVECs and suppressed adhesion molecule expression in an organ culture of the rat aorta. These results suggest that Klotho suppresses TNF-alpha-induced expression of adhesion molecules and NF-kappaB activation. Klotho may have a role in the modulation of endothelial inflammation.

1Vascular ageing is accelerated in patients with diabetes. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that high glucose induces activation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), an apoptosisinducing signal that mediates endothelial cell senescence induced by hyperglycemia. High glucose induced a timedependent increase in the levels of ASK1 expression and its activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Incubation of endothelial cells with high glucose increased the proportion of cells expressing senescence-associated ␤-galactosidase (SA-␤-gal) activity. However, transfection with an adenoviral construct including a dominant negative form of ASK1 gene significantly inhibited SA-␤-gal activity induced by high glucose. In addition, infection with an adenoviral construct expressing the constitutively active ASK1 gene directly induced an increase in the levels of SA-␤-gal activity. Activation of the ASK1 signal also enhanced plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression in HUVECs. Induction of senescent endothelial cells in aortas and elevation of plasma PAI-1 levels were observed in streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic mice, whereas these changes induced by STZ were attenuated in ASK1-knockout mice. Our results suggest that hyperglycemia accelerates endothelial cell senescence and upregulation of PAI-1 expression through activation of the ASK1 signal. Thus, ASK1 may be a new therapeutic target to prevent vascular ageing and thrombosis in diabetic patients.

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Joint range of motion (ROM) is an important parameter for athletic performance and muscular injury risk. Nonetheless, a complete description of muscular factors influencing ROM among individuals and between men and women is lacking. We examined whether passive muscle stiffness (evaluated by angle-specific muscle shear modulus), tolerance to muscle stretch (evaluated by muscle shear modulus at end-ROM), and muscle slack angle of the triceps surae are associated with the individual variability and sex difference in dorsiflexion ROM, using ultrasound shear wave elastography. For men, ROM was negatively correlated to passive muscle stiffness of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius in a tensioned state and positively to tolerance to muscle stretch in the medial gastrocnemius. For women, ROM was only positively correlated to tolerance to muscle stretch in all muscles but not correlated to passive muscle stiffness. Muscle slack angle was not correlated to ROM in men and women. Significant sex differences were observed only for dorsiflexion ROM and passive muscle stiffness in a tensioned state. These findings suggest that muscular factors associated with ROM are different between men and women. Furthermore, the sex difference in dorsiflexion ROM might be attributed partly to that in passive muscle stiffness of plantar flexors.

Background— Sirt7, 1 of the 7 members of the mammalian sirtuin family, promotes oncogenic transformation. Tumor growth and metastasis require fibrotic and angiogenic responses. Here, we investigated the role of Sirt7 in cardiovascular tissue repair process. Methods and Results— In wild-type mice, Sirt7 expression increased in response to acute cardiovascular injury, including myocardial infarction and hind-limb ischemia, particularly at the active wound healing site. Compared with wild-type mice, homozygous Sirt7-deficient (Sirt7 −/− ) mice showed susceptibility to cardiac rupture after myocardial infarction, delayed blood flow recovery after hind-limb ischemia, and impaired wound healing after skin injury. Histological analysis showed reduced fibrosis, fibroblast differentiation, and inflammatory cell infiltration in the border zone of infarction in Sirt7 −/− mice. In vitro, Sirt7 −/− mouse–derived or Sirt7 siRNA–treated cardiac fibroblasts showed reduced transforming growth factor-β signal activation and low expression levels of fibrosis-related genes compared with wild-type mice–derived or control siRNA–treated cells. These changes were accompanied by reduction in transforming growth factor receptor I protein. Loss of Sirt7 activated autophagy in cardiac fibroblasts. Transforming growth factor-β receptor I downregulation induced by loss of Sirt7 was blocked by autophagy inhibitor, and interaction of Sirt7 with protein interacting with protein kinase-Cα was involved in this process. Conclusion— Sirt7 maintains transforming growth factor receptor I by modulating autophagy and is involved in the tissue repair process.

of VaD and the development of a clinical therapeutic strategy for VaD are urgent topics for research.Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase family, activates MAP kinase kinases, which in turn activate p38 and C-Jun N-terminal (JNK) MAP kinase. Objective-There are currently no specific strategies for the treatment or prevention of vascular dementia. White matter lesions, a common pathology in cerebral small vessel disease, are a major cause of vascular dementia. We investigated whether apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) might be a key molecule in cerebral hypoperfusion, associated with blood-brain barrier breakdown and white matter lesions. Approach and Results-A mouse model of cognitive impairment was developed by inducing chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in white matter including the corpus callosum via bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) surgery. BCASinduced white matter lesions caused cognitive decline in C57BL/6J (wild-type) mice but not in ASK1-deficient (ASK1 −/− ) mice. Phosphorylated ASK1 increased in wild-type mouse brains, and phosphorylated p38 and tumor necrosis factor-α expression increased in corpus callosum cerebral endothelial cells after BCAS in wild-type mice but not in ASK1 −/− mice. BCAS decreased claudin-5 expression and disrupted blood-brain barrier in the corpus callosum of wild-type but not ASK1 −/− mice. Cerebral nitrotyrosine was increased in wild-type and ASK1 −/− BCAS mice. Cerebral phosphorylated ASK1 did not increase in wild-type mice treated with NADPH-oxidase inhibitor. A p38 inhibitor and NADPH-oxidase inhibitor mimicked the protective effect of ASK1 deficiency against cognitive impairment. Specific ASK1 inhibitor prevented cognitive decline in BCAS mice. In vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation and tumor necrosis factor-α stimulation caused the disruption of endothelial tight junctions from wild-type mice but not ASK1 −/− mice. Conclusions-Oxidative stress-ASK1-p38 cascade plays a role in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment, through bloodbrain barrier breakdown via the disruption of endothelial tight junctions. ASK1 might be a promising therapeutic target for chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced cognitive impairment. Figure I in the online-only Data Supplement). Our previous reports showed that ASK1 is involved in angiotensin II-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction and apoptosis, 10 balloon injury-induced vascular neointima formation, 11 and ischemia-induced angiogenesis. 12The potential role of ASK1 in cerebral vasculature/small vessels should be further investigated in relation to VaD. Cerebral ischemia increases cerebral oxidative stress levels 13 and vascular cognitive impairment induced by chronic cerebral ischemia is associated with BBB disruption.14-16 The BBB consists of endothelial cells, basal lamina matrix, astrocyte end-feet, and pericytes. Therefore, in the present study, we hypothesized that ASK1 might be involved in oxidative stress-induced BBB disruption because ...

Objective-We identified a ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) gene, which encodes a deubiquitinating enzyme and is expressed in the vasculature, by functional screening of a human endothelial cell (EC) cDNA library. UCHL1 is expressed in neurons, and abnormalities in UCHL1 are responsible for inherited Parkinson's disease via its effects on the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Therefore, the goal of present study was to clarify the role of the UCHL1 gene in vascular remodeling by evaluating nuclear factor-B (NF-B) inactivation in ECs and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Methods and Results-From Northern blot and immunohistochemical analysis, the UCHL1 gene was endogenously expressed in vascular ECs, VSMCs, and brain tissue. Expression of UCHL1 was markedly increased in the neointima of the balloon-injured carotid artery and was also present in atherosclerotic lesions from human carotid arteries. Overexpression of the UCHL1 gene significantly attenuated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-␣-induced NF-B activity in vascular cells and increased inhibitor of kappa B-␣ (IB-␣), possibly through the attenuation of IB-␣ ubiquitination, leading to decreased neointima in the balloon-injured artery. In contrast, knockdown of UCHL1 by small interfering RNA resulted in increased NF-B activity in VSMCs. Conclusions-These data suggest that UCHL1 may partially attenuate vascular remodeling through inhibition of NF-B activity. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc