2. Academic Validation
  3. Ion channel Piezo1 activation aggravates the endothelial dysfunction under a high glucose environment

Ion channel Piezo1 activation aggravates the endothelial dysfunction under a high glucose environment

  • Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2024 May 3;23(1):150. doi: 10.1186/s12933-024-02238-7.
Xiaoyu Zhang # 1 2,  Shaoqiu Leng # 1,  Xinyue Liu 1,  Xiang Hu 3 4,  Yan Liu 1,  Xin Li 1,  Qi Feng 1 5,  Wei Guo 6,  Nailin Li 7,  Zi Sheng 4,  Shuwen Wang 8 9,  Jun Peng 10 11 12
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
  • 2 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
  • 3 Advanced Medical Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
  • 4 Shandong Key Laboratory of Immunochematology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
  • 5 National Key Laboratory for Innovation and Transformation of Luobing Theory; the Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
  • 6 Institute of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China.
  • 7 Department of Medicine-Solna, Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • 8 Shandong Key Laboratory of Immunochematology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China. 15066693988@163.com.
  • 9 National Key Laboratory for Innovation and Transformation of Luobing Theory; the Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China. 15066693988@163.com.
  • 10 Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China. junpeng88@sina.com.cn.
  • 11 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China. junpeng88@sina.com.cn.
  • 12 Advanced Medical Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China. junpeng88@sina.com.cn.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 38702777 DOI: 10.1186/s12933-024-02238-7
Abstract

Background: Vasculopathy is the most common complication of diabetes. Endothelial cells located in the innermost layer of blood vessels are constantly affected by blood flow or vascular components; thus, their mechanosensitivity plays an important role in mediating vascular regulation. Endothelial damage, one of the main causes of hyperglycemic vascular complications, has been extensively studied. However, the role of mechanosensitive signaling in hyperglycemic endothelial damage remains unclear.

Methods: Vascular endothelial-specific Piezo1 knockout mice were generated to investigate the effects of Piezo1 on Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia and vascular endothelial injury. In vitro activation or knockdown of Piezo1 was performed to evaluate the effects on the proliferation, migration, and tubular function of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in high glucose. Reactive Oxygen Species production, mitochondrial membrane potential alternations, and oxidative stress-related products were used to assess the extent of oxidative stress damage caused by Piezo1 activation.

Results: Our study found that in VECreERT2;Piezo1flox/flox mice with Piezo1 conditional knockout in vascular endothelial cells, Piezo1 deficiency alleviated streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia with reduced Apoptosis and abscission of thoracic aortic endothelial cells, and decreased the inflammatory response of aortic tissue caused by high glucose. Moreover, the knockout of Piezo1 showed a thinner thoracic aortic wall, reduced tunica media damage, and increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in transgenic mice, indicating the relief of endothelial damage caused by hyperglycemia. We also showed that Piezo1 activation aggravated oxidative stress injury and resulted in severe dysfunction through the CA2+-induced CaMKII-Nrf2 axis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In Piezo1 conditional knockout mice, Piezo1 deficiency partially restored superoxide dismutase activity and reduced malondialdehyde content in the thoracic aorta. Mechanistically, Piezo1 deficiency decreased CaMKII phosphorylation and restored the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream molecules HO-1 and NQO1.

Conclusion: In summary, our study revealed that Piezo1 is involved in high glucose-induced oxidative stress injury and aggravated endothelial dysfunction, which have great significance for alleviating endothelial damage caused by hyperglycemia.

Keywords

Endothelial dysfunction; Hyperglycemia; Nrf2; Oxidative stress; Piezo1.

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