BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) is characterized by infammation, fbrosis, osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Men and women develop these mechanisms diferently. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a pro-infammatory and pro-osteogenic lectin in AS. In this work, we aim to analyse a potential sex-diferential role of Gal-3 in AS. Methods: 226 patients (61.50% men) with severe AS undergoing surgical aortic valve (AV) replacement were recruited. In AVs, Gal-3 expression and its relationship with infammatory, osteogenic and angiogenic markers was assessed. Valve interstitial cells (VICs) were primary cultured to perform in vitro experiments. Results: Proteomic analysis revealed that intracellular Gal-3 was over-expressed in VICs of male AS patients. Gal-3 secretion was also higher in men’s VICs as compared to women’s. In human AVs, Gal-3 protein levels were signifcantly higher in men, with stronger immunostaining in VICs with myofbroblastic phenotype and valve endothelial cells. Gal-3 levels in AVs were positively correlated with infammatory markers in both sexes. Gal-3 expression was also posi tively correlated with osteogenic markers mainly in men AVs, and with angiogenic molecules only in this sex. In vitro, Gal-3 treatment induced expression of infammatory, osteogenic and angiogenic markers in male’s VICs, while it only upregulated infammatory and osteogenic molecules in women-derived cells. Gal-3 blockade with pharma cological inhibitors (modifed citrus pectin and G3P-01) prevented the upregulation of infammatory, osteogenic and angiogenic molecules. Conclusions: Gal-3 plays a sex-diferential role in the setting of AS, and it could be a new sex-specifc therapeutic target controlling pathological features of AS in VICs., Open Access funding provided by Universidad Pública de Navarra. This work was supported by a Miguel Servet contract (CP13/00221) and by Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI18/01875; PI21/00280) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III—FEDER, and by Departamento de Salud del Gobierno de Navarra (GºNa 01/21). LM was supported by a PFIS Ph.D. studentship (FI19/00302), EM-N was supported by a Margarita Salas postdoctoral fellowship (ULL-MS-P14, granted by Universidad de La Laguna and Ministerio de Universidades, Gobierno de España—Orden UNI/551/2021 de 26 de Mayo and Fondos Next Generation EU), MG was supported by a Miguel Servet Foundation Ph.D. studentship and EJ was supported by a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD19/00251).

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a complex and prevalent disorder. Oxidative stress and inflammation might contribute to the progression of MS. Soluble ST2 (sST2) is an attractive and druggable molecule that sits at the interface between inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis. This study aims to analyze the relationship among sST2, oxidative stress, inflammation and echocardiographic parameters in MS patients. Methods: Fifty-eight patients with MS were recruited and underwent physical, laboratory and transthoracic echocardiography examinations. Commercial ELISA and appropriate colorimetric assays were used to quantify serum levels of oxidative stress and inflammation markers and sST2. Results: Circulating sST2 was increased in MS patients and was significantly correlated with the oxidative stress markers nitrotyrosine and 8-hydroxy-2¿-deoxyguanosine as well as with peroxide levels. The inflammatory parameters interleukin-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and myeloperoxidase were positively correlated with sST2. Noteworthy, sST2 was positively correlated with left ventricular mass, filling pressures and pulmonary arterial pressures. Conclusion: Circulating levels of sST2 are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation burden and may underlie the pathological remodeling and dysfunction of the heart in MS patients. Our results suggest that sST2 elevation precedes diastolic dysfunction, emerging as an attractive biotarget in MS., This research was funded by Miguel Servet Fellowship II contract [CP13/00221, 2018] (Natalia López-Andrés) from the “Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FEDER”; Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias [PI18/01875, 2018]; a PFIS PhD studentship [FI19/00302, 2020] (Lara Matilla); Postdoctoral Fellowship Sara Borrell [CD19/00251, 2020] (Eva Jover).

Objective: We aim to analyze sex-related differences in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in aortic valves (AVs) and valve interstitial cells (VICs) from aortic stenosis (AS) patients. Approach and Results: Totally 230 patients (59% men) with severe AS undergoing surgical valve replacement were recruited. The density of total neovessels was higher in AVs from men as compared to women. Both small and medium neovessels were more abundant in men's AVs. Accordingly, male AVs exhibited higher CD31 and VE-cadherin expressions. The levels of the pro-angiogenic markers, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, VEGF receptor (VEGFR)1, VEGFR2, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), interleukin (IL)-8, chemerin, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-7, were increased in AVs from men. Transforming growth factor-¿ expression was higher in male AVs. The expression of antiangiogenic molecules thrombospondin (Tsp)-1, endostatin, and CD36 was upregulated in male AVs, although the levels of Tsp-2, IL-4, IL-12p70, and chondromodulin-1 were similar between both sexes. The number of lymphatic vessels and the expression of the lymphangiogenic markers Lyve-1 and D2-40 was higher in men's AV as well as VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and VEGFR3. Multivariate analyses adjusted for confounders further validated the sex-dependent expression of these targets. VICs isolated from men's AVs secreted higher amounts of the pro-angiogenic factors, VEGF-A, VEGFR1, IGFBP-2, and FGF-7, as well as the pro-lymphangiogenic factors, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and VEGFR3, than women without changes in antiangiogenic markers. Conclusion: Our data show that aberrant angiogenic and lymphangiogenic cues are over-represented in male AVs. Importantly, the VIC is a relevant source of multiple morphogens involved in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis likely endowing the AV of men with the predominant calcific AS phenotypes., This work was supported by a Miguel Servet contract (CP13/00221) and by Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI18/01875; PI21/00280) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III - FEDER. LM was supported by a PFIS Ph.D. studentship (FI19/00302). EJ was supported by a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD19/00251). EM-N was supported by a Margarita Salas postdoctoral fellowship (ULL-MS-P14). MG was supported by a Miguel Servet Foundation Ph.D. studentship.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) accelerates the progression of aortic stenosis (AS), but how their underlying molecular mechanisms interact is not clear. Moreover, whether DM contributes to clinically relevant sex-differences in AS is unknown. In this work we aim to characterize the sex-specific profile of major pathological mechanisms fundamental to aortic valve (AV) degeneration in AS patients with or without concomitant DM. Methods: 283 patients with severe AS undergoing surgical valve replacement (27.6% DM, 59.4% men) were recruited. Expression of pathological markers related to AS were thoroughly assessed in AVs and valve interstitial cells (VICs) according to sex and presence of DM. Complementary in vitro experiments in VICs in the presence of high-glucose levels (25 mM) for 24, 48 and 72 h were performed. Results: Oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction markers were increased in AVs from diabetic AS patients compared to non-diabetic patients in both sexes. However, disbalanced oxidative stress and enhanced inflammation were more predominant in AVs from male AS diabetic patients. Osteogenic markers were exclusively increased in the AVs of diabetic women. Basal characterization of VICs confirmed that oxidative stress, inflammation, calcification, and metabolic alteration profiles were increased in diabetic VICs with sex-specific differences. VICs cultured in hyperglycemic-like conditions triggered inflammatory responses in men, whereas in women rapid and higher production of pro-osteogenic molecules. Conclusions: DM produces sex-specific pathological phenotypes in AV of AS patients. Importantly, women with diabetes are more prone to develop AV calcification. DM should be considered as a risk factor in AS especially in women., This work was supported by a Miguel Servet contract (CP13/00221) and Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI21/00280) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III – FEDER, as well as by Gobierno de Navarra (GºNa 01/21). EMN was supported by a Margarita Salas postdoctoral fellowship (ULL-MS-P14, granted by Universidad de la Laguna and Ministerio de Universidades - Orden UNI/551/2021 de 26 de mayo and Fondos Next Generation EU), MG was supported by a Miguel Servet Foundation Ph.D. studentship, LM was supported by a PFIS Ph.D. studentship (FI19/00302) and EJ was supported by a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD19/00251). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Open Access funding provided by Universidad Pública de Navarra.