Bartosova, M. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2021

Methylglyoxal Induces Endothelial Dysfunction via Stunning

Elevated levels of methylglyoxal (MG) and its associated post-translational modifications have been reported to be associated with progression and development of numerous pathological conditions. Despite such extensive evidence, it still remains unclear what the specific effects of MG are other than that induction of cytotoxicity. Here we evaluated the effects of MG in cardiac endothelial cells in vitro. We found that MG leads to a non-proliferative state and endothelial dysfunction, which is reversible as MG-H1, a major post-translational modification induced by MG, is turned over by lysosomal degradation. MG-induced cellular stunning/paralysis describes a new hallmark for cellular dysfunction which could lead to alterations in tissue homeostasis as well as cell-to-cell interactions, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of diseases.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

SGLT2 inhibition by intraperitoneal dapagliflozin mitigates peritoneal fibrosis and ultrafiltration failure in a mouse model of chronic peritoneal exposure to high-glucose dialysate

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is limited by glucose-mediated peritoneal membrane (PM) fibrosis, angiogenesis and ultrafiltration failure. Influencing PM integrity by pharmacologically targeting sodium-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT)-mediated glucose uptake has not been studied. In this study wildtype C57Bl/6N mice were treated with high-glucose dialysate via an intraperitoneal catheter, with or without addition of selective SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin. PM structural changes, ultrafiltration capacity and PET status for glucose, urea and creatinine were analyzed. Expression of SGLT and GLUT was analyzed by real-time PCR, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Peritoneal effluents were analyzed for cellular and cytokine composition. We found that peritoneal SGLT2 was expressed in mesothelial cells and in skeletal muscle. Dapagliflozin significantly reduced effluent TGF-{beta} concentrations, peritoneal thickening and fibrosis as well as microvessel density, resulting in improved ultrafiltration, despite the fact that it did not affect development of high glucose transporter status. In vitro, dapagliflozin reduced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 release under high glucose conditions in human and murine peritoneal mesothelial cells. Pro-inflammatory cytokine release in macrophages was reduced only when cultured in high glucose conditions with an additional inflammatory stimulus. In summary, dapagliflozin improved structural and functional peritoneal health in the context of high glucose PD.

molecular biology↗