The TRPM7 chanzyme in smooth muscle cells drives abdominal aortic aneurysm in mice
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Iron homeostasis and ferroptosis in muscle diseases and disorders: mechanisms and therapeutic prospects
The muscular system plays a critical role in the human body by governing skeletal movement, cardiovascular function, and the activities of digestive organs. Additionally, muscle tissues serve an endocrine function by secreting myogenic cytokines, thereby regulating metabolism throughout the entire body. Maintaining muscle function requires iron homeostasis. Recent studies suggest that disruptions in iron metabolism and ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death, are essential contributors to the progression of a wide range of muscle diseases and disorders, including sarcopenia, cardiomyopathy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Thus, a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms regulating iron metabolism and ferroptosis in these conditions is crucial for identifying potential therapeutic targets and developing new strategies for disease treatment and/or prevention. This review aims to summarize recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in the context of muscle injury, as well as associated muscle diseases and disorders. Moreover, we discuss potential targets within the ferroptosis pathway and possible strategies for managing muscle disorders. Finally, we shed new light on current limitations and future prospects for therapeutic interventions targeting ferroptosis.
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A6 ameliorates bone and muscle loss via modulating gut microbiota composition and enhancing butyrate production
Systematic bone and muscle loss is a complex metabolic disease, which is frequently linked to gut dysfunction, yet its etiology and treatment remain elusive. While probiotics show promise in managing diseases through microbiome modulation, their therapeutic impact on gut dysfunction-induced bone and muscle loss remains to be elucidated. Employing dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced gut dysfunction model and wide-spectrum antibiotics (ABX)-treated mice model, our study revealed that gut dysfunction instigates muscle and bone loss, accompanied by microbial imbalances. Importantly, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A6 (B. lactis A6) administration significantly ameliorated muscle and bone loss by modulating gut microbiota composition and enhancing butyrate-producing bacteria. This intervention effectively restored depleted butyrate levels in serum, muscle, and bone tissues caused by gut dysfunction. Furthermore, butyrate supplementation mitigated musculoskeletal loss by repairing the damaged intestinal barrier and enriching beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria. Importantly, butyrate inhibited the NF-κB pathway activation, and reduced the secretion of corresponding inflammatory factors in T cells. Our study highlights the critical role of dysbiosis in gut dysfunction-induced musculoskeletal loss and underscores the therapeutic potential of B. lactis A6. These discoveries offer new microbiome directions for translational and clinical research, providing promising strategies for preventing and managing musculoskeletal diseases.
A UK population-based case-control study of blood tests before cancer diagnosis in patients with non-specific abdominal symptoms
Abnormal results in commonly used primary care blood tests could be early markers of cancer in patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms.
A force-sensitive adhesion GPCR is required for equilibrioception
Equilibrioception (sensing of balance) is essential for mammals to perceive and navigate the three-dimensional world. A rapid mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) response in vestibular hair cells is crucial for detecting position and motion. Here, we identify the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) LPHN2/ADGRL2, expressed on the apical membrane of utricular hair cells, as essential for maintaining normal balance. Loss of LPHN2 specifically in hair cells impaired both balance behavior and the MET response in mice. Functional analyses using hair-cell-specific Lphn2-knockout mice and an LPHN2-specific inhibitor suggest that LPHN2 regulates tip-link-independent MET currents at the apical surface of utricular hair cells. Mechanistic studies in a heterologous system show that LPHN2 converts force stimuli into increased open probability of transmembrane channel-like protein 1 (TMC1). LPHN2-mediated force sensation triggers glutamate release and calcium signaling in utricular hair cells. Importantly, reintroducing LPHN2 into the hair cells of Lphn2-deficient mice restores vestibular function and MET response. Our data reveal that a mechanosensitive GPCR is required for equilibrioception.
Kdm2a inhibition in skeletal muscle improves metabolic flexibility in obesity
Skeletal muscle is a critical organ in maintaining homoeostasis against metabolic stress, and histone post-translational modifications are pivotal in those processes. However, the intricate nature of histone methylation in skeletal muscle and its impact on metabolic homoeostasis have yet to be elucidated. Here, we report that mitochondria-rich slow-twitch myofibers are characterized by significantly higher levels of H3K36me2 along with repressed expression of Kdm2a, an enzyme that specifically catalyses H3K36me2 demethylation. Deletion or inhibition of Kdm2a shifts fuel use from glucose under cold challenge to lipids under obese conditions by increasing the proportion of mitochondria-rich slow-twitch myofibers. This protects mice against cold insults and high-fat-diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Mechanistically, Kdm2a deficiency leads to a marked increase in H3K36me2 levels, which then promotes the recruitment of Mrg15 to the Esrrg locus to process its precursor messenger RNA splicing, thereby reshaping skeletal muscle metabolic profiles to induce slow-twitch myofiber transition. Collectively, our data support the role of Kdm2a as a viable target against metabolic stress.
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