The cGAS-STING/PERK-eIF2α: Individual or Potentially Collaborative Signaling Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Over the past several decades, a canonical pathway called the cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) mediating type I interferon (IFN) release via TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1) / IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) pathway has been widely investigated and characterized. Unexpectedly, recent studies show that the cGAS-STING noncanonically activates the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK)-eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), an essential branch of unfolded protein response (UPR), even before the activation of the TBK1/IRF3 signaling. Additionally, we found that the PERK could regulate the STING signaling besides being modulated by upstream cGAS-STING.

PET evaluation of myocardial perfusion function after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic total occlusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in chronic complete coronary artery occlusion (CTO) remains controversial. PCI is currently indicated only for symptom and myocardial ischemia abolition, but large chronically occluded vessels with extensive afferent myocardial territories may benefit most from this procedure. The noninvasive evaluation of myocardial perfusion is critical before and after revascularization, and positron emission tomography (PET) can determine absolute myocardial perfusion.

Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function in patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction via cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking.

Background: Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) has been suggested to be one of the pathologic mechanisms contributing to heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. We therefore aimed to evaluate LV diastolic function in patients with CMD using cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 115 patients referred to cardiology clinics for chest pain assessment who subsequently underwent coronary computed tomography angiogram and stress perfusion CMR.

The Chains of Ferroptosis Interact in the Whole Progression of Atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (AS), a category of cardiovascular disease (CVD) that can cause other more severe disabilities, increasingly jeopardizes human health. Owing to its imperceptible and chronic symptoms, it is hard to determine the pathogenesis and precise therapeutics for AS. A novel type of programmed cell death called ferroptosis was discovered in recent years that is distinctively different from other traditional cell death pathways in morphological and biochemical aspects.

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Alleviate Diabetic Kidney Disease in Rats by Inhibiting Apoptosis and Inflammation.

Background And Aims: Previous studies have confirmed the anti-inflammation effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (BMSC-Exo). We aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of BMSC-Exo on diabetic kidney disease (DKD), as well as the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: SD rats were induced by streptozotocin combined with a high-fat diet to establish a diabetes disease model.

The therapeutic efficacy and clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes in cardiovascular diseases.

Exosomes, mainly derived from mesenchymal stem cells, provide a good reference for cardiac function repair and clinical application in cardiac and vascular diseases by regulating cardiomyocyte viability, inflammatory levels, angiogenesis, and ventricular remodeling after a heart injury. This review presents the cardioprotective efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell-originated exosomes and explores the underlying molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we expound on several efficient approaches to transporting exosomes into the heart in clinical application and comment on the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Drug-Coated Balloon-Only Strategy for De Novo Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Backgrounds: Many clinical trials have demonstrated the value of drug-coated balloons (DCB) for in-stent restenosis. However, their role in de novo lesions is not well documented. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the DCB-only strategy compared to other percutaneous coronary intervention strategies for de novo coronary lesions.

The cGAS-STING Pathway: A Ubiquitous Checkpoint Perturbing Myocardial Attributes.

As an innate immune route of defense against microbial infringement, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) synthase (cGAS)- stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling does not simply participate in amplifying inflammatory responses via releasing type-I interferon (IFN) or enhance the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, but also interplays with multifarious pathophysiological activities, such as autophagy, apoptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and senescence in a broad repertoire of cells like endothelial cells, macrophages and cardiomyocyte. Thus, the cGAS-STING pathway is closely linked with aberrant heart morphologically and functionally via these mechanisms. The past few decades have witnessed an increased interest in the exact relationship between the activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and the initiation or development of certain cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Regulation of cardiovascular and cardiac functions by caveolins.

Caveolae are intracellular vesicles with diameters ranging from 50 to 100 nm. The role of caveolins in mediating oxidative stress, autophagy, apoptosis, fibrosis, and vascular remodeling has attracted increasing attention in cardiovascular therapy. Several studies have suggested that caveolin could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiac and/or vascular injury via several pathophysiological mechanisms.

Ginkgo biloba extract protects against diabetic cardiomyopathy by restoring autophagy via adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/mammalian target of the rapamycin pathway modulation.

Studies demonstrated that Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) played a cardioprotective role in diabetic conditions. Impaired autophagy is one of the mechanisms underlying diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). The effect of GBE on autophagy has been observed in several diseases; however, whether GBE can ameliorate DCM by regulating autophagy remains unclear.

HbA1c is related to microcirculation blood perfusion in patients with coronary microvascular disease using stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance: An observational study.

Background: In coronary microvascular disease (CMD) patients, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with myocardial perfusion reserve index (MPRI) ≤ 1.47 is three times higher than that in MPRI > 1.47.

cGAS-STING Pathway Performance in the Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque.

The important role of Ca in pathogenic store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is well-established. Among the proteins involved in the calcium signaling pathway, Stromal interacting molecule 1 (STIM1) is a critical endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane protein. STIM1 is activated by the depletion of calcium stores and then binds to another calcium protein, Orai1, to form a channel through which the extracellular Ca can enter the cytoplasm to replenish the calcium store.

Exosomes as a Cell-free Therapy for Myocardial Injury Following Acute Myocardial Infarction or Ischemic Reperfusion.

Exosomes, which contain miRNA, have been receiving growing attention in cardiovascular therapy because of their role in mediating cell-cell communication, autophagy, apoptosis, inflammation, and angiogenesis. Several studies have suggested that miRNA derived from exosomes can be used to detect myocardial infarctions (MI) in patients. Basic research also suggests that exosomes could serve as a potential therapeutic target for treating acute myocardial infarction.

Efficacy of Colchicine in the Treatment of Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: A Mini-Review.

Purpose: This review of colchicine, an effective anti-inflammatory agent, examines whether the reduction in ischemic events produced by colchicine translates to a reduction in mortality, the optimal duration of treatment, and the patient populations that benefits the most from colchicine treatment.

Methods: We performed a comprehensive PubMed database search using the key words colchicine and coronary heart disease on August 23, 2021. We also screened the included reference list of manuscripts.

Quantitative coronary computed tomography angiography assessment of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Morphological and clinical characteristics are widely used to predict the success of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO). However, the impact of quantitative characteristics derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) on guidewire crossing and PCI success is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between these quantitative characteristics and the difficulty of PCI for CTO.

Pathophysiology and molecular mechanism of caveolin involved in myocardial protection strategies in ischemic conditioning.

Multiple pathophysiological pathways are activated during the process of myocardial injury. Various cardioprotective strategies protect the myocardium from ischemia, infarction, and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury through different targets, yet the clinical translation remains limited. Caveolae and its structure protein, caveolins, have been suggested as a bridge to transmit damage-preventing signals and mediate the protection of ultrastructure in cardiomyocytes under pathological conditions.

Corrigendum: Myocardial Viability, Functional Status, and Collaterals of Patients With Chronically Occluded Coronary Arteries.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.

A Novel Classification for Predicting Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Aims: Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is characterized by a low success rate and an increase in complications. This study aimed to explore a new and simple classification method based on plaque composition to predict guidewire (GW) crossing within 30 min of CTO lesions.

Methods: This study consecutively enrolled individuals undergoing attempted PCI of CTO who underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) within 2 months.

Comparison of successful versus failed percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic total occlusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The optimal treatment strategy of chronic total occlusion (CTO) is currently debated. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of CTO.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies comparing long-term outcomes between successful PCI in patients with CTO using drug-eluting stents and failed procedures.

Inclusion of quantitative high-density plaque in coronary computed tomographic score system to predict the time of guidewire crossing chronic total occlusion.

Objective: This study aimed to establish a new scoring system that includes histological quantitative features derived from coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) to predict the efficiency of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO-PCI).

Methods: This study analyzed clinical, morphological, and histological characteristics of 207 CTO lesions in 201 patients (mean age 60.0 [52.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery stenting for patients with chronic kidney disease and complex coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The relative role of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and complex coronary artery disease (CAD) remains debatable due to the lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We therefore performed this meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of the two strategies in CKD patients with multivessel and/or left main disease.

Methods: Electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched to identify the eligible subgroup analysis of RCTs and propensity-matched registries.

Quantification of strain analysis and late gadolinium enhancement in coronary chronic total occlusion: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging follow-up study.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with chronic total occlusions (CTOs) by using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) feature tracking.

Methods: Fifty-five CTOs with successful CTO-PCI underwent CMR at baseline and 12 months. Feature tracking was applied to measure left ventricle strain index in CTOs with decreased and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).