Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is metabolically active and is in dynamic crosstalk with the surrounding cardiomyocytes, modulating their function and metabolism. Oxidative stress is a key contributor to cell death and cardiac remodeling, is a hallmark of di...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Ana Burgeiro Diana Santos Ana Catarina R. G. Fonseca Inês Baldeiras Ermelindo C. Leal João Moura João Costa-Nunes Patrícia Monteiro Seraphim Aryane Oliveira António Canotilho Gonçalo Coutinho David Prieto Pedro Antunes Manuel Antunes Eugenia Carvalho |
| author_facet | Ana Burgeiro Diana Santos Ana Catarina R. G. Fonseca Inês Baldeiras Ermelindo C. Leal João Moura João Costa-Nunes Patrícia Monteiro Seraphim Aryane Oliveira António Canotilho Gonçalo Coutinho David Prieto Pedro Antunes Manuel Antunes Eugenia Carvalho |
| author_sort | Ana Burgeiro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives</b>: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is metabolically active and is in dynamic crosstalk with the surrounding cardiomyocytes, modulating their function and metabolism. Oxidative stress is a key contributor to cell death and cardiac remodeling, is a hallmark of diabetes (DM) and cardiovascular disease, such as coronary artery disease (CAD). However, little is known about these processes in EAT from patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This study investigates changes in mitochondrial dynamics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and antioxidant defense levels in EAT compared to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, with a focus on the impact of DM and CAD. <b>Methods</b>: Adipose tissue biopsies were collected from 128 patients undergoing surgical cardiac intervention. Mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative stress markers were analyzed. <b>Results</b>: EAT exhibited increased expression of mitochondrial fusion markers [mitofusin 1 (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001), mitofusin 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.038), and optic atrophy 1 (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001)], as well as fission markers [fission 1 <i>(p</i> ≤ 0.001) and dynamin-related protein 1 (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001)] relative to SAT. Additionally, ROS levels (dihydroethidium, <i>p</i> = 0.004) were elevated, while lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) was reduced in EAT compared to SAT. Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) and the redox buffer ratio between reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG, <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) were significantly increased in EAT. Interestingly, glutathione peroxidase activity (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) and the antioxidant defense markers catalase (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) and superoxide dismutase 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.001) were significantly reduced in EAT compared to SAT. <b>Conclusions</b>: The findings provide a unique molecular insight into the mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative stress profiles of EAT, highlighting potential avenues for a novel diagnostic method and therapeutic strategies for cardiac disease. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d1848cbbcfc147dbb50fe07cde8933f7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2218-1989 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metabolites |
| spelling | doaj-art-d1848cbbcfc147dbb50fe07cde8933f72025-08-20T02:47:10ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892025-07-0115748110.3390/metabo15070481Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose TissueAna Burgeiro0Diana Santos1Ana Catarina R. G. Fonseca2Inês Baldeiras3Ermelindo C. Leal4João Moura5João Costa-Nunes6Patrícia Monteiro Seraphim7Aryane Oliveira8António Canotilho9Gonçalo Coutinho10David Prieto11Pedro Antunes12Manuel Antunes13Eugenia Carvalho14CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, PortugalCardiothoracic Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, PortugalCardiothoracic Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, PortugalCardiothoracic Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, PortugalCardiothoracic Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, PortugalUniversity Clinic for Cardiothoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, PortugalCNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is metabolically active and is in dynamic crosstalk with the surrounding cardiomyocytes, modulating their function and metabolism. Oxidative stress is a key contributor to cell death and cardiac remodeling, is a hallmark of diabetes (DM) and cardiovascular disease, such as coronary artery disease (CAD). However, little is known about these processes in EAT from patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This study investigates changes in mitochondrial dynamics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and antioxidant defense levels in EAT compared to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, with a focus on the impact of DM and CAD. <b>Methods</b>: Adipose tissue biopsies were collected from 128 patients undergoing surgical cardiac intervention. Mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative stress markers were analyzed. <b>Results</b>: EAT exhibited increased expression of mitochondrial fusion markers [mitofusin 1 (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001), mitofusin 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.038), and optic atrophy 1 (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001)], as well as fission markers [fission 1 <i>(p</i> ≤ 0.001) and dynamin-related protein 1 (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001)] relative to SAT. Additionally, ROS levels (dihydroethidium, <i>p</i> = 0.004) were elevated, while lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) was reduced in EAT compared to SAT. Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) and the redox buffer ratio between reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG, <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) were significantly increased in EAT. Interestingly, glutathione peroxidase activity (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) and the antioxidant defense markers catalase (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) and superoxide dismutase 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.001) were significantly reduced in EAT compared to SAT. <b>Conclusions</b>: The findings provide a unique molecular insight into the mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative stress profiles of EAT, highlighting potential avenues for a novel diagnostic method and therapeutic strategies for cardiac disease.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/7/481epicardial adipose tissuesubcutaneous adipose tissuemitochondrial dynamicsoxidative stressantioxidant defensediabetes mellitus |
| spellingShingle | Ana Burgeiro Diana Santos Ana Catarina R. G. Fonseca Inês Baldeiras Ermelindo C. Leal João Moura João Costa-Nunes Patrícia Monteiro Seraphim Aryane Oliveira António Canotilho Gonçalo Coutinho David Prieto Pedro Antunes Manuel Antunes Eugenia Carvalho Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue Metabolites epicardial adipose tissue subcutaneous adipose tissue mitochondrial dynamics oxidative stress antioxidant defense diabetes mellitus |
| title | Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue |
| title_full | Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue |
| title_fullStr | Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue |
| title_short | Enhanced Mitochondrial Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Levels with Reduced Antioxidant Defenses in Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue |
| title_sort | enhanced mitochondrial dynamics and reactive oxygen species levels with reduced antioxidant defenses in human epicardial adipose tissue |
| topic | epicardial adipose tissue subcutaneous adipose tissue mitochondrial dynamics oxidative stress antioxidant defense diabetes mellitus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/7/481 |
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