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Biomolecules
Special Issues
Recent Trends in Kidney and Cardiovascular Diseases
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Recent Trends in Kidney and Cardiovascular Diseases

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 5470

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Michele Provenzano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): role of prognostic and predictive biomarkers on renal and cardiovascular endpoints; randomized clinical trial design; personalized medicine in nephrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases play a primary role in the management of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite a reduction in the mortality from CV causes in the past decades, particularly due to the increased use of statins and the improved lifestyle, the residual CV risk is striking. As estimated GFR goes down below 60 mL/min, the risk for fatal and non-fatal CV events rapidly increases. More specifically, it is almost duplicated up to 45 mL/min of eGFR and triplicated for eGFR values of 14 to 44 mL/min, as compared to that of patients without CKD. In patients with kidney failure, the last and most advanced stage of CKD, requiring dialysis, CV risk is up to 500-fold higher than that of patients of a similar age but without CKD. Owing to the data, further research efforts are needed to improve the prognosis and treatment of CV disease (including coronary heart disease, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, cerebral vascular disease). Further studies may encompass research from animal models to patient data and our aim with the following Special Issue is to collect articles, reviews, communications and editorials. Basic research, in vitro and in vivo investigations and pre-clinical studies are welcome.

Dr. Michele Provenzano
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chronic kidney disease
  • cardiovascular risk
  • albuminuria
  • epidemiology
  • estimated glomerular filtration rate

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 7291 KiB  
Article
ACAA2 Protects Against Cardiac Dysfunction and Lipid Peroxidation in Renal Insufficiency with the Treatment of S-Nitroso-L-Cysteine
by Zhengqi Xu, Feng Jiang, Xiaofan Wu, Bowen Ren, Cuntai Zhang, Li Lin and Sheng Li
Biomolecules 2025, 15(3), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15030364 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 723
Abstract
The key fatty acid β-oxidation protein acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 2 (ACAA2) plays a significant role in myocardial lipid peroxidation and cardiac dysfunction induced by renal insufficiency. However, the mechanisms of lipid metabolism related to renal insufficiency-associated cardiac dysfunction remain poorly understood, and current clinical [...] Read more.
The key fatty acid β-oxidation protein acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 2 (ACAA2) plays a significant role in myocardial lipid peroxidation and cardiac dysfunction induced by renal insufficiency. However, the mechanisms of lipid metabolism related to renal insufficiency-associated cardiac dysfunction remain poorly understood, and current clinical treatments have been largely ineffective. Through analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we identified that the cardiac functional changes caused by renal insufficiency were primarily centered around the fatty acid β-oxidation signaling pathway, where ACAA2 plays a pivotal role in fatty acid β-oxidation, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and ketone body metabolism. In an adenine-induced renal insufficiency mouse model, further examination with hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining, and Oil Red O staining revealed alterations in the heart and kidney as well as the accumulation of lipid. Non-invasive blood pressure measurements and ultrasound images demonstrated improvements of peripheral vascular and right ventricular hemodynamic parameters with S-nitroso-L-cysteine (CSNO) inhalation therapy. In cell experiments, knocking down ACAA2 led to accumulation of lipid droplets and exacerbation of oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes, while overexpression of ACAA2 reversed these effects. The transcription factor FOXO4 was found to regulate lipid peroxidation by modulating ACAA2, and knocking down FOXO4 partially restored the expression of ACAA2, reducing oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, exogenous CSNO effectively restored the expression of ACAA2 and reduced the level of FOXO4, thereby mitigating lipid peroxidation and improving cardiac function. Therefore, in the context of renal insufficiency, regulating the FOXO4–ACAA2 axis through CSNO inhalation therapy may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for alleviating myocardial lipid peroxidation and improving cardiac function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Kidney and Cardiovascular Diseases)
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13 pages, 1742 KiB  
Article
Circulating miRNA 122-5p Expression Predicts Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicentric, Pilot, Prospective Study
by Anila Duni, Marta Greco, Pierangela Presta, Roberta Arena, Ethymios Pappas, Lampros Lakkas, Katerina K. Naka, Antonio Brunetti, Daniela Patrizia Foti, Michele Andreucci, Giuseppe Coppolino, Evangelia Dounousi and Davide Bolignano
Biomolecules 2023, 13(11), 1663; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13111663 - 17 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1463
Abstract
Background: Despite patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) being notoriously prone to adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, risk prediction in this population remains challenging. miRNA 122-5p, a short, non-coding RNA predominantly involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, has recently been related to the onset and [...] Read more.
Background: Despite patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) being notoriously prone to adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, risk prediction in this population remains challenging. miRNA 122-5p, a short, non-coding RNA predominantly involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, has recently been related to the onset and progression of CV disease. Methods: We run a pilot, multicenter, longitudinal, observational study to evaluate the clinical significance and prognostic usefulness of circulating miRNA 122-5p in a multicentric cohort of 74 individuals on maintenance HD. Results: Patients displayed lower circulating miRNA 122-5p as compared to healthy controls (p = 0.004). At correlation analyses, ALT (β = 0.333; p = 0.02), E/e’ (β = 0.265; p = 0.02) and CRP (β = −0.219; p = 0.041) were independent predictors of miRNA 122-5p levels. During a median follow-up of 22 months (range of 1–24), 30 subjects (40.5%) experienced a composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and fatal/non-fatal CV events. Baseline circulating miRNA 122-5p was higher in these subjects (p = 0.01) and it predicted a significantly higher risk of endpoint occurrence (Kaplan–Meier crude HR 3.192; 95% CI 1.529–6.663; p = 0.002; Cox regression adjusted HR 1.115; 95% CI 1.009–1.232; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Altered miRNA 122-5p levels in HD patients may reflect hepatic and CV damage and may impart important prognostic information for improving CV risk prediction in this particular setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Kidney and Cardiovascular Diseases)
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Review

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20 pages, 2562 KiB  
Review
Vitamin D and Acute Kidney Injury: A Reciprocal Relationship
by Chandrashekar Annamalai and Pragasam Viswanathan
Biomolecules 2025, 15(4), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15040586 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
Vitamin D is a sterol prohormone with no intrinsic biological activity. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, is synthesized in the kidneys. It has well-known pleiotropic and cytoprotective properties. In addition to regulating parathyroid hormone secretion and enhancing gut calcium absorption, it [...] Read more.
Vitamin D is a sterol prohormone with no intrinsic biological activity. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, is synthesized in the kidneys. It has well-known pleiotropic and cytoprotective properties. In addition to regulating parathyroid hormone secretion and enhancing gut calcium absorption, it exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antineoplastic effects. However, the role of vitamin D in AKI is unclear, unlike in CKD. Thus, this review aimed to understand how dysregulated vitamin D homeostasis occurs in AKI, as well as to explore how vitamin D deficiency and excess influence AKI. A comprehensive literature search was conducted between January 2000 and June 2024 to uncover relevant works detailing vitamin D homeostasis in health as well as investigating the impact of vitamin D deficiency and excess in humans, animals, and in vitro cell models of AKI. According to the findings of this review, vitamin D appears to have a reciprocal relationship with AKI. Acute renal injury, among other factors, can cause hypo- or hypervitaminosis D. Conversely, AKI can also be caused by vitamin D deficiency and toxicity. Even though hypovitaminosis D is associated with AKI, it is uncertain how it impacts AKI outcomes in distinct clinical scenarios. Newer therapeutic options might emerge as a result of understanding these challenges. Vitamin D supplementation may ameliorate renal injury but needs further validation. Furthermore, hypervitaminosis D has also been implicated in AKI by causing hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia. It is crucial to avoid prolonged, uncontrolled, and unsupervised supraphysiological vitamin D administration, especially intramuscular injection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Kidney and Cardiovascular Diseases)
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23 pages, 932 KiB  
Review
The Dual Burden: Exploring Cardiovascular Complications in Chronic Kidney Disease
by Alfredo Caturano, Raffaele Galiero, Maria Rocco, Giuseppina Tagliaferri, Alessia Piacevole, Davide Nilo, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Celestino Sardu, Vincenzo Russo, Erica Vetrano, Marcellino Monda, Raffaele Marfella, Luca Rinaldi and Ferdinando Carlo Sasso
Biomolecules 2024, 14(11), 1393; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14111393 - 31 Oct 2024
Viewed by 2434
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a significant global health challenge, affecting millions of individuals and leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. This review aims to explore the epidemiology, cardiovascular complications, and management strategies associated with CKD, emphasizing the importance of preventing cardiovascular disease [...] Read more.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a significant global health challenge, affecting millions of individuals and leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. This review aims to explore the epidemiology, cardiovascular complications, and management strategies associated with CKD, emphasizing the importance of preventing cardiovascular disease and early intervention. CKD is primarily driven by conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, which often coexist and exacerbate renal impairment. Effective management requires a multifaceted approach, including lifestyle modifications, pharmacological interventions, and regular monitoring. Dietary changes, such as sodium restriction and a controlled intake of phosphorus and potassium, play a vital role in preserving renal function. Pharmacological therapies, particularly angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and emerging agents like SGLT2 inhibitors, have shown efficacy in slowing disease progression and improving patient outcomes. Furthermore, patients undergoing dialysis face increased cardiovascular risk, necessitating comprehensive management strategies to address both renal and cardiac health. As the landscape of CKD treatment evolves, ongoing research into novel therapeutic options and personalized medical approaches are essential. This review underscores the urgent need for awareness, education, and effective preventive measures to mitigate the burden of CKD and enhance the quality of life for affected individuals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Kidney and Cardiovascular Diseases)
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