Hypotaurine Reduces Glucose‐Mediated Vascular Calcification

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Marina A. Heuschkel - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Armand Jaminon - , Maastricht University (Author)
  • Steffen Gräber - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Anna Artati - , Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (Author)
  • Jerzy Adamski - , Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, National University of Singapore, University of Ljubljana (Author)
  • Joachim Jankowski - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Leon Schurgers - , Maastricht University (Author)
  • Nikolaus Marx - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Willi Jahnen‐Dechent - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Claudia Goettsch - , Institute of Physiology, RWTH Aachen University (Last author)

Abstract

Aim: Vascular calcification (VC), a characteristic feature of peripheral artery disease in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, has been associated with poor prognosis. We hypothesize that hyperglycemia drives VC through alterations in metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles. Methods: Human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were cultured with 0, 5.5, and 25 mM glucose under calcifying conditions. Untargeted metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were performed at different time points. Mitochondrial respiration was examined using Seahorse analysis. Results: Glucose-treated SMCs promoted extracellular matrix (ECM) calcification in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The absence of glucose entirely abolished SMC calcification but reduced SMC proliferation in control and calcifying conditions compared to 25 mM glucose. Multi-omics data integration revealed key players from the hypotaurine/taurine metabolic pathway as the center hub of the reconstructed network. Glucose promoted the hypotaurine secretion, while its intracellular abundance was not altered. Blocking hypotaurine production by propargylglycine increased ECM calcification, while hypotaurine treatment prevented it. Furthermore, omics data suggest energy remodeling in calcifying SMCs under hyperglycemia. Calcifying SMCs exhibited decreased oxygen consumption that was partially restored by hypotaurine. Validation of our in vitro models using the murine warfarin model demonstrated reduced hypotaurine/taurine transporter (TAUT) expression in SMCs. Conclusions: Our multi-omics analysis revealed a role of the hypotaurine/taurine metabolic pathway in glucose-induced SMC calcification. Moreover, our data suggest a glucose-dependent energy remodeling in calcifying SMCs and that increasing glucose concentrations fuel ECM calcification. Our work highlights potential novel therapeutic targets that warrant further investigation in hyperglycemia-dependent in vitro SMC calcification.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere70075
JournalActa physiologica
Volume241
Issue number8
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 105009841415

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • metabolomics, hypotaurine, vascular calcification, transcriptomics