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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

This study investigates the interplay between cellular senescence and inflammation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We employed RNA sequencing to analyze gene expression changes in HUVECs subjected to replicative- or radiation-stress-induced senescence, and we compared these profiles with those of cells under acute or chronic TNFα-mediated inflammation. Our findings reveal that both senescence types exhibited significant upregulation of genes associated with epithelial- (or endothelial) mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inflammatory pathways, indicating a shared molecular response. Notably, chronic inflammation led to a pronounced EMT signature, while acute inflammation primarily activated classical inflammatory responses. Experimental validation confirmed reduced proliferation and increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8) in senescent and chronically inflamed cells and substantiated the upregulation of EMT marker genes. Additionally, we observed impaired wound healing capacity in senescent and chronically inflamed cells, highlighting the functional consequences of these cellular states. Our study underscores the critical role of inflammation in exacerbating senescence-related changes, contributing to the understanding of age-related cardiovascular pathologies. These insights may inform future therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating the effects of aging and inflammation on endothelial function and cardiovascular health.

Details

Title
Short- and Long-Term Endothelial Inflammation Have Distinct Effects and Overlap with Signatures of Cellular Senescence
Author
Belakova Barbora 1 ; Basílio José 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Campos-Medina, Manuel 1 ; Sommer Anna F. P. 1 ; Gielecińska Adrianna 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Resch Ulrike 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Schmid, Johannes A 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; [email protected] (B.B.); [email protected] (M.C.-M.); [email protected] (U.R.) 
 Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; [email protected] 
 Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-237 Lodz, Poland; [email protected], Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Lodz, 90-237 Lodz, Poland 
First page
806
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20734409
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3217719644
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.