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Rhee, Eugene

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Rhee, Eugene
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    Programming human pluripotent stem cells into white and brown adipocytes
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2012) Ahfeldt, Tim; Schinzel, Robert T.; Lee, Youn-Kyoung; Hendrickson, David Gillis; Kaplan, Adam; Lum, David H.; Camahort, Raymond; Xia, Fang; Shay, Jennifer B.; Rhee, Eugene; Clish, Clary B.; Deo, Rahul C.; Shen, Tony; Lau, Frank; Cowley, Alicia; Mowrer, Greg; Al-Siddiqi, Heba; Nahrendorf, Matthias; Musunuru, Kiran; Gerszten, Robert; Rinn, John; Cowan, Chad
    The utility of human pluripotent stem cells is dependent on efficient differentiation protocols that convert these cells into relevant adult cell types. Here we report the robust and efficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into white or brown adipocytes. We found that inducible expression of PPARG2 alone or combined with CEBPB and/or PRDM16 in mesenchymal progenitor cells derived from pluripotent stem cells programmed their development towards a white or brown adipocyte cell fate with efficiencies of 85%–90%. These adipocytes retained their identity independent of transgene expression, could be maintained in culture for several weeks, expressed mature markers and had mature functional properties such as lipid catabolism and insulin-responsiveness. When transplanted into mice, the programmed cells gave rise to ectopic fat pads with the morphological and functional characteristics of white or brown adipose tissue. These results indicate that the cells could be used to faithfully model human disease.
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    Metabolite Profiles Predict Acute Kidney Injury and Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
    (John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2016) Elmariah, Sammy; Farrell, Laurie A.; Daher, Maureen; Shi, Xu; Keyes, Michelle J.; Cain, Carolyn H.; Pomerantsev, Eugene; Vlahakes, Gus; Inglessis, Ignacio; Passeri, Jonathan; Palacios, Igor; Fox, Caroline S.; Rhee, Eugene; Gerszten, Robert
    Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs commonly after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and is associated with markedly increased postoperative mortality. We previously identified plasma metabolites predictive of incident chronic kidney disease, but whether metabolite profiles can identify those at risk of AKI is unknown. Methods and Results: We performed liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry–based metabolite profiling on plasma from patients undergoing TAVR and subjects from the community‐based Framingham Heart Study (N=2164). AKI was defined by using the Valve Academic Research Consortium‐2 criteria. Of 44 patients (mean age 82±9 years, 52% female) undergoing TAVR, 22 (50%) had chronic kidney disease and 9 (20%) developed AKI. Of 85 metabolites profiled, we detected markedly concordant cross‐sectional metabolic changes associated with chronic kidney disease in the hospital‐based TAVR and Framingham Heart Study cohorts. Baseline levels of 5‐adenosylhomocysteine predicted AKI after TAVR, despite adjustment for baseline glomerular filtration rate (odds ratio per 1‐SD increase 5.97, 95% CI 1.62–22.0; P=0.007). Of the patients who had AKI, 6 (66.7%) subsequently died, compared with 3 (8.6%) deaths among those patients who did not develop AKI (P=0.0008) over a median follow‐up of 7.8 months. 5‐adenosylhomocysteine was predictive of all‐cause mortality after TAVR (hazard ratio per 1‐SD increase 2.96, 95% CI 1.33–6.58; P=0.008), independent of baseline glomerular filtration rate. Conclusions: In an elderly population with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR, metabolite profiling improves the prediction of AKI. Given the multifactorial nature of AKI after TAVR, metabolite profiles may identify those patients with reduced renal reserve.
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    Metabolite Profiles During Oral Glucose Challenge
    (American Diabetes Association, 2013) Ho, Jennifer E.; Larson, Martin G.; Vasan, Ramachandran S.; Ghorbani, Anahita; Cheng, Susan; Rhee, Eugene; Florez, Jose; Clish, Clary B.; Gerszten, Robert; Wang, Thomas
    To identify distinct biological pathways of glucose metabolism, we conducted a systematic evaluation of biochemical changes after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in a community-based population. Metabolic profiling was performed on 377 nondiabetic Framingham Offspring cohort participants (mean age 57 years, 42% women, BMI 30 kg/m2) before and after OGTT. Changes in metabolite levels were evaluated with paired Student t tests, cluster-based analyses, and multivariable linear regression to examine differences associated with insulin resistance. Of 110 metabolites tested, 91 significantly changed with OGTT (P ≤ 0.0005 for all). Amino acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates decreased after OGTT, and glycolysis products increased, consistent with physiological insulin actions. Other pathways affected by OGTT included decreases in serotonin derivatives, urea cycle metabolites, and B vitamins. We also observed an increase in conjugated, and a decrease in unconjugated, bile acids. Changes in β-hydroxybutyrate, isoleucine, lactate, and pyridoxate were blunted in those with insulin resistance. Our findings demonstrate changes in 91 metabolites representing distinct biological pathways that are perturbed in response to an OGTT. We also identify metabolite responses that distinguish individuals with and without insulin resistance. These findings suggest that unique metabolic phenotypes can be unmasked by OGTT in the prediabetic state.
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    Metabolomic Profiles of Body Mass Index in the Framingham Heart Study Reveal Distinct Cardiometabolic Phenotypes
    (Public Library of Science, 2016) Ho, Jennifer E.; Larson, Martin G.; Ghorbani, Anahita; Cheng, Susan; Chen, Ming-Huei; Keyes, Michelle; Rhee, Eugene; Clish, Clary B.; Vasan, Ramachandran S.; Gerszten, Robert; Wang, Thomas J.
    Background: Although obesity and cardiometabolic traits commonly overlap, underlying pathways remain incompletely defined. The association of metabolite profiles across multiple cardiometabolic traits may lend insights into the interaction of obesity and metabolic health. We sought to investigate metabolic signatures of obesity and related cardiometabolic traits in the community using broad-based metabolomic profiling. Methods and Results: We evaluated the association of 217 assayed metabolites and cross-sectional as well as longitudinal changes in cardiometabolic traits among 2,383 Framingham Offspring cohort participants. Body mass index (BMI) was associated with 69 of 217 metabolites (P<0.00023 for all), including aromatic (tyrosine, phenylalanine) and branched chain amino acids (valine, isoleucine, leucine). Additional metabolic pathways associated with BMI included the citric acid cycle (isocitrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, aconitate), the tryptophan pathway (kynurenine, kynurenic acid), and the urea cycle. There was considerable overlap in metabolite profiles between BMI, abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance [IR] and dyslipidemia, modest overlap of metabolite profiles between BMI and hyperglycemia, and little overlap with fasting glucose or elevated blood pressure. Metabolite profiles were associated with longitudinal changes in fasting glucose, but the involved metabolites (ornithine, 5-HIAA, aminoadipic acid, isoleucine, cotinine) were distinct from those associated with baseline glucose or other traits. Obesity status appeared to “modify” the association of 9 metabolites with IR. For example, bile acid metabolites were strongly associated with IR among obese but not lean individuals, whereas isoleucine had a stronger association with IR in lean individuals. Conclusions: In this large-scale metabolite profiling study, body mass index was associated with a broad range of metabolic alterations. Metabolite profiling highlighted considerable overlap with abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, but not with fasting glucose or blood pressure traits.
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    Activation of IRF1 in Human Adipocytes Leads to Phenotypes Associated with Metabolic Disease
    (Elsevier, 2017) Friesen, Max; Camahort, Raymond; Lee, Youn-Kyoung; Xia, Fang; Gerszten, Robert; Rhee, Eugene; Deo, Rahul C.; Cowan, Chad
    Summary The striking rise of obesity-related metabolic disorders has focused attention on adipocytes as critical mediators of disease phenotypes. To better understand the role played by excess adipose in metabolic dysfunction it is crucial to decipher the transcriptional underpinnings of the low-grade adipose inflammation characteristic of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Through employing a comparative transcriptomics approach, we identified IRF1 as differentially regulated between primary and in vitro-derived genetically matched adipocytes. This suggests a role as a mediator of adipocyte inflammatory phenotypes, similar to its function in other tissues. Utilizing adipose-derived mesenchymal progenitors we subsequently demonstrated that expression of IRF1 in adipocytes indeed contributes to upregulation of inflammatory processes, both in vitro and in vivo. This highlights IRF1's relevance to obesity-related inflammation and the resultant metabolic dysregulation.
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    Distinct Metabolomic Signatures Are Associated with Longevity in Humans
    (2015) Cheng, Susan; Larson, Martin G.; McCabe, Elizabeth L.; Murabito, Joanne M.; Rhee, Eugene; Ho, Jennifer E.; Jacques, Paul F.; Ghorbani, Anahita; Magnusson, Martin; Souza, Amanda L.; Deik, Amy A.; Pierce, Kerry A.; Bullock, Kevin; O’Donnell, Christopher J.; Melander, Olle; Clish, Clary B.; Vasan, Ramachandran S.; Gerszten, Robert; Wang, Thomas
    Alterations in metabolism influence lifespan in experimental models, but data in humans are lacking. Here we use liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to quantify 217 plasma metabolites and examine their relation to longevity in a large cohort of men and women. In 647 individuals followed for up to 20 years, higher concentrations of the citric acid cycle intermediate, isocitrate, and the bile acid, taurocholate, are associated with lower odds of longevity, defined as attaining 80 years of age. In a larger cohort of 2,327 individuals with metabolite data available, higher concentrations of isocitrate but not taurocholate are also associated with worse cardiovascular health at baseline, as well as risk of future cardiovascular disease and death. None of the metabolites identified are associated with cancer risk. Our findings suggest that some, but not all, metabolic pathways to human longevity are dependent on modifying risk for the two most common causes of death.
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    An exome array study of the plasma metabolome
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2016) Rhee, Eugene; Yang, Qiong; Yu, Bing; Liu, Xuan; Cheng, Susan; Deik, Amy; Pierce, Kerry A.; Bullock, Kevin; Ho, Jennifer; Levy, Daniel; Florez, Jose; Kathiresan, Sek; Larson, Martin G.; Vasan, Ramachandran S.; Clish, Clary B.; Wang, Thomas J.; Boerwinkle, Eric; O'Donnell, Christopher J.; Gerszten, Robert
    The study of rare variants may enhance our understanding of the genetic determinants of the metabolome. Here, we analyze the association between 217 plasma metabolites and exome variants on the Illumina HumanExome Beadchip in 2,076 participants in the Framingham Heart Study, with replication in 1,528 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. We identify an association between GMPS and xanthosine using single variant analysis and associations between HAL and histidine, PAH and phenylalanine, and UPB1 and ureidopropionate using gene-based tests (P<5 × 10−8 in meta-analysis), highlighting novel coding variants that may underlie inborn errors of metabolism. Further, we show how an examination of variants across the spectrum of allele frequency highlights independent association signals at select loci and generates a more integrated view of metabolite heritability. These studies build on prior metabolomics genome wide association studies to provide a more complete picture of the genetic architecture of the plasma metabolome.
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    PGC1α-dependent NAD biosynthesis links oxidative metabolism to renal protection
    (2016) Tran, Mei T.; Zsengeller, Zsuzsanna; Berg, Anders; Khankin, Eliyahu; Bhasin, Manoj; Kim, Wondong; Clish, Clary B.; Stillman, Isaac; Karumanchi, Subbian; Rhee, Eugene; Parikh, Samir
    The energetic burden of continuously concentrating solutes against gradients along the tubule may render the kidney especially vulnerable to ischemia. Indeed, acute kidney injury (AKI) affects 3% of all hospitalized patients.1,2 Here we show that the mitochondrial biogenesis regulator, PGC1α,3,4 is a pivotal determinant of renal recovery from injury by regulating NAD biosynthesis. Following renal ischemia, PGC1α−/− mice developed local deficiency of the NAD precursor niacinamide (Nam), marked fat accumulation, and failure to re-establish normal function. Remarkably, exogenous Nam improved local NAD levels, fat accumulation, and renal function in post-ischemic PGC1α−/− mice. Inducible tubular transgenic mice (iNephPGC1α) recapitulated the effects of Nam supplementation, including more local NAD and less fat accumulation with better renal function after ischemia. PGC1α coordinately upregulated the enzymes that synthesize NAD de novo from amino acids whereas PGC1α deficiency or AKI attenuated the de novo pathway. Nam enhanced NAD via the enzyme NAMPT and augmented production of the fat breakdown product beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB), leading to increased prostaglandin PGE2, a secreted autocoid that maintains renal function.5 Nam treatment reversed established ischemic AKI and also prevented AKI in an unrelated toxic model. Inhibition of β-OHB signaling or prostaglandins similarly abolished PGC1α-dependent renoprotection. Given the importance of mitochondrial health in aging and the function of metabolically active organs, the results implicate Nam and NAD as key effectors for achieving PGC1α-dependent stress resistance.