Hypoxia-induced P4HA1 overexpression promotes post-ischemic angiogenesis by enhancing endothelial glycolysis through...

Angiogenesis is essential for tissue repair in ischemic diseases, relying on glycolysis as its primary energy source. Prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha 1 (P4HA1), the catalytic subunit of collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase, is a glycolysis-related gene in cancers. However, its role in glycolysis-induced angiogenesis remains unclear.

P4HA1 expression was modulated using adenoviruses. Endothelial angiogenesis was evaluated through 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, transwell migration, and tube formation assays in vitro. In vivo experiments measured blood flow and capillary density in the hindlimb ischemia (HLI) model. Glycolytic stress assays, glucose uptake, lactate production, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were employed to assess glycolytic capacity. Transcriptome sequencing, validated by western blotting and RT-PCR, was utilized to determine underlying mechanisms.

P4HA1 was upregulated in endothelial cells under hypoxia and in the HLI model. P4HA1 overexpression promoted angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, while its knockdown had the opposite effect. P4HA1 overexpression reduced cellular α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) levels by consuming α-KG during collagen hydroxylation. Downregulation of α-KG reduced the protein level of a DNA dioxygenase, ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2), and its recruitment to the fructose-1,6-biphosphatase (FBP1) promoter, resulting in decreased FBP1 expression. The decrease in FBP1 enhanced glycolytic metabolism, thereby promoting endothelial angiogenesis.

Hypoxia-induced endothelial P4HA1 overexpression enhanced angiogenesis by promoting glycolytic metabolism reprogramming through the P4HA1/α-KG/TET2/FBP1 pathway. The study's findings underscore the significance of P4HA1 in post-ischemic angiogenesis, suggesting its therapeutic potential for post-ischemic tissue repair.