YTHDF1-Mediated m6A Modification of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 Exacerbates Macrophage Metabolic Dysfunction in Diabetes Mellitus...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) with coronary artery disease (CAD), referred to as DM-CAD, is a prevalent endocrine-metabolic condition characterized by macrophage-driven inflammation and metabolic dysregulation. This study aims to investigate the role of YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein F1 (YTHDF1)-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in stabilizing the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Opa interacting protein 5 antisense RNA 1 (OIP5-AS1) and to determine its impact on macrophage metabolic dysfunction in DM-CAD.

Single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing were performed using DM-CAD mouse models, with downstream analyses conducted using Seurat, CellChat, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and random forest algorithms. Experimental validation included RNA immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, actinomycin D-based RNA stability assays, and 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) interventions in THP-1-derived macrophages, alongside metabolomic profiling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurements.

Increased macrophage-endothelial cell coupling was observed in DM-CAD, with both OIP5-AS1 and YTHDF1 significantly upregulated and closely associated with glycolytic metabolic pathways. YTHDF1-mediated m6A modification stabilized OIP5-AS1, thereby promoting glycolysis, foam cell formation, ROS production, plaque development, and the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, collectively exacerbating atherosclerosis. Notably, treatment with 2-DG markedly reversed these pathological phenotypes.

This study identifies the YTHDF1-m6A-OIP5-AS1 axis as a critical regulator of macrophage metabolic dysfunction in DM-CAD, thereby providing an epigenetic framework for understanding disease progression. Targeting this regulatory pathway may attenuate metabolic inflammation and represents a promising therapeutic strategy for endocrine-related cardiovascular complications.