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Comprehensive scRNA-seq Model Reveals Artery Endothelial Cell Heterogeneity and Metabolic Preference in Human Vascular Disease

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Abstract

Vascular disease is one of the major causes of death worldwide. Endothelial cells are important components of the vascular structure. A better understanding of the endothelial cell changes in the development of vascular disease may provide new targets for clinical treatment strategies. Single-cell RNA sequencing can serve as a powerful tool to explore transcription patterns, as well as cell type identity. Our current study is based on comprehensive scRNA-seq data of several types of human vascular disease datasets with deep-learning-based algorithm. A gene set scoring system, created based on cell clustering, may help to identify the relative stage of the development of vascular disease. Metabolic preference patterns were estimated using a graphic neural network model. Overall, our study may provide potential treatment targets for retaining normal endothelial function under pathological situations.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Jianming Zeng (University of Macau), and all the members of his bioinformatics team, biotrainee, for generously sharing their experience and codes.

Funding

The present study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [81970384, 82022005, 82100378]; Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing [2022NSCQ-LZX0118]; Technology Project of Sichuan Province of China [2021YFQ0061].

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Author notes

  1. Liping Zeng, Yunchang Liu, and Xiaoping Li contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People’s Republic of China

    Liping Zeng, Yunchang Liu, Xiaoping Li, Xue Gong, Miao Tian, Peili Yang, Qi Cai, Gengze Wu & Chunyu Zeng

  2. Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Liping Zeng, Yunchang Liu, Xiaoping Li, Xue Gong, Miao Tian, Peili Yang, Qi Cai, Gengze Wu & Chunyu Zeng

  3. Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China

    Liping Zeng, Yunchang Liu, Xiaoping Li, Xue Gong, Miao Tian, Peili Yang, Qi Cai, Gengze Wu & Chunyu Zeng

  4. Department of Cardiology, The Sixth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Xue Gong

  5. Department of Cardiology, Fujian Heart Center, Provincial Institute of Coronary Disease, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China

    Qi Cai

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  1. Liping Zeng
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Correspondence to Gengze Wu or Chunyu Zeng.

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Zeng, L., Liu, Y., Li, X. et al. Comprehensive scRNA-seq Model Reveals Artery Endothelial Cell Heterogeneity and Metabolic Preference in Human Vascular Disease. Interdiscip Sci Comput Life Sci 16, 104–122 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12539-023-00591-x

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