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- Tillie, Renee J. H. A., et al.
(författare)
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A Switch from Cell-Associated to Soluble PDGF-B Protects against Atherosclerosis, despite Driving Extramedullary Hematopoiesis
- 2021
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Ingår i: Cells. - : MDPI. - 2073-4409. ; 10:7, s. 1746-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGF-B) is a mitogenic, migratory and survival factor. Cell-associated PDGF-B recruits stabilizing pericytes towards blood vessels through retention in extracellular matrix. We hypothesized that the genetic ablation of cell-associated PDGF-B by retention motif deletion would reduce the local availability of PDGF-B, resulting in microvascular pericyte loss, microvascular permeability and exacerbated atherosclerosis. Therefore, Ldlr(-/-)Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) mice were fed a high cholesterol diet. Although plaque size was increased in the aortic root of Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) mice, microvessel density and intraplaque hemorrhage were unexpectedly unaffected. Plaque macrophage content was reduced, which is likely attributable to increased apoptosis, as judged by increased TUNEL+ cells in Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) plaques (2.1-fold) and increased Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) macrophage apoptosis upon 7-ketocholesterol or oxidized LDL incubation in vitro. Moreover, Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) plaque collagen content increased independent of mesenchymal cell density. The decreased macrophage matrix metalloproteinase activity could partly explain Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) collagen content. In addition to the beneficial vascular effects, we observed reduced body weight gain related to smaller fat deposition in Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) liver and adipose tissue. While dampening plaque inflammation, Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) paradoxically induced systemic leukocytosis. The increased incorporation of 5-ethynyl-2 '-deoxyuridine indicated increased extramedullary hematopoiesis and the increased proliferation of circulating leukocytes. We concluded that Pdgfb(ret)(/ret) confers vascular and metabolic effects, which appeared to be protective against diet-induced cardiovascular burden. These effects were unrelated to arterial mesenchymal cell content or adventitial microvessel density and leakage. In contrast, the deletion drives splenic hematopoiesis and subsequent leukocytosis in hypercholesterolemia.
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| 2. |
- Wollenhaupt, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Pro-oxidative priming but maintained cardiac function in a broad spectrum of murine models of chronic kidney disease
- 2022
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Ingår i: Redox Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-2317. ; 56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular events and exhibit myocardial changes including left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and fibrosis, overall referred to as 'uremic cardiomyopathy'. Although different CKD animal models have been studied for cardiac effects, lack of consistent reporting on cardiac function and pathology complicates clear comparison of these models. Therefore, this study aimed at a systematic and comprehensive comparison of cardiac function and cardiac pathophysiological characteristics in eight different CKD models and mouse strains, with a main focus on adenine-induced CKD. Methods and results: CKD of different severity and duration was induced by subtotal nephrectomy or adenine-rich diet in various strains (C57BL/6J, C57BL/6 N, hyperlipidemic C57BL/6J ApoE(-/-), 129/Sv), followed by the analysis of kidney function and morphology, blood pressure, cardiac function, cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, myocardial calcification and inflammation using functional, histological and molecular techniques, including cardiac gene expression profiling supplemented by oxidative stress analysis. Intriguingly, despite uremia of variable degree, neither cardiac dysfunction, hypertrophy nor interstitial fibrosis were observed. However, already moderate CKD altered cardiac oxidative stress responses and enhanced oxidative stress markers in each mouse strain, with cardiac RNA sequencing revealing activation of oxidative stress signaling as well as anti-inflammatory feedback responses. Conclusion: This study considerably expands the knowledge on strain-and protocol-specific differences in the field of cardiorenal research and reveals that several weeks of at least moderate experimental CKD increase oxidative stress responses in the heart in a broad spectrum of mouse models. However, this was insufficient to induce relevant systolic or diastolic dysfunction, suggesting that additional "hits " are required to induce uremic cardiomyopathy. Translational perspective: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events and exhibit myocardial changes, overall referred to as 'uremic cardiomyopathy'. We revealed that CKD increases cardiac oxidative stress responses in the heart. Nonetheless, several weeks of at least moderate experimental CKD do not necessarily trigger cardiac dysfunction and remodeling, suggesting that additional "hits " are required to induce uremic cardiomyopathy in the clinical setting. Whether the altered cardiac oxidative stress balance in CKD may increase the risk and extent of cardiovascular damage upon additional cardiovascular risk factors and/or events will be addressed in future studies.
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| 3. |
- Jin, Han, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-scale metabolic network of human carotid plaque reveals the pivotal role of glutamine/glutamate metabolism in macrophage modulating plaque inflammation and vulnerability
- 2024
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Ingår i: Cardiovascular Diabetology. - : Springer Nature. - 1475-2840. ; 23:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Metabolism is increasingly recognized as a key regulator of the function and phenotype of the primary cellular constituents of the atherosclerotic vascular wall, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and inflammatory cells. However, a comprehensive analysis of metabolic changes associated with the transition of plaque from a stable to a hemorrhaged phenotype is lacking. Methods: In this study, we integrated two large mRNA expression and protein abundance datasets (BIKE, n = 126; MaasHPS, n = 43) from human atherosclerotic carotid artery plaque to reconstruct a genome-scale metabolic network (GEM). Next, the GEM findings were linked to metabolomics data from MaasHPS, providing a comprehensive overview of metabolic changes in human plaque. Results: Our study identified significant changes in lipid, cholesterol, and inositol metabolism, along with altered lysosomal lytic activity and increased inflammatory activity, in unstable plaques with intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH+) compared to non-hemorrhaged (IPH−) plaques. Moreover, topological analysis of this network model revealed that the conversion of glutamine to glutamate and their flux between the cytoplasm and mitochondria were notably compromised in hemorrhaged plaques, with a significant reduction in overall glutamate levels in IPH+ plaques. Additionally, reduced glutamate availability was associated with an increased presence of macrophages and a pro-inflammatory phenotype in IPH+ plaques, suggesting an inflammation-prone microenvironment. Conclusions: This study is the first to establish a robust and comprehensive GEM for atherosclerotic plaque, providing a valuable resource for understanding plaque metabolism. The utility of this GEM was illustrated by its ability to reliably predict dysregulation in the cholesterol hydroxylation, inositol metabolism, and the glutamine/glutamate pathway in rupture-prone hemorrhaged plaques, a finding that may pave the way to new diagnostic or therapeutic measures.
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| 4. |
- Lu, Chang, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of a gene network driving the attenuated response to lipopolysaccharide of monocytes from hypertensive coronary artery disease patients
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, encompassing various biological determinants and unhealthy lifestyles, on the functional dynamics of circulating monocytes—a pivotal cell type in CVD pathophysiology remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the influence of CVD risk factors on monocyte transcriptional responses to an infectious stimulus. Methods: We conducted a comparative analysis of monocyte gene expression profiles from the CTMM – CIRCULATING CELLS Cohort of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, at baseline and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Gene co-expression analysis was used to identify gene modules and their correlations with CVD risk factors, while pivotal transcription factors controlling the hub genes in these modules were identified by regulatory network analyses. The identified gene module was subjected to a drug repurposing screen, utilizing the LINCS L1000 database. Results: Monocyte responsiveness to LPS showed a highly significant, negative correlation with blood pressure levels (ρ< -0.4; P<10-80). We identified a ZNF12/ZBTB43-driven gene module closely linked to diastolic blood pressure, suggesting that monocyte responses to infectious stimuli, such as LPS, are attenuated in CAD patients with elevated diastolic blood pressure. This attenuation appears associated with a dampening of the LPS-induced suppression of oxidative phosphorylation. Finally, we identified the serine-threonine inhibitor MW-STK33-97 as a drug candidate capable of reversing this aberrant LPS response. Conclusions: Monocyte responses to infectious stimuli may be hampered in CAD patients with high diastolic blood pressure and this attenuated inflammatory response may be reversed by the serine-threonine inhibitor MW-STK33-97. Whether the identified gene module is a mere indicator of, or causal factor in diastolic blood pressure and the associated dampened LPS responses remains to be determined.
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