Inhibition of Hedgehog signaling ameliorates foam cell formation by promoting autophagy in early atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Macrophages are the origin of most foam cells in the early stage of atherosclerotic plaques. However, the mechanism involved in the formation of macrophage-derived foam cell formation remains unclear. Here, we revealed that the hedgehog (Hh) signaling is critical in autophagy-lysosome pathway regulation and macrophage-derived foam cell formation. Inhibition of Hh signaling by vismodegib ameliorated lipid deposition and oxidative stress level in atherosclerotic plaques in high-fat diet-fed apoE^-/- mice. For mechanistic study, how the Hh signaling modulate the process of foam cell formation were accessed afterward. Unexpectedly, we found that suppression of Hh signaling in apoE^-/- mice had no significant impact on circulating cholesterol levels, indicating that Hh pathw

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10646116 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature