Proteoglycan 4 Modulates Osteogenic Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation during Vascular Remodeling and Intimal Calcification.

ABSTRACT: Calcification is a prominent feature of late-stage atherosclerosis, but the mechanisms driving this process are unclear. Using a biobank of carotid endarterectomies, we recently showed that Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) is a key molecular signature of calcified plaques, expressed in smooth muscle cell (SMC) rich regions. Here, we aimed to unravel the PRG4 role in vascular remodeling and intimal calcification. PRG4 expression in human carotid endarterectomies correlated with calcification assessed by preoperative computed tomographies. PRG4 localized to SMCs in early intimal thickening, while in advanced lesions it was found in the extracellular matrix, surrounding macro-calcifications. In experimental models, Prg4 was upregulated in SMCs from partially ligated ApoE^-/-</

SUBMITTER: Seime T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8224064 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature