Project description:Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a lethal cardiovascular disease, and there is no proven drug treatment for this condition. In this study, by using the Connectivity Map (CMap) approach, we explored naringenin, a naturally occurring citrus flavonoid, as a putative agent for inhibiting AAA. We then validated the prediction with two independent mouse models of AAA, calcium phosphate (CaPO4)-induced C57BL/6J mice and angiotensin II-infused ApoE-/- mice. Naringenin effectively blocked the formation of AAAs and the progression of established AAAs. Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is the master regulator of lysosome biogenesis. Intriguingly, the protective role of naringenin on AAA was abolished by macrophage-specific TFEB depletion in mice. Unbiased interactomics, combined with isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and cellular thermal shift assays (CETSAs), further revealed that naringenin is directly bound to 14-3-3 epsilon blocked the TFEB-14-3-3 epsilon interaction, and therefore promoted TFEB nuclear translocation and activation. On one hand, naringenin activated lysosome-dependent inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome and repressed aneurysmal inflammation. On the other hand, naringenin induced TFEB-dependent transcriptional activation of GATA3, IRF4, and STAT6 and therefore promoted reparative M2 macrophage polarization. In summary, naturally derived naringenin or macrophage TFEB activation shows promising efficacy for the treatment of AAA.
Project description:An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a pathological dilatation of the aortic wall and it is a life-threatening disease due to the risk of rupture. Currently, surgical intervention remains the only definitive treatment recommended for large or rapidly expanding aneurysms. No pharmacological therapy is currently available to prevent AAA progression, as no drug has been proven effective. Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in general. However, many studies over the last decade show that type 2 diabetes patients have a lower incidence of AAA and a slower aneurysm growth rate, which has been correlated with metformin use. We performed a proteomics analysis on resected aortic tissue from controls, non-diabetic (ND) and diabetic (D) AAA patients.
