Project description:This series represents a comparison of gene expression in mouse aorta from MyD88-/-, apoE-/- mice versus apoE-/- control mice fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks, causing atherosclerotic lesion development. 5 MyD88-/-, apoE-/- mice were compared to 5 apoE-/- control mice and dye swap replicated for a total of 10 replicate microarrays. Keywords = Mus musculus Keywords = aorta Keywords = atherosclerosis Keywords = MyD88
Project description:Background Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids and leukocytes within the arterial wall. By investigating the aortic transcriptome of atherosclerosis prone apolipoprotein E (ApoE-/-) mice, we aimed to identify new players in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Methods RNA-Seq from aorta ApoE-/- mice was compared to healthy aorta. AnxA8 expression was assessed in human and mice atherosclerotic tissue and healthy aorta. ApoE-/- mice lacking systemic AnxA8 (ApoE-/-AnxA8-/-) were generated to assess the functional role of AnxA8. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was also done to generate ApoE-/- lacking AnxA8 specifically in bone marrow-derived cells. Intravital microscopy was used to analyze platelets and leukocyte adhesion in atheroprone mice. The role of AnxA8 was analyzed in cultured endothelial cells. Results RNA-Seq unveiled AnxA8 as one of the most significantly up-regulated genes in atherosclerotic aorta of ApoE-/- mice compared with wild type. Moreover, AnxA8 was also upregulated in human atherosclerotic plaques. Germline deletion of AnxA8 decreased atherosclerotic burden and atherosclerotic plaques size and volume in the aortic root. Plaques of ApoE-/-AnxA8-/- were characterized by a less lipid and inflammatory content compared with those in ApoE-/-AnxA8+/+. BMT showed that hematopoietic AnxA8 deficiency had no effect on atherosclerotic development. Oxidized-LDL (ox-LDL) increased AnxA8 mRNA and protein expression in murine aortic endothelial cells (MAECs). Subsequent in vitro experiments revealed that AnxA8 deficiency in MAECs suppressed P/E-selectin and CD31 expression and secretion induced by ox-LDL with a concomitant reduction in platelets and leukocyte adhesion. Intravital microscopy confirmed the decrease in leukocyte rolling and adhesion, and platelets adhesion, in ApoE-/-AnxA8-/- mice. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that AnxA8 deficiency decreases atherosclerosis progression through regulating leukocyte infiltration and vascular inflammation.
Project description:ApoE-/-mice were fed chow or Western diet for 12 weeks and NPRC expression was significantly increased in the aortic tissues of Western diet-fed mice. Systemic NPRC knockout mice were crossed with ApoE-/- mice to generate ApoE-/-NPRC-/- mice, and NPRC deletion resulted in a significant decrease in the size and instability of aortic atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE-/-NPRC-/- versus ApoE-/- mice.
Project description:Atherosclerosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Western countries. NAFLD is an important independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with its two main opposing effectors: angiotensin II (Ang II) and Ang-(1-7) is widely recognized as a major regulator of cardiovascular function and body metabolic processes. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) by breaking-down Ang II forms Ang-(1-7) and thus favors Ang-(1-7) actions. Therefore, the aim of our study was to comprehensively evaluate the influence of prolonged treatment with ACE2 activator – diminazene aceturate (DIZE) on the development of atherosclerotic lesions and hepatic steatosis in apoE-/- mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). We have shown that DIZE at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day given orally for 16 weeks was able to stabilize atherosclerotic lesions and attenuate hepatic steatosis in apoE-/- mice fed an HFD. Such effects were associated with decreased total macrophages content and increased α-smooth muscle actin levels in atherosclerotic plaques. Moreover, DIZE changed polarization of macrophages towards increased amount of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions. Interestingly, the anti-steatotic action of DIZE in the liver was related to the elevated HDL in the plasma, decreased triglycerides levels and increased biosynthesis and concentration of taurine in liver of apoE-/- mice. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of both the anti-atherosclerotic and anti-steatotic actions of DIZE require further investigations.
Project description:Background: Atherosclerosis leads high mortality, highlighting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Protein kinases orchestrate multiple cellular events in atherosclerosis and may provide new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis. Here, we identified a protein kinase, WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1), promoting inflammatory response in atherosclerosis. Methods: The ApoE-/- mice without macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1f/f) and ApoE-/- mice with macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1MCKO) were generated using bone marrow transplantation. These mice and WEE1 inhibitor MK1775 were used in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerotic model. Human atherosclerotic tissues, mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPMs), 293T cells, and recombinant proteins were utilized to investigate the pathogenic role and underlying mechanisms of WEE1. Results: We identified up-regulated p-WEE1 in macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions of HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice. Transcriptome sequencing analysis indicated that WEE1 promotes oxLDL-induced inflammation in macrophages. We then demonstrated that macrophage-specific deletion or pharmacological inhibition of WEE1 attenuates atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation both in vivo and in vitro. The overexpression of wild-type WEE1 or activating-mutant WEE1, but not inactivating-mutant WEE1, exacerbates inflammation in macrophages. Mechanistically, transcriptome sequencing analysis and co-immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative proteomics analysis identified p65 as a binding protein of WEE1. We confirmed that WEE1 directly interacts with the RHD domain of p65 via kinase domain and phosphorylates p65 at S536, thereby facilitating subsequent NF-κB activation and inflammatory response in macrophages. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that macrophage WEE1 promotes inflammatory atherosclerosis by directly binding to p65 and phosphorylate it at S536. This study provides WEE1 as a new p65 regulator in inflammation and a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.
Project description:This series represents a comparison of gene expression in mouse aorta from MyD88-/-, apoE-/- mice versus apoE-/- control mice fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks, causing atherosclerotic lesion development. 5 MyD88-/-, apoE-/- mice were compared to 5 apoE-/- control mice and dye swap replicated for a total of 10 replicate microarrays. Keywords = Mus musculus Keywords = aorta Keywords = atherosclerosis Keywords = MyD88 Keywords: other
Project description:We have applied 10X single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technique to examine the cell type specific transcriptomes of heterogeneous cell populations in atherosclerotic aortas isolated from Oasl1+/+Apoe-/- and Oasl1-/-Apoe-/- mice.