RESUMO
Atherosclerosis-related CVD causes nearly 20 million deaths annually. Most patients are treated after plaques develop, so therapies must regress existing lesions. Current therapies reduce plaque volume, but targeting all apoB-containing lipoproteins with intensive combinations that include alirocumab or evinacumab, monoclonal antibodies against cholesterol-regulating proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 and angiopoietin-like protein 3, may provide more benefit. We investigated the effect of such lipid-lowering interventions on atherosclerosis in APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice, a well-established model for hyperlipidemia. Mice were fed a Western-type diet for 13 weeks and thereafter matched into a baseline group (euthanized at 13 weeks) and five groups that received diet alone (control) or with treatment [atorvastatin; atorvastatin and alirocumab; atorvastatin and evinacumab; or atorvastatin, alirocumab, and evinacumab (triple therapy)] for 25 weeks. We measured effects on cholesterol levels, plaque composition and morphology, monocyte adherence, and macrophage proliferation. All interventions reduced plasma total cholesterol (37% with atorvastatin to 80% with triple treatment; all P < 0.001). Triple treatment decreased non-HDL-C to 1.0 mmol/l (91% difference from control; P < 0.001). Atorvastatin reduced atherosclerosis progression by 28% versus control (P < 0.001); double treatment completely blocked progression and diminished lesion severity. Triple treatment regressed lesion size versus baseline in the thoracic aorta by 50% and the aortic root by 36% (both P < 0.05 vs. baseline), decreased macrophage accumulation through reduced proliferation, and abated lesion severity. Thus, high-intensive cholesterol-lowering triple treatment targeting all apoB-containing lipoproteins regresses atherosclerotic lesion area and improves lesion composition in mice, making it a promising potential approach for treating atherosclerosis.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/uso terapêutico , Anticorpos Monoclonais/uso terapêutico , Anticolesterolemiantes/uso terapêutico , Atorvastatina/uso terapêutico , Placa Aterosclerótica/tratamento farmacológico , Administração Oral , Animais , Anticorpos Monoclonais/administração & dosagem , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/administração & dosagem , Anticolesterolemiantes/administração & dosagem , Atorvastatina/administração & dosagem , Quimioterapia Combinada , Feminino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Placa Aterosclerótica/induzido quimicamente , Placa Aterosclerótica/patologiaRESUMO
AIMS: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia and atherosclerosis. PCSK9 binds to the low density lipoprotein receptor and enhances its degradation, which leads to the reduced clearance of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) and a higher risk of atherosclerosis. In this study, the AT04A anti-PCSK9 vaccine was evaluated for its therapeutic potential in ameliorating or even preventing coronary heart disease in the atherogenic APOE*3Leiden.CETP mouse model. METHODS AND RESULTS: Control and AT04A vaccine-treated mice were fed western-type diet for 18 weeks. Antibody titres, plasma lipids, and inflammatory markers were monitored by ELISA, FPLC, and multiplexed immunoassay, respectively. The progression of atherosclerosis was evaluated by histological analysis of serial cross-sections from the aortic sinus. The AT04A vaccine induced high and persistent antibody levels against PCSK9, causing a significant reduction in plasma total cholesterol (-53%, P < 0.001) and LDLc compared with controls. Plasma inflammatory markers such as serum amyloid A (SAA), macrophage inflammatory protein-1ß (MIP-1ß/CCL4), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), cytokine stem cell factor (SCF), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) were significantly diminished in AT04A-treated mice. As a consequence, treatment with the AT04A vaccine resulted in a decrease in atherosclerotic lesion area (-64%, P = 0.004) and aortic inflammation as well as in more lesion-free aortic segments (+119%, P = 0.026), compared with control. CONCLUSIONS: AT04A vaccine induces an effective immune response against PCSK9 in APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice, leading to a significant reduction of plasma lipids, systemic and vascular inflammation, and atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta.
Assuntos
Aterosclerose/prevenção & controle , Inibidores de PCSK9 , Vacinas de Subunidades Antigênicas/imunologia , Animais , Anticorpos/metabolismo , Doenças da Aorta/prevenção & controle , Apolipoproteína E3/deficiência , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , HDL-Colesterol/metabolismo , Doença das Coronárias/prevenção & controle , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Hipercolesterolemia/imunologia , Hipercolesterolemia/prevenção & controle , Molécula 1 de Adesão Intercelular/metabolismo , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteína 3 que Contém Domínio de Pirina da Família NLR/imunologia , Proteína 3 que Contém Domínio de Pirina da Família NLR/metabolismo , Placa Aterosclerótica/prevenção & controle , Pró-Proteína Convertase 9/imunologia , Vacinas de Subunidades Antigênicas/administração & dosagem , Vasculite/imunologia , Vasculite/prevenção & controleRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) have been associated with cardiovascular side effects, including reports of calcific aortic valve stenosis. The aim of this study was to establish the effects of first and second generation TKIs in aortic valve stenosis and to determine the associated molecular mechanisms. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Hyperlipidemic APOE*3Leiden.CETP transgenic mice were treated with nilotinib, imatinib or vehicle. Human valvular interstitial cells (VICs) were isolated and studied in vitro. Gene expression analysis was perfromed in aortic valves from 64 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement surgery. KEY RESULTS: Nilotinib increased murine aortic valve thickness. Nilotinib, but not imatinib, promoted calcification and osteogenic activation and decreased autophagy in human VICs. Differential tyrosine kinase expression was detected between healthy and calcified valve tissue. Transcriptomic target identification revealed that the discoidin domain receptor DDR2, which is preferentially inhibited by nilotinib, was predominantly expressed in human aortic valves but markedly downregulated in calcified valve tissue. Nilotinib and selective DDR2 targeting in VICs induced a similar osteogenic activation, which was blunted by increasing the DDR2 ligand, collagen. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that inhibition of DDR2 by nilotinib promoted aortic valve thickening and VIC calcification, with possible translational implications for cardiovascular surveillance and possible personalized medicine in CML patients.
Assuntos
Estenose da Valva Aórtica , Calcinose , Receptor com Domínio Discoidina 2 , Animais , Valva Aórtica/metabolismo , Valva Aórtica/patologia , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/tratamento farmacológico , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/genética , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/metabolismo , Calcinose/tratamento farmacológico , Calcinose/genética , Calcinose/metabolismo , Células Cultivadas , Receptor com Domínio Discoidina 2/metabolismo , Receptores com Domínio Discoidina/metabolismo , Humanos , Mesilato de Imatinib , Camundongos , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/metabolismo , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , PirimidinasRESUMO
Epidemiological studies have reported positive associations between serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and total and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) although the magnitude of effect of PFOA on cholesterol lacks consistency. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of PFOA on plasma cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism at various plasma PFOA concentrations relevant to humans, and to elucidate the mechanisms using APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice, a model with a human-like lipoprotein metabolism. APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice were fed a Western-type diet with PFOA (10, 300, 30 000 ng/g/d) for 4-6 weeks. PFOA exposure did not alter plasma lipids in the 10 and 300 ng/g/d dietary PFOA dose groups. At 30 000 ng/g/d, PFOA decreased plasma triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and non-HDL-C, whereas HDL-C was increased. The plasma lipid alterations could be explained by decreased very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) production and increased VLDL clearance by the liver through increased lipoprotein lipase activity. The concomitant increase in HDL-C was mediated by decreased cholesteryl ester transfer activity and changes in gene expression of proteins involved in HDL metabolism. Hepatic gene expression and pathway analysis confirmed the changes in lipoprotein metabolism that were mediated for a major part through activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α. Our data confirmed the findings from a phase 1 clinical trial in humans that demonstrated high serum or plasma PFOA levels resulted in lower cholesterol levels. The study findings do not show an increase in cholesterol at environmental or occupational levels of PFOA exposure, thereby indicating these findings are associative rather than causal.
Assuntos
Caprilatos/toxicidade , Fluorocarbonos/toxicidade , Lipoproteínas/sangue , Triglicerídeos/sangue , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Animais , Apolipoproteína E3/genética , Caprilatos/sangue , HDL-Colesterol/sangue , VLDL-Colesterol/sangue , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Fluorocarbonos/sangue , Humanos , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Fígado/metabolismo , Fígado/patologia , Masculino , Camundongos Transgênicos , PPAR alfa/sangue , Poluentes Químicos da Água/sangueRESUMO
BACKGROUND: There is a lack of predictive preclinical animal models combining atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes. APOE∗3-Leiden (E3L) mice are a well-established model for diet-induced hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis, and glucokinase+/- (GK+/-) mice are a translatable disease model for glucose control in type 2 diabetes. The respective mice respond similarly to lipid-lowering and antidiabetic drugs as humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate/characterize the APOE∗3-Leiden.glucokinase+/- (E3L.GK+/-) mouse as a novel disease model to study the metabolic syndrome and diabetic complications. METHODS: Female E3L.GK+/-, E3L, and GK+/- mice were fed fat- and cholesterol-containing diets for 37 weeks, and plasma parameters were measured throughout. Development of diabetic macro- and microvascular complications was evaluated. RESULTS: Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly elevated in E3L and E3L.GK+/- mice compared to GK+/- mice, whereas fasting glucose was significantly increased in E3L.GK+/- and GK+/- mice compared to E3L. Atherosclerotic lesion size was increased 2.2-fold in E3L.GK+/- mice as compared to E3L (p = 0.037), which was predicted by glucose exposure (R 2 = 0.636, p = 0.001). E3L and E3L.GK+/- mice developed NASH with severe inflammation and fibrosis which, however, was not altered by introduction of the defective GK phenotype, whereas mild kidney pathology with tubular vacuolization was present in all three phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the E3L.GK+/- mouse is a promising novel diet-inducible disease model for investigation of the etiology and evaluation of drug treatment on diabetic atherosclerosis.
Assuntos
Apolipoproteína E3/genética , Aterosclerose/genética , Complicações do Diabetes/genética , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/genética , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Dislipidemias/genética , Animais , Aterosclerose/sangue , Glicemia/metabolismo , Colesterol/sangue , Complicações do Diabetes/sangue , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/sangue , Dislipidemias/sangue , Feminino , Heterozigoto , Inflamação , Lipídeos/sangue , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Fenótipo , Risco , Pesquisa Translacional Biomédica , Triglicerídeos/metabolismoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Previous studies indicate a role for Oncostatin M (OSM) in atherosclerosis and other chronic inflammatory diseases for which inhibitory antibodies are in development. However, to date no intervention studies with OSM have been performed, and its relation to coronary heart disease (CHD) has not been studied. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Gene expression analysis on human normal arteries (n = 10) and late stage/advanced carotid atherosclerotic arteries (n = 127) and in situ hybridization on early human plaques (n = 9) showed that OSM, and its receptors, OSM receptor (OSMR) and Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor (LIFR) are expressed in normal arteries and atherosclerotic plaques. Chronic OSM administration in APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice (n = 15/group) increased plasma E-selectin levels and monocyte adhesion to the activated endothelium independently of cholesterol but reduced the amount of inflammatory Ly-6CHigh monocytes and atherosclerotic lesion size and severity. Using aptamer-based proteomics profiling assays high circulating OSM levels were shown to correlate with post incident CHD survival probability in the AGES-Reykjavik study (n = 5457). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic OSM administration in APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice reduced atherosclerosis development. In line, higher serum OSM levels were correlated with improved post incident CHD survival probability in patients, suggesting a protective cardiovascular effect.
Assuntos
Apolipoproteínas E/metabolismo , Aterosclerose/patologia , Proteínas de Transferência de Ésteres de Colesterol/metabolismo , Oncostatina M/metabolismo , Animais , Aterosclerose/sangue , Aterosclerose/genética , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Doença das Coronárias/sangue , Doença das Coronárias/genética , Doença das Coronárias/mortalidade , Células Endoteliais/metabolismo , Células Endoteliais/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Inflamação/patologia , Interleucina-6/metabolismo , Subunidade alfa de Receptor de Fator Inibidor de Leucemia/genética , Subunidade alfa de Receptor de Fator Inibidor de Leucemia/metabolismo , Camundongos Transgênicos , Monócitos/patologia , Oncostatina M/sangue , Oncostatina M/genética , Subunidade beta de Receptor de Oncostatina M/genética , Subunidade beta de Receptor de Oncostatina M/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Placa Aterosclerótica/genética , Placa Aterosclerótica/patologia , Probabilidade , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Análise de Sobrevida , Molécula 1 de Adesão de Célula Vascular/metabolismoRESUMO
AIMS: Endothelial activation is involved in many chronic inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis, and is often initiated by cytokines. Oncostatin M (OSM) is a relatively unknown cytokine that has been suggested to play a role in both endothelial activation and atherosclerosis. We comprehensively investigated the effect of OSM on endothelial cell activation from different vascular beds and in APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells, human aortic endothelial cells and human microvascular endothelial cells cultured in the presence of OSM express elevated MCP-1, IL-6 and ICAM-1 mRNA levels. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human aortic endothelial cells additionally expressed increased VCAM-1 and E-selectin mRNA levels. Moreover, ICAM-1 membrane expression is increased as well as MCP-1, IL-6 and E-selectin protein release. A marked increase was observed in STAT1 and STAT3 phosphorylation indicating that the JAK/STAT pathway is involved in OSM signaling. OSM signals through the LIF receptor alfa (LIFR) and the OSM receptor (OSMR). siRNA knockdown of the LIFR and the OSMR revealed that simultaneous knockdown is necessary to significantly reduce MCP-1 and IL-6 secretion, VCAM-1 and E-selectin shedding and STAT1 and STAT3 phosphorylation after OSM stimulation. Moreover, OSM administration to APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice enhances plasma E-selectin levels and increases ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion in the aortic root area. Furthermore, Il-6 mRNA expression was elevated in the aorta of OSM treated mice. CONCLUSION: OSM induces endothelial activation in vitro in endothelial cells from different vascular beds through activation of the JAK/STAT cascade and in vivo in APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice. Since endothelial activation is an initial step in atherosclerosis development, OSM may play a role in the initiation of atherosclerotic lesion formation.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Transferência de Ésteres de Colesterol/genética , Selectina E/genética , Células Endoteliais/citologia , Interleucina-6/genética , Oncostatina M/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Animais , Adesão Celular , Células Cultivadas , Quimiocina CCL2/genética , Selectina E/sangue , Células Endoteliais/metabolismo , Células Endoteliais da Veia Umbilical Humana , Humanos , Molécula 1 de Adesão Intercelular/genética , Camundongos , Fatores de Transcrição STAT/metabolismoRESUMO
Treatment with the second and third generation BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) increases cardiovascular risk in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. We investigated the vascular adverse effects of three generations of TKIs in a translational model for atherosclerosis, the APOE*3Leiden.CETP mouse. Mice were treated for sixteen weeks with imatinib (150 mg/kg BID), nilotinib (10 and 30 mg/kg QD) or ponatinib (3 and 10 mg/kg QD), giving similar drug exposures as in CML-patients. Cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed longitudinally, and histopathological analysis of atherosclerosis and transcriptome analysis of the liver was performed. Imatinib and ponatinib decreased plasma cholesterol (imatinib, -69%, p < 0.001; ponatinib 3 mg/kg, -37%, p < 0.001; ponatinib 10 mg/kg-44%, p < 0.001) and atherosclerotic lesion area (imatinib, -78%, p < 0.001; ponatinib 3 mg/kg, -52%, p = 0.002; ponatinib 10 mg/kg, -48%, p = 0.006), which were not affected by nilotinib. In addition, imatinib increased plaque stability. Gene expression and pathway analysis demonstrated that ponatinib enhanced the mRNA expression of coagulation factors of both the contact activation (intrinsic) and tissue factor (extrinsic) pathways. In line with this, ponatinib enhanced plasma levels of FVII, whereas nilotinib increased plasma FVIIa activity. While imatinib showed a beneficial cardiovascular risk profile, nilotinib and ponatinib increased the cardiovascular risk through induction of a pro-thrombotic state.
RESUMO
Pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism is a common endocrinopathy in dogs, caused by an adrenocorticotrophic hormone secreting pituitary tumour of the anterior or intermediate lobe. The prognosis of intermediate lobe adenomas is worse than that of anterior lobe adenomas, indicating the possible usefulness of melanotropic markers as prognosticators. Another possible origin of pituitary adenomas is found in cancer stem cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of melanotroph specific transcription factor paired box protein 7 (Pax7) and stem cell marker and reprogramming factor sex determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2) and to relate their expression to clinical parameters. The mean ± SD of labelling index (LI) for Pax7 was 8.6% ± 21.7% in the adenomas; 1/6 controls had positive staining (LI, 15.2%). For Sox2, the LI in the adenomas was 16.9% ± 15.2% and 19.5% ± 11.6% in the controls. Pax7 expression was significantly higher in enlarged pituitaries, compared to non-enlarged pituitaries (P = 0.05), but Pax7 or Sox2 immunopositivity did not correlate to other clinical parameters such as histological diagnosis, survival time or disease-free interval. Gene expression of Pax7 target genes, such as proconvertase 2 (PC2), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2), was significantly lower in the adenoma samples compared to normal tissue, indicating that Pax7 signalling was not activated in adenomas. It was suggested that Pax7 and Sox2 remain interesting targets for molecular investigations into their role in pituitary tumorigenesis, but were unsuitable as clinical prognosticators in dogs.