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Galindo CL, Khan S, Zhang X, Yeh YS, Liu Z, Razani B. Lipid-laden foam cells in the pathology of atherosclerosis: shedding light on new therapeutic targets. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:1231-1245. [PMID: 38009300 PMCID: PMC10843715 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2288272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lipid-laden foam cells within atherosclerotic plaques are key players in all phases of lesion development including its progression, necrotic core formation, fibrous cap thinning, and eventually plaque rupture. Manipulating foam cell biology is thus an attractive therapeutic strategy at early, middle, and even late stages of atherosclerosis. Traditional therapies have focused on prevention, especially lowering plasma lipid levels. Despite these interventions, atherosclerosis remains a major cause of cardiovascular disease, responsible for the largest numbers of death worldwide. AREAS COVERED Foam cells within atherosclerotic plaques are comprised of macrophages, vascular smooth muscle cells, and other cell types which are exposed to high concentrations of lipoproteins accumulating within the subendothelial intimal layer. Macrophage-derived foam cells are particularly well studied and have provided important insights into lipid metabolism and atherogenesis. The contributions of foam cell-based processes are discussed with an emphasis on areas of therapeutic potential and directions for drug development. EXERT OPINION As key players in atherosclerosis, foam cells are attractive targets for developing more specific, targeted therapies aimed at resolving atherosclerotic plaques. Recent advances in our understanding of lipid handling within these cells provide insights into how they might be manipulated and clinically translated to better treat atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristi L. Galindo
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Saifur Khan
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Yu-Sheng Yeh
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Ziyang Liu
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Babak Razani
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA
- Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
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Hai Q, Smith JD. Acyl-Coenzyme A: Cholesterol Acyltransferase (ACAT) in Cholesterol Metabolism: From Its Discovery to Clinical Trials and the Genomics Era. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11080543. [PMID: 34436484 PMCID: PMC8398989 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11080543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The purification and cloning of the acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) enzymes and the sterol O-acyltransferase (SOAT) genes has opened new areas of interest in cholesterol metabolism given their profound effects on foam cell biology and intestinal lipid absorption. The generation of mouse models deficient in Soat1 or Soat2 confirmed the importance of their gene products on cholesterol esterification and lipoprotein physiology. Although these studies supported clinical trials which used non-selective ACAT inhibitors, these trials did not report benefits, and one showed an increased risk. Early genetic studies have implicated common variants in both genes with human traits, including lipoprotein levels, coronary artery disease, and Alzheimer’s disease; however, modern genome-wide association studies have not replicated these associations. In contrast, the common SOAT1 variants are most reproducibly associated with testosterone levels.
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Takeda H, Izumi Y, Tamura S, Koike T, Koike Y, Shiomi M, Bamba T. Lipid Profiling of Serum and Lipoprotein Fractions in Response to Pitavastatin Using an Animal Model of Familial Hypercholesterolemia. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:1100-1108. [PMID: 31965805 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Statins are widely used for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. They inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver and cause pleiotropic effects, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. To develop novel therapeutic drugs, the effect of blood-borne lipid molecules on the pleiotropic effects of statins must be elucidated. Myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHLMI) rabbits, an animal model for hypercholesterolemia, are suitable for the determination of lipid molecules in the blood in response to statins because their lipoprotein metabolism is similar to that of humans. Herein, lipid molecules were investigated by lipidome analysis in response to pitavastatin using WHHLMI rabbits. Various lipid molecules in the blood were measured using a supercritical fluid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Cholesterol and cholesterol ester blood concentrations decreased by reducing the secretion of very low density lipoproteins from the liver. Independent of the inhibition effects of cholesterol biosynthesis, the concentrations of some lipids with anti-inflammation and antioxidant effects (phospholipid molecules with n-6 fatty acid side chains, lysophosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens, and ceramide molecules) were significantly altered. These findings may lead to further investigation of the mechanism of statin action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Takeda
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Izumi
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Shohei Tamura
- Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Tomonari Koike
- Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yui Koike
- Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Masashi Shiomi
- Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.,Division of Comparative Pathophysiology, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Takeshi Bamba
- Division of Metabolomics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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Abstract
The reduction of plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB) containing lipoproteins has long been pursued as the main modifiable risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This has led to an intense search for strategies aiming at reducing plasma apoB-lipoproteins, culminating in reduction of overall CV risk. Despite 3 decades of progress, CVD remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and, as such, new therapeutic targets are still warranted. Clinical and preclinical research has moved forward from the original concept, under which some lipids must be accumulated and other removed to achieve the ideal condition in disease prevention, into the concept that mechanisms that orchestrate lipid movement between lipoproteins, cells and organelles is equally involved in CVD. As such, this review scrutinizes potentially atherogenic changes in lipid trafficking and assesses the molecular mechanisms behind it. New developments in risk assessment and new targets for the mitigation of residual CVD risk are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei C Sposito
- Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology Laboratory (Aterolab), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), São Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | - Joaquim Barreto
- Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology Laboratory (Aterolab), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ilaria Zanotti
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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Kunes P, Mandak J, Holubcova Z, Kolackova M, Krejsek J. Actual position of interleukin(IL)-33 in atherosclerosis and heart failure: Great Expectations or En attendant Godot? Perfusion 2014; 30:356-74. [DOI: 10.1177/0267659114562269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis has been recognized as an inflammatory/autoimmune disease. The long-standing low-grade inflammation which fuels its development is primarily focused on the components of the vessel wall. Originally, inflammation in atherogenesis was supposed to be driven by the pro-inflammatory Th1 cellular and cytokine immune response. On the basis of accumulating evidence, this view has been re-evaluated to include the Th17/Th1 axis which is shared by most diseases of sterile inflammation. The anti-inflammatory Th2 cellular and cytokine immune response is initiated concomitantly with the former two, the latter dampening their harmful reactions which culminate in full-blown atherosclerosis. Interleukin-33, a novel member of the IL-1 cytokine superfamily, was suggested to take part in the anti-atherogenic response by mediating the Th1-to-Th2 switch of the immune reactions. However, IL-33 is a multifaceted mediator with both pro- and anti-inflammatory activities, also called a “dual factor” or a “Janus face” interleukin. IL-33 occurs both in an extracellular (cytokine-like) and in a nuclear-bound (transcription factor-like) form, each of them performing distinct activities of their own. This review article presents the latest data relevant to IL-33’s role in atherosclerosis and cardiac diseases as perceived by a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Kunes
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - J Mandak
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Z Holubcova
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - M Kolackova
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - J Krejsek
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
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Shiomi M, Koike T, Ito T. Contribution of the WHHL rabbit, an animal model of familial hypercholesterolemia, to elucidation of the anti-atherosclerotic effects of statins. Atherosclerosis 2013; 231:39-47. [PMID: 24125408 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2013.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This year marks the 40th year since the discovery of a mutant rabbit showing spontaneous hyperlipidemia, which is the proband of the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit strain, an animal model of familial hypercholesterolemia, and the first statin, a general term for inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase, a rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. Nowadays, statins are the primary drug of choice for treating cardiovascular disease. Although several reviews have described clinical trials and in vitro studies of statins, the anti-atherosclerotic effects of statins on animal models have not been comprehensively reviewed. This review summarized the contribution of WHHL rabbits to elucidating the anti-atherosclerotic effects of statins in vivo. Studies using WHHL rabbits verified that statins suppress plaque destabilization by reducing unstable components (foam cells derived from macrophages, foam cell debris, and extracellular lipid accumulation), preventing smooth muscle cell reductions, and increasing the collagen content of plaques. In addition, the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue factor are decreased in intimal macrophages by statin treatment. Lipid-lowering effects of statins alter plaque biology by reducing the proliferation and activation of macrophages, a prominent source of the molecules responsible for plaque instability and thrombogenicity. Although statins remain the standard treatment for cardiovascular disease, new therapeutics are eagerly awaited. WHHL rabbits will continue to contribute to the development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Shiomi
- Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan; Division of Comparative Pathophysiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
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Ding L, Biswas S, Morton RE, Smith JD, Hay N, Byzova T, Febbraio M, Podrez E. Akt3 deficiency in macrophages promotes foam cell formation and atherosclerosis in mice. Cell Metab 2012; 15:861-72. [PMID: 22632897 PMCID: PMC3372639 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2012.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Revised: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Akt, a serine-threonine protein kinase, exists as three isoforms. The Akt signaling pathway controls multiple cellular functions in the cardiovascular system, and the atheroprotective endothelial cell-dependent role of Akt1 has been recently demonstrated. The role of Akt3 isoform in cardiovascular pathophysiology is not known. We explored the role of Akt3 in atherosclerosis using mice with a genetic ablation of the Akt3 gene. Using hyperlipidemic ApoE(-/-) mice, we demonstrated a macrophage-dependent, atheroprotective role for Akt3. In vitro experiments demonstrated differential subcellular localization of Akt1 and Akt3 in macrophages and showed that Akt3 specifically inhibits macrophage cholesteryl ester accumulation and foam cell formation, a critical early event in atherogenesis. Mechanistically, Akt3 suppresses foam cell formation by reducing lipoprotein uptake and promoting ACAT-1 degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. These studies demonstrate the nonredundant atheroprotective role for Akt3 exerted via the previously unknown link between the Akt signaling pathway and cholesterol metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ding
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
| | - Sudipta Biswas
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
| | | | | | - Nissim Hay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago
| | - Tatiana Byzova
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
| | - Maria Febbraio
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
| | - Eugene Podrez
- Department of Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
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Ryu JH, Kim SJ. Clopidogrel effectively suppresses endothelial microparticle generation induced by indoxyl sulfate via inhibition of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Blood Purif 2011; 32:186-94. [PMID: 21811066 DOI: 10.1159/000326297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2010] [Accepted: 02/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are closely associated with vascular dysfunction. We investigated the effects of several drugs on EMP generation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and the involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in EMP generation. METHODS CD31+CD42-EMP counts were measured by flow cytometry in supernatants of HUVECs incubated with indoxyl sulfate. The EMP responses to losartan, lovastatin, clopidogrel, and mesoglycan were examined. We then measured the effects of MAPK inhibitors on EMPs. RESULTS (1) Indoxyl sulfate induced EMP release in HUVECs in a dose-dependent fashion; (2) all drugs (10-50 μM) inhibited EMP generation induced by indoxyl sulfate, with clopidogrel being the most effective; (3) the p38 MAPK inhibitor suppressed EMP generation induced by indoxyl sulfate, and (4) clopidogrel significantly suppressed MAPK signaling activated by indoxyl sulfate, with the most potency on p38. CONCLUSION The p38 signaling involves EMP generation induced by indoxyl sulfate and is effectively suppressed by clopidogrel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Hwa Ryu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Yoshida M, Masunaga K, Nagata T, Satoji Y, Shiomi M. The effects of chronic hyperlipidemia on bladder function in myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHLMI) rabbits. Neurourol Urodyn 2010; 29:1350-4. [DOI: 10.1002/nau.20843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Abstract
The enzymes acyl-coenzyme A (CoA):cholesterol acyltransferases (ACATs) are membrane-bound proteins that utilize long-chain fatty acyl-CoA and cholesterol as substrates to form cholesteryl esters. In mammals, two isoenzymes, ACAT1 and ACAT2, encoded by two different genes, exist. ACATs play important roles in cellular cholesterol homeostasis in various tissues. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge on ACAT-related research in two areas: 1) ACAT genes and proteins and 2) ACAT enzymes as drug targets for atherosclerosis and for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ta-Yuan Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, Dartmouth Medical School, 1 Rope Ferry Rd., Hanover, NH 03755-1404, USA.
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