1
|
Letonja J, Petrovič D. A Review of MicroRNAs and lncRNAs in Atherosclerosis as Well as Some Major Inflammatory Conditions Affecting Atherosclerosis. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1322. [PMID: 38927529 PMCID: PMC11201627 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
It is generally accepted that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The link between atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) via metabolic, inflammatory, and immunoregulatory pathways is well established. The aim of our review was to summarize the associations between selected microRNAs (miRs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and atherosclerosis, psoriasis, T2DM, and RA. We reviewed the role of miR-146a, miR-210, miR-143, miR-223, miR-126, miR-21, miR-155, miR-145, miR-200, miR-133, miR-135, miR-221, miR-424, let-7, lncRNA-H19, lncRNA-MEG3, lncRNA-UCA1, and lncRNA-XIST in atherosclerosis and psoriasis, T2DM, and RA. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a method of intracellular signal transduction. Their function depends on surface expression, cargo, and the cell from which they originate. The majority of the studies that investigated lncRNAs and some miRs had relatively small sample sizes, which limits the generalizability of their findings and indicates the need for more research. Based on the studies reviewed, miR-146a, miR-155, miR-145, miR-200, miR-133, and lncRNA-H19 are the most promising potential biomarkers and, possibly, therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis as well as T2DM, RA, and psoriasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jernej Letonja
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Laboratory for Histology and Genetics of Atherosclerosis and Microvascular Diseases, Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Danijel Petrovič
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Laboratory for Histology and Genetics of Atherosclerosis and Microvascular Diseases, Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Buono MF, Benavente ED, Slenders L, Methorst D, Tessels D, Mili E, Finger R, Kapteijn D, Daniels M, van den Dungen NAM, Calis JJA, Mol BM, de Borst GJ, de Kleijn DPV, Pasterkamp G, den Ruijter HM, Mokry M. Human Plaque Myofibroblasts to Study Mechanisms of Atherosclerosis. J Am Heart Assoc 2023; 12:e030243. [PMID: 37889192 PMCID: PMC10727388 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.123.030243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Background Plaque myofibroblasts are critical players in the initiation and advancement of atherosclerotic disease. They are involved in the production of extracellular matrix, the formation of the fibrous cap, and the underlying lipidic core via modulation processes in response to different environmental cues. Despite clear phenotypic differences between myofibroblast cells and healthy vascular smooth muscle cells, smooth muscle cells are still widely used as a cellular model in atherosclerotic research. Methods and Results Here, we present a conditioned outgrowth method to isolate and culture myofibroblast cells from plaques. We obtained these cells from 27 donors (24 carotid and 3 femoral endarterectomies). We show that they keep their proliferative capacity for 8 passages, are transcriptionally stable, retain donor-specific gene expression programs, and express extracellular matrix proteins (FN1, COL1A1, and DCN) and smooth muscle cell markers (ACTA2, MYH11, and CNN1). Single-cell transcriptomics reveals that the cells in culture closely resemble the plaque myofibroblasts. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing shows the presence of histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation at the MYH11 promoter, pointing to their smooth muscle cell origin. Finally, we demonstrated that plaque myofibroblasts can be efficiently transduced (>97%) and are capable of taking up oxidized low-density lipoprotein and undergoing calcification. Conclusions In conclusion, we present a method to isolate and culture cells that retain plaque myofibroblast phenotypical and functional capabilities, making them a suitable in vitro model for studying selected mechanisms of atherosclerosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele F. Buono
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Ernest Diez Benavente
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Lotte Slenders
- Central Diagnostics LaboratoryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Daisey Methorst
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Daniëlle Tessels
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Eloi Mili
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Roxy Finger
- Central Diagnostics LaboratoryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Daniek Kapteijn
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Mark Daniels
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | | | - Jorg J. A. Calis
- Department of CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
- Center for Translational ImmunologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
- Pediatric Immunology and Rheumatology, Wilhelmina Children’s HospitalUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Barend M. Mol
- Department of Vascular SurgeryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Gert J. de Borst
- Department of Vascular SurgeryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | | | - Gerard Pasterkamp
- Central Diagnostics LaboratoryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Hester M. den Ruijter
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Michal Mokry
- Laboratory of Experimental CardiologyUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
- Central Diagnostics LaboratoryUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtthe Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang P, Cheng J, Lu Y, Zhang N, Wu X, Lin H, Li W, Wang J, Winnik MA, Gan Z, Hou Y. Hypersensitive MR angiography based on interlocking stratagem for diagnosis of cardiac-cerebral vascular diseases. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6149. [PMID: 37783733 PMCID: PMC10545789 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41783-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance (MR) angiography is one of the main diagnostic approaches for cardiac-cerebral vascular diseases. Nevertheless, the non-contrast-enhanced MR angiography suffers from its intrinsic problems derived from the blood flow-dependency, while the clinical Gd-chelating contrast agents are limited by their rapid vascular extravasation. Herein, we report a hypersensitive MR angiography strategy based on interlocking stratagem of zwitterionic Gd-chelate contrast agents (PAA-Gd). The longitudinal molar relaxivity of PAA-Gd was 4.6-times higher than that of individual Gd-chelates as well as appropriate blood half-life (73.8 min) and low immunogenicity, enabling sophisticated micro-vessels angiography with a resolution at the order of hundred micrometers. A series of animal models of cardiac-cerebrovascular diseases have been built for imaging studies on a 7.0 T MRI scanner, while the clinical translation potential of PAA-Gd has been evaluated on swine on a 3.0 T clinical MRI scanner. The current studies offer a promising strategy for precise diagnosis of vascular diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peisen Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Junwei Cheng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Yijie Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Ni Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoai Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hua Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Nanomedicine & International Joint Cancer Institute, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Mitchell A Winnik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Zhihua Gan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Yi Hou
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Krammer C, Yang B, Reichl S, Besson-Girard S, Ji H, Bolini V, Schulte C, Noels H, Schlepckow K, Jocher G, Werner G, Willem M, El Bounkari O, Kapurniotu A, Gokce O, Weber C, Mohanta S, Bernhagen J. Pathways linking aging and atheroprotection in Mif-deficient atherosclerotic mice. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22752. [PMID: 36794636 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202200056r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition of our arteries and the main underlying pathology of myocardial infarction and stroke. The pathogenesis is age-dependent, but the links between disease progression, age, and atherogenic cytokines and chemokines are incompletely understood. Here, we studied the chemokine-like inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in atherogenic Apoe-/- mice across different stages of aging and cholesterol-rich high-fat diet (HFD). MIF promotes atherosclerosis by mediating leukocyte recruitment, lesional inflammation, and suppressing atheroprotective B cells. However, links between MIF and advanced atherosclerosis across aging have not been systematically explored. We compared effects of global Mif-gene deficiency in 30-, 42-, and 48-week-old Apoe-/- mice on HFD for 24, 36, or 42 weeks, respectively, and in 52-week-old mice on a 6-week HFD. Mif-deficient mice exhibited reduced atherosclerotic lesions in the 30/24- and 42/36-week-old groups, but atheroprotection, which in the applied Apoe-/- model was limited to lesions in the brachiocephalic artery and abdominal aorta, was not detected in the 48/42- and 52/6-week-old groups. This suggested that atheroprotection afforded by global Mif-gene deletion differs across aging stages and atherogenic diet duration. To characterize this phenotype and study the underlying mechanisms, we determined immune cells in the periphery and vascular lesions, obtained a multiplex cytokine/chemokine profile, and compared the transcriptome between the age-related phenotypes. We found that Mif deficiency promotes lesional macrophage and T-cell counts in younger but not aged mice, with subgroup analysis pointing toward a role for Trem2+ macrophages. The transcriptomic analysis identified pronounced MIF- and aging-dependent changes in pathways predominantly related to lipid synthesis and metabolism, lipid storage, and brown fat cell differentiation, as well as immunity, and atherosclerosis-relevant enriched genes such as Plin1, Ldlr, Cpne7, or Il34, hinting toward effects on lesional lipids, foamy macrophages, and immune cells. Moreover, Mif-deficient aged mice exhibited a distinct plasma cytokine/chemokine signature consistent with the notion that mediators known to drive inflamm'aging are either not downregulated or even upregulated in Mif-deficient aged mice compared with the corresponding younger ones. Lastly, Mif deficiency favored formation of lymphocyte-rich peri-adventitial leukocyte clusters. While the causative contributions of these mechanistic pillars and their interplay will be subject to future scrutiny, our study suggests that atheroprotection due to global Mif-gene deficiency in atherogenic Apoe-/- mice is reduced upon advanced aging and identifies previously unrecognized cellular and molecular targets that could explain this phenotype shift. These observations enhance our understanding of inflamm'aging and MIF pathways in atherosclerosis and may have implications for translational MIF-directed strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Krammer
- Division of Vascular Biology, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Bishan Yang
- Division of Vascular Biology, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Sabrina Reichl
- Division of Vascular Biology, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Besson-Girard
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Hao Ji
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Verena Bolini
- Division of Vascular Biology, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Corinna Schulte
- Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research (IMCAR), University Hospital Aachen, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Heidi Noels
- Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research (IMCAR), University Hospital Aachen, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Kai Schlepckow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Jocher
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Werner
- Metabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Willem
- Metabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Omar El Bounkari
- Division of Vascular Biology, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Aphrodite Kapurniotu
- Division of Peptide Biochemistry, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Ozgun Gokce
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Weber
- Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.,Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany.,Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Sarajo Mohanta
- Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bernhagen
- Division of Vascular Biology, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.,Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Buono MF, Slenders L, Wesseling M, Hartman RJG, Monaco C, den Ruijter HM, Pasterkamp G, Mokry M. The changing landscape of the vulnerable plaque: a call for fine-tuning of preclinical models. Vascul Pharmacol 2021; 141:106924. [PMID: 34607015 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2021.106924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
For decades, the pathological definition of the vulnerable plaque led to invaluable insights into the mechanisms that underlie myocardial infarction and stroke. Beyond plaque rupture, other mechanisms, such as erosion, may elicit thrombotic events underlining the complexity and diversity of the atherosclerotic disease. Novel insights, based on single-cell transcriptomics and other "omics" methods, provide tremendous opportunities in the ongoing search for cell-specific determinants that will fine-tune the description of the thrombosis prone lesion. It coincides with an increasing awareness that knowledge on lesion characteristics, cell plasticity and clinical presentation of ischemic cardiovascular events have shifted over the past decades. This shift correlates with an observed changes of cell composition towards phenotypical stabilizing of human plaques. These stabilization features and mechanisms are directly mediated by the cells present in plaques and can be mimicked in vitro via primary plaque cells derived from human atherosclerotic tissues. In addition, the rapidly evolving of sequencing technologies identify many candidate genes and molecular mechanisms that may influence the risk of developing an atherosclerotic thrombotic event - which bring the next challenge in sharp focus: how to translate these cell-specific insights into tangible functional and translational discoveries?
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele F Buono
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lotte Slenders
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Wesseling
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Robin J G Hartman
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Claudia Monaco
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hester M den Ruijter
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard Pasterkamp
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Michal Mokry
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands; Central Diagnostics Laboratory, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|