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Park B, Bakbak E, Teoh H, Krishnaraj A, Dennis F, Quan A, Rotstein OD, Butler J, Hess DA, Verma S. GLP-1 receptor agonists and atherosclerosis protection: the vascular endothelium takes center stage. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2024; 326:H1159-H1176. [PMID: 38426865 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00574.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a chronic condition that often copresents with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are incretin mimetics endorsed by major professional societies for improving glycemic status and reducing atherosclerotic risk in people living with type 2 diabetes. Although the cardioprotective efficacy of GLP-1RAs and their relationship with traditional risk factors are well established, there is a paucity of publications that have summarized the potentially direct mechanisms through which GLP-1RAs mitigate atherosclerosis. This review aims to narrow this gap by providing comprehensive and in-depth mechanistic insight into the antiatherosclerotic properties of GLP-1RAs demonstrated across large outcome trials. Herein, we describe the landmark cardiovascular outcome trials that triggered widespread excitement around GLP-1RAs as a modern class of cardioprotective agents, followed by a summary of the origins of GLP-1RAs and their mechanisms of action. The effects of GLP-1RAs at each major pathophysiological milestone of atherosclerosis, as observed across clinical trials, animal models, and cell culture studies, are described in detail. Specifically, this review provides recent preclinical and clinical evidence that suggest GLP-1RAs preserve vessel health in part by preventing endothelial dysfunction, achieved primarily through the promotion of angiogenesis and inhibition of oxidative stress. These protective effects are in addition to the broad range of atherosclerotic processes GLP-1RAs target downstream of endothelial dysfunction, which include systemic inflammation, monocyte recruitment, proinflammatory macrophage and foam cell formation, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, and plaque development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady Park
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ehab Bakbak
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hwee Teoh
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aishwarya Krishnaraj
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fallon Dennis
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adrian Quan
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ori D Rotstein
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of General Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Javed Butler
- Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, United States
| | - David A Hess
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Subodh Verma
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre of Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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