Background: Oxidized lipids cause endothelial activation. Results: Endothelial activation by the lipid peroxidation product, 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal, was associated with ER stress and was prevented by chaperones of protein folding. Conclusion: ER stress regulates endothelial activation by oxidized lipids. Significance: Vascular inflammation caused by oxidized lipids could be attenuated by decreasing ER stress.

Aldehydes such as acrolein are ubiquitous pollutants present in automobile exhaust, cigarette, wood, and coal smoke. Such aldehydes are also constituents of several food substances and are present in drinking water, irrigation canals, and effluents from manufacturing plants. Oral intake represents the most significant source of exposure to acrolein and related aldehydes. To study the effects of short-term oral exposure to acrolein on lipoprotein levels and metabolism, adult mice were gavage fed 0.1 to 5 mg acrolein/kg bwt and changes in plasma lipoproteins were assessed. Changes in hepatic gene expression related to lipid metabolism and cytokines were examined by qRT-PCR analysis. Acrolein feeding did not affect body weight, BUN, plasma creatinine, electrolytes, cytokines or liver enzymes, but increased plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. Similar results were obtained with apoE-null mice. Plasma lipoproteins from acrolein-fed mice showed altered electrophoretic mobility on agarose gels. Chromatographic analysis revealed elevated VLDL cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides levels with little change in LDL or HDL. NMR analysis indicated shifts from small to large VLDL and from large to medium-small LDL with no change in the size of HDL particles. Increased plasma VLDL was associated with a significant decrease in post-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activity and a decrease in hepatic expression of hepatic lipase. These observations suggest that oral exposure to acrolein could induce or exacerbate systemic dyslipidemia and thereby contribute to cardiovascular disease risk.

Exposure to arsenic-contaminated water has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease, especially atherosclerosis. We examined the effect of arsenic exposure on atherosclerotic lesion formation, lesion composition and nature in ApoE−/− mice. Early post-natal exposure (3-week-old mice exposed to 49 ppm arsenic as NaAsO2 in drinking water for 7 weeks) increased the atherosclerotic lesion formation by 3- to 5-fold in the aortic valve and the aortic arch, without affecting plasma cholesterol. Exposure to arsenic for 13 weeks (3-week-old mice exposed to 1, 4.9 and 49 ppm arsenic as NaAsO2 in drinking water) increased the lesion formation and macrophage accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Temporal studies showed that continuous arsenic exposure significantly exacerbated the lesion formation throughout the aortic tree at 16 and 36 weeks of age. Withdrawal of arsenic for 12 weeks after an initial exposure for 21 weeks (to 3-week-old mice) significantly decreased lesion formation as compared with mice continuously exposed to arsenic. Similarly, adult exposure to 49 ppm arsenic for 24 weeks, starting at 12 weeks of age increased lesion formation by 2- to 3.6-fold in the aortic valve, the aortic arch and the abdominal aorta. Lesions of arsenic-exposed mice displayed a 1.8-fold increase in macrophage accumulation whereas smooth muscle cell and T-lymphocyte contents were not changed. Expression of pro-inflammatory chemokine MCP-1 and cytokine IL-6 and markers of oxidative stress, protein-HNE and protein-MDA adducts were markedly increased in lesions of arsenic-exposed mice. Plasma concentrations of MCP-1, IL-6 and MDA were also significantly elevated in arsenic-exposed mice. These data suggest that arsenic exposure increases oxidative stress, inflammation and atherosclerotic lesion formation.

Background-Acrolein is a dietary aldehyde that is present in high concentrations in alcoholic beverages and foods including cheese, donuts and coffee. It is also abundant in tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust and industrial waste and is generated in vivo during inflammation and oxidative stress.Objectives-The goal of this study was to examine the effects of dietary acrolein on atherosclerosis.Methods-Eight-week old male apoE-null mice were gavage-fed acrolein (2.5 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. Atherosclerotic lesion formation and composition and plasma lipids and platelet factor 4 (PF4) levels were measured. Effects of acrolein and PF4 on endothelial cell function was measured in vitro.Results-Acrolein feeding increased the concentration of cholesterol in the plasma. NMR analysis of the lipoproteins showed that acrolein feeding increased the abundance of small and medium VLDL particles. Acrolein feeding also increased atherosclerotic lesion formation in the aortic valve and the aortic arch. Immunohistochemical analysis showed increased macrophage accumulation in the lesions of acrolein-fed mice. Plasma PF4 levels and accumulation of PF4 in atherosclerotic lesions was increased in the acrolein-fed mice. Incubation of endothelial cells with the plasma of acrolein-fed mice augmented transmigration of monocytic cells, which was abolished by anti-PF4 antibody treatment.Conclusions-Dietary exposure to acrolein exacerbates atherosclerosis in apoE-null mice. Consumption of foods and beverages rich in unsaturated aldehydes such as acrolein may be a contributing factor to the progression of atherosclerotic lesions.

Rationale Atherosclerotic lesion formation is associated with the accumulation of oxidized lipids. Products of lipid oxidation, particularly aldehydes, stimulate cytokine production and enhance monocyte adhesion, however their contribution to atherosclerotic lesion formation remains unclear. Objective To test the hypothesis that inhibition of aldehyde removal by aldose reductase (AR), which metabolizes both free and phospholipid aldehydes, would exacerbate atherosclerotic lesion formation. Methods and Results In atherosclerotic lesions of apoE-null mice, AR protein was localized with macrophage-rich regions and its abundance increased with lesion progression. Treatment of apoE-null mice with AR inhibitors sorbinil or tolrestat increased early lesion formation, but did not affect the formation of advanced lesions. Early lesions of AR−/−/apoE−/− mice maintained on high fat diet were significantly larger when compared with age-matched AR+/+/apoE−/− mice. The increase in lesion area due to deletion of the AR gene was seen in both male and female mice. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation of AR also increased the lesion formation in male mice made diabetic by streptozotocin treatment. Lesions in AR−/−/apoE−/− mice exhibited increased collagen and macrophage content and a decrease in smooth muscle cells. AR−/−/apoE−/− mice displayed a greater accumulation of the AR substrate 4-hydroxy trans-2-nonenal (HNE) in the plasma and protein-HNE adducts in arterial lesions than AR+/+/apoE−/− mice. Conclusions These observations indicate that AR is upregulated in atherosclerotic lesions and it protects against early stages of atherogenesis by removing toxic aldehydes generated in oxidized lipids.

Acrolein is a common air pollutant that is present in high concentrations in wood, cotton, and tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust and industrial waste and emissions. Exposure to acrolein containing environmental pollutants such as tobacco smoke and automobile exhaust has been linked to the activation of the coagulation and hemostasis pathways and thereby to the predisposition of thrombotic events in human. To examine the effects of acrolein on platelets, adult male C57Bl/6 mice were subjected acute (5 ppm for 6 h) or sub-chronic (1 ppm, 6h/day for 4 days) acrolein inhalation exposures. The acute exposure to acrolein did not cause pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress, dyslipidemia or induce liver damage or muscle injury. Platelet GSH levels in acrolein-exposed mice were comparable to controls, but acrolein-exposure increased the abundance of protein-acrolein adducts in platelets. Platelets isolated from mice, exposed to both acute and sub-chronic acrolein levels, showed increased ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Exposure to acrolein also led to an increase in the indices of platelet activation such as the formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates in the blood, plasma PF4 levels, and increased platelet-fibrinogen binding. The bleeding time was decreased in acrolein exposed mice. Plasma levels of PF4 were also increased in mice exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. Similar to inhalation exposure, acrolein feeding to mice also increased platelet activation and established a pro-thrombotic state in mice. Together, our data suggest that acrolein is an important contributing factor to the pro-thrombotic risk in human exposure to pollutants such as tobacco smoke or automobile exhaust, or through dietary consumption.

Myocardial ischaemia is associated with the generation of lipid peroxidation products such as HNE (4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal); however, the processes that predispose the ischaemic heart to toxicity by HNE and related species are not well understood. In the present study, we examined HNE metabolism in isolated aerobic and ischaemic rat hearts. In aerobic hearts, the reagent [3H]HNE was glutathiolated, oxidized to [3H]4-hydroxynonenoic acid, and reduced to [3H]1,4-dihydroxynonene. In ischaemic hearts, [3H]4-hydroxynonenoic acid formation was inhibited and higher levels of [3H]1,4-dihydroxynonene and [3H]GS-HNE (glutathione conjugate of HNE) were generated. Metabolism of [3H]HNE to [3H]4-hydroxynonenoic acid was restored upon reperfusion. Reperfused hearts were more efficient at metabolizing HNE than non-ischaemic hearts. Ischaemia increased the myocardial levels of endogenous HNE and 1,4-dihydroxynonene, but not 4-hydroxynonenoic acid. Isolated cardiac mitochondria metabolized [3H]HNE primarily to [3H]4-hydroxynonenoic acid and minimally to [3H]1,4-dihydroxynonene and [3H]GS-HNE. Moreover, [3H]4-hydroxynonenoic acid was extruded from mitochondria, whereas other [3H]HNE metabolites were retained in the matrix. Mitochondria isolated from ischaemic hearts were found to contain 2-fold higher levels of protein-bound HNE than the cytosol, as well as increased [3H]GS-HNE and [3H]1,4-dihydroxynonene, but not [3H]4-hydroxynonenoic acid. Mitochondrial HNE oxidation was inhibited at an NAD+/NADH ratio of 0.4 (equivalent to the ischaemic heart) and restored at an NAD+/NADH ratio of 8.6 (equivalent to the reperfused heart). These results suggest that HNE metabolism is inhibited during myocardial ischaemia owing to NAD+ depletion. This decrease in mitochondrial metabolism of lipid peroxidation products and the inability of the mitochondria to extrude HNE metabolites could contribute to myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

Acrolein is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant and an endogenous product of lipid peroxidation. It is also generated during the metabolism of several drugs and amino acids. In this study, we examined the effects of acrolein on endothelial cells. Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with 2 to 10 μM acrolein led to an increase in the phosphorylation of eIF-2α within 10 to 30 min of exposure. This was followed by alternate splicing of XBP-1 mRNA and an increase in the expression of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone genes Grp78 and Herp. Within 2–4 h of treatment, acrolein also increased the abundance and the nuclear transport of the transcription factors ATF3, AFT4, and CHOP. Acrolein-induced increase in ATF3 was prevented by treating the cells with the chemical chaperone – phenylbutryic acid (PBA). Treatment with acrolein increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38, and JNK. The increase in JNK phosphorylation was prevented by PBA. Acrolein treatment led to the activation and nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NF-κB and an increase in TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, but not MCP-1, mRNA. Increased synthesis of cytokine genes and NF-κB activation were not observed in cells treated with PBA. These findings suggest that exposure to acrolein induces ER stress and triggers the unfolded protein response and that NF-κB activation and stimulation of cytokine production by acrolein could be attributed, in part, to ER stress. Chemical chaperones of protein-folding may be useful in treating toxicological and pathological states associated with excessive acrolein exposure or production.