Rationale Aneurysm and dissection of the ascending thoracic aorta are the main cardiovascular complication of Marfan Syndrome (MFS) resulting in premature death. Studies using mouse models of MFS have shown that activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and the concomitant up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to aneurysm development. Our previous study showed that doxycycline delayed aneurysm rupture in a mouse model of MFS, Fbn1mgR/mgR. Losartan has been shown to prevent aneurysms in another mouse model of MFS, Fbn1 C1039G/+, through inhibition of the Erk1/2 pathway. However, the role of MMP-2 in MFS and effect of losartan on the lifespan of MFS mice remain unknown. Objective We investigated the role of MMP-2 in MFS and compared the effects of losartan and doxycycline on aortic dilatation and survival in Fbn1mgR/mgR mice. Methods and Results By life table analysis, we found that losartan and doxycycline improved the survival of Fbn1mgR/mgR mice. Gelatin zymography and Western blot data showed that only doxycycline inhibited MMP-2 expression while both drugs decreased Erk1/2 phosphorylation. When combined, only one of 9 mice died within the 30 week study; aortic histology and diameter were normalized and the effects on Smad2 phosphorylation was additive. To further explore the role of MMP-2 in MFS, we created MMP-2-deficient Fbn1mgR/mgR mice. MMP-2 deletion inhibited activation of TGF-β and phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and Smad2 and prolonged the lifespan of the mice. Conclusions These studies demonstrated that inhibition of MMP-2 by doxycycline delayed the manifestations of MFS, in part, through its ability to decrease active TGF-β and the noncanonical signaling cascade downstream of TGF-β. This study further suggested that targeting TGF-β signaling at different points might be a more effective strategy for inhibiting disease progression.
Although IL-1β is a proinflammatory cytokine, its effects on aneurysm formation and macrophage polarization differ from TNF-α. The differential effects of IL-1β and TNF-α inhibition are related to M1/M2 macrophage polarization and this may account for the differences in clinical efficacy of IL-1β and TNF-α antibody therapies in management of inflammatory diseases.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a dynamic vascular disease characterized by inflammatory cell invasion and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Damage to elastin in the ECM results in release of elastin-derived peptides (EDPs), which are chemotactic for inflammatory cells such as monocytes. Their effect on macrophage polarization is less well known. Pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages initially are recruited to sites of injury but, if their effects are prolonged, they can lead to chronic inflammation that prevents normal tissue repair. Conversely, anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages reduce inflammation and aid in wound healing. Thus, a proper M1/M2 ratio is vital for tissue homeostasis. AAA tissue reveals a high M1/M2 ratio where pro-inflammatory cells and their associated markers dominate. In the present study, in vitro treatment of bone marrow-derived macrophages with EDPs induced M1 macrophage polarization. By using C57Bl/6 mice, antibody-mediated neutralization of EDPs reduced aortic dilation, matrix metalloproteinase activity, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression at early and late time points after aneurysm induction. Furthermore, direct manipulation of the M1/M2 balance altered aortic dilation. Injection of M2 polarized macrophages reduced aortic dilation after aneurysm induction. EDPs promoted a pro-inflammatory environment in aortic tissue by inducing M1 polarization and neutralization of EDPs attenuated aortic dilation. The M1/M2 imbalance is vital to aneurysm formation.
Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection are life-threatening complications of Marfan syndrome (MFS). Studies of human and mouse aortic samples from late stage MFS demonstrate increased TGF-β activation/signaling and diffuse matrix changes. However, the role of the aortic smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype in early aneurysm formation in MFS has yet to be fully elucidated. As our objective, we investigated whether an altered aortic SMC phenotype plays a role in aneurysm formation in MFS. We describe previously unrecognized concordant findings in the aortas of a murine model of MFS, mgR, during a critical and dynamic phase of early development. Using Western blot, gelatin zymography, and histological analysis, we demonstrated that at postnatal day (PD) 7, before aortic TGF-β levels are increased, there is elastic fiber fragmentation/disorganization and increased levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Compared to wild type (WT) littermates, aortic SMCs in mgR mice express higher levels of contractile proteins suggesting a switch to a more mature contractile phenotype. In addition, tropoelastin levels are decreased in mgR mice, a finding consistent with a premature switch to a contractile phenotype. Proliferation assays indicate a decrease in the proliferation rate of mgR cultured SMCs compared to WT SMCs. KLF4, a regulator of smooth muscle cell phenotype, was decreased in aortic tissue of mgR mice. Finally, overexpression of KLF4 partially reversed this phenotypic change in the Marfan SMCs. This study indicates that an early phenotypic switch appears to be associated with initiation of important metabolic changes in SMCs that contribute to subsequent pathology in MFS.
Objective-Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms have lower concentrations of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), leading us to investigate whether increasing plasma HDLs could influence aneurysm formation. Methods and Results-Using the angiotensin II−induced hypercholesterolemic and the CaCl 2 -induced normocholesterolemic mouse model of AAA, we investigated the hypothesis that elevation of HDLs inhibits AAA. HDLs elevated before or at the time of AAA induction reduced AAA formation in both models but had no effect on early ruptures. Analysis of protein lysates from specific aortic segments demonstrated site-specific effects of HDLs on early signal transduction and cellular attrition. We found that HDLs reduced extracellular signal related kinases 1/2 activation in the suprarenal segment, while having no effect on p38 mitogen-associated protein kinase activation in any aortic segment and inhibiting c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation in all aortic segments. In addition, HDL elevation inhibited angiotensin II−induced apoptosis while inducing autophagy in the suprarenal segment of the aorta. Using Illumina gene array profiling we investigated the ability of HDL to modulate basal suprarenal aortic gene expression. Conclusion-Increasing
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