Autophagy mediates tumor necrosis factor-?-induced phenotype switching in vascular smooth muscle A7r5 cell line.
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ABSTRACT: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) dedifferentiation from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype contributes to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic tissue has a chronic inflammatory component with high levels of tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?). VSMC of atheromatous plaques have increased autophagy, a mechanism responsible for protein and intracellular organelle degradation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether TNF-? induces phenotype switching of VSMCs and whether this effect depends on autophagy. Rat aortic Vascular smooth A7r5 cell line was used as a model to examine the phenotype switching and autophagy. These cells were stimulated with TNF-? 100 ng/mL. Autophagy was determined by measuring LC3-II and p62 protein levels. Autophagy was inhibited using chloroquine and siRNA Beclin1. Cell dedifferentiation was evaluated by measuring the expression of contractile proteins ?-SMA and SM22, extracellular matrix protein osteopontin and type I collagen levels. Cell proliferation was measured by [3H]-thymidine incorporation and MTT assay, and migration was evaluated by wound healing and transwell assays. Expression of IL-1?, IL-6 and IL-10 was assessed by ELISA. TNF-? induced autophagy as determined by increased LC3-II (1.91±0.21, p<0.001) and decreased p62 (0.86±0.02, p<0.05) when compared to control. Additionally, TNF-? decreased ?-SMA (0.74±0.12, p<0.05) and SM22 (0.54±0.01, p<0.01) protein levels. Consequently, TNF-? induced migration (1.25±0.05, p<0.05), proliferation (2.33±0.24, p<0.05), and the secretion of IL-6 (258±53, p<0.01), type I collagen (3.09±0.85, p<0.01) and osteopontin (2.32±0.46, p<0.01). Inhibition of autophagy prevented all the TNF-?-induced phenotypic changes. TNF-? induces phenotype switching in A7r5 cell line by a mechanism that required autophagy. Therefore, autophagy may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
SUBMITTER: Garcia-Miguel M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5947899 | biostudies-literature | 2018
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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