An Inducible and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell-Specific Pink1 Knockout Induces Mitochondrial Energetic Dysfunction during Atherogenesis.

ABSTRACT: DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction are defining characteristics of aged vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) found in atherosclerosis. Pink1 kinase regulates mitochondrial homeostasis and recycles dysfunctional organelles critical for maintaining energetic homeostasis. Here, we generated a new vascular-specific Pink1 knockout and assessed its effect on VSMC-dependent atherogenesis in vivo and VSMC energetic metabolism in vitro. A smooth muscle cell-specific and MHC-Cre-inducible flox'd Pink1f/f kinase knockout was made on a ROSA26+/0 and ApoE-/- C57Blk6/J background. Mice were high fat fed for 10 weeks and vasculature assessed for physiological and pathogical changes. Mitochondrial respiratory activity was then assessed in wild-type and knockout animals vessels and isolated cells for

SUBMITTER: Docherty CK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8467198 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature