Dataset Information

GDF11 alleviates neointimal hyperplasia in a rat model of artery injury by regulating endothelial NLRP3 inflammasome activation and rapid re-endothelialization.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Neointimal hyperplasia induced by interventional surgery can lead to progressive obliteration of the vascular lumen, which has become a major factor affecting prognosis. The rate of re-endothelialization is known to be inversely related to neointima formation. Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) is a secreted protein with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiaging properties. Recent reports have indicated that GDF11 can improve vascular remodeling by maintaining the differentiated phenotypes of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, it is not known whether and how GDF11 promotes re-endothelialization in vascular injury. The present study was performed to clarify the influence of GDF11 on re-endothelialization after vascular injury.

Methods

An adult Sprague-Dawley rat model of common carotid artery balloon dilatation injury was surgically established. A recombinant adenovirus carrying GDF11 was delivered into the common carotid artery to overexpress GDF11. Vascular re-endothelialization and neointima formation were assessed in harvested carotid arteries through histomolecular analysis. CCK-8 analysis, LDH release and Western blotting were performed to investigate the effects of GDF11 on endothelial NLRP3 inflammasome activation and relevant signaling pathways in vitro.

Results

GDF11 significantly enhanced re-endothelialization and reduced neointima formation in rats with balloon-dilatation injury by suppressing the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Administration of an endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) inhibitor, 4PBA, attenuated endothelial NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by lysophosphatidylcholine. In addition, upregulation of LOX-1 expression involved elevated ER stress and could result in endothelial NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Moreover, GDF11 significantly inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated endothelial cell pyroptosis by negatively regulating LOX-1-dependent ER stress.

Conclusions

We conclude that GDF11 improves re-endothelialization and can attenuate vascular remodeling by reducing endothelial NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These findings shed light on new treatment strategies to promote re-endothelialization based on GDF11 as a future target.

SUBMITTER: Li L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8760779 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The phenotypic transformation of proliferation and migration in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from media to intima is the basic pathology of neointimal hyperplasia after angioplasty in hypertensive patients. Angiotensin II (AngII) stimulates oxidative stress in VSMC, inducing VSMC proliferation and migration, which is a critical factor in both developments of hypertension and angioplasty-induced arterial restenosis. Fisetin, a plant flavonoid polyphenol, has been reported to be antioxidative and potent senolytic. It is unknown whether fisetin would inhibit neointimal hyperplasia. Therefore, we investigated the role of fisetin in neointimal formation in vitro and in vivo. The rat thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells (A10 cells) stimulated by AngII were used as the in vitro neointimal hyperplasia model, where AngII significantly induced the proliferation and migration in A10 cells. We found that fisetin could dose-dependently inhibit the effect of AngII via inducing the expression of an antioxidant, paraoxonase-2 (PON2), whose overexpression could inhibit the proliferation and migration of A10 cells and downexpression by siRNA had the opposite effect. Furthermore, we found the mechanism of fisetin's inducing PON2 expression involved PPARγ. Rosiglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, could increase PON2 expression in A10 cells, while the PPARγ inhibitor prevented the effect of fisetin on PON2. The in vivo neointimal hyperplasia model was established 2 weeks after the carotid artery balloon injury in SHR rats. Administration of fisetin (ip 3 mg/kg daily for 2 weeks) right after the injury significantly increased PON2 expression in the artery, inhibiting ROS production, and efficiently reduced carotid neointimal hyperplasia. These results indicate that fisetin increases the expression of antioxidant PON2 via activation of PPARγ, reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting VSMC proliferation and migration, and alleviates neointimal hyperplasia after intimal injury. PON2 may be a potential therapeutic target to reduce arterial remodeling after angioplasty in hypertensive patients.