Human blood vessel organoids reveal a critical role for CTGF in maintaining microvascular integrity
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ABSTRACT: The microvasculature plays a key role in tissue perfusion, transport of mediators, and exchange of gases and metabolites to and from tissues. Microvascular dysfunction has emerged as an important contributor to cardiovascular diseases. In this study we used human blood vessel organoids (BVOs) as a model of the microvasculature to delineate the mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction caused by metabolic rewiring. BVOs fully recapitulated key features of the normal human microvasculature, including reliance of mature endothelial cells (ECs) on glycolytic metabolism, as concluded from metabolic flux assays using 13C-glucose labelling and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Pharmacological targeting of PFKFB3, a potent activator of glycolysis, with two different chemical inhibitors resulted in rapid BVO restructuring, vessel regression with reduced pericyte coverage. PFKFB3 mutant BVOs also displayed similar structural remodelling compared to control BVOs. Proteomic analysis of the BVO secretome revealed remodelling of the extracellular matrix and differential expression of paracrine mediators such as CTGF. Treatment with recombinant CTGF recovered tight junction formation and increased pericyte coverage in microvessels. Our metabolic and proteomics findings demonstrate that BVOs rapidly undergo restructuring in response to metabolic changes and identify CTGF as a critical paracrine regulator of microvascular integrity.
INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive HF
ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human)
SUBMITTER: Xiaoke Yin
LAB HEAD: Manuel Mayr
PROVIDER: PXD041780 | Pride | 2023-09-13
REPOSITORIES: Pride
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