Expression of Chitotriosidase in Macrophages Modulates Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation in Hyperlipidemic Mice

Autor: Jonathan Yap, Sara McCurdy, Martin Alcala, Jason Irei, Jan Garo, Whitney Regan, Bog-Hieu Lee, Shiro Kitamoto, William A. Boisvert
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 11 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1664-042X
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00714
Popis: ObjectiveTo determine whether overexpression of the chitin degrading enzyme, chitotriosidase (CHIT1), modulates macrophage function and ameliorates atherosclerosis.Approach and ResultsUsing a mouse model that conditionally overexpresses CHIT1 in macrophages (CHIT1-Tg) crossbred with the Ldlr–/– mouse provided us with a means to investigate the effects of CHIT1 overexpression in the context of atherosclerosis. In vitro, CHIT1 overexpression by murine macrophages enhanced protein expression of IL-4, IL-8, and G-CSF by BMDM upon stimulation with a combination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt was also down regulated when exposed to the same inflammatory stimuli. Hyperlipidemic, Ldlr–/–-CHIT1-Tg (CHIT1-OE) mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks in order to study CHIT1 overexpression in atherosclerosis. Although plaque size and lesion area were not affected by CHIT1 overexpression in vivo, the content of hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen within atherosclerotic plaques of CHIT1-OE mice was significantly greater. Localization of both ECM components was markedly different between groups.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that CHIT1 alters cytokine expression and signaling pathways of classically activated macrophages. In vivo, CHIT1 modifies ECM distribution and content in atherosclerotic plaques, both of which are important therapeutic targets.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals