Objective: Uremia markedly accelerates atherogenesis, but the pathogenesis remains to be elucidated and effective anti-atherogenic treatments are needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between accelerated atherosclerosis (AS) and the balance of regulatory/effector T cells (Treg/Teff) in uremic apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE-/-) mice, and the effect of pioglitazone on uremic AS and possible mechanisms.
Methods And Results: Uremia was induced surgically in 8-week-old male apoE-/- mice. Two weeks after induction of uremia, the mice were randomized to receive pioglitazone (daily oral gavage with 20mg/kg) or vehicle. Control apoE-/- mice were sham-operated and received vehicle. After 8 weeks' treatment, all mice were sacrificed. The cross-sectional area of atherosclerotic lesions at the aortic root was significantly larger and plaques were unstable in uremic mice, which was associated with a Treg/Teff imbalance (Treg down-regulated/Teff up-regulated) compared with controls. Renal function and the percentage of Treg cells in splenocytes were negatively correlated in control and uremic mice that received vehicle. Treatment with pioglitazone dramatically inhibited AS progression, stabilized plaque and modulated the Treg/Teff imbalance (up-regulated Treg/down-regulated Teff) in uremic mice, without influencing serum lipid profiles and blood glucose. In vitro, oxidized low density lipoprotein induced a Treg/Teff imbalance in splenocytes from uremic mice. Pioglitazone modulated the imbalance by upregulating Treg cells and downregulating Teff cells. The former was not abolished by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ antagonist GW9662, whereas the latter was completely abolished by GW9662.
Conclusion: Pioglitazone ameliorates accelerated AS in uremic apoE-/- mice, probably through PPARγ-independent and -dependent mechanisms to modulate the Treg/Teff imbalance.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2011.07.112 | DOI Listing |
J Mol Cell Cardiol Plus
September 2024
Department of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres (AUMC), Location VUmc, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM) induces increased inflammation of atherosclerotic plaques, resulting in elevated plaque instability. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy was shown to decrease plaque size and increase stability in non-DM animal models. We now studied the effect of MSC therapy in a streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia mouse model using a clinically relevant dose of adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ASCs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In USA, six million individuals with Sub-Saharan ancestry carry two high-risk variants, which increase the risk for kidney diseases. Whether APOL1 high-risk variants are independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases is unclear and requires further investigation.
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Mater Today Bio
February 2025
Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, PR China.
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and myocardial infarction. Precise and effective plaque targeting is a major objective for therapeutic outcomes throughout various stages of atherosclerosis. Inspired by the natural recruitment of neutrophils in atherosclerotic plaques, we fabricated a simvastatin (ST)-loaded and neutrophil membrane-cloaked nanoplatform (NNP) for enhancing localized payload delivery and atherosclerosis management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtherosclerosis, a slowly progressing inflammatory disease, is characterized by the presence of monocyte-derived macrophages. Interventions targeting the inflammatory characteristics of atherosclerosis hold promising potential. Although interleukin (IL)-10 is widely acknowledged for its anti-inflammatory effects, systemic administration of IL-10 has limitations due to its short half-life and significant systemic side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenes Brain Behav
February 2025
Département de Readaptation et gériatrie, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Human microbiota-associated murine models, using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from human donors, help explore the microbiome's role in diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study examines how gut bacteria from donors with protective factors against AD influence behavior and brain pathology in an AD mouse model. Female 3xTgAD mice received weekly FMT for 2 months from (i) an 80-year-old AD patient (AD-FMT), (ii) a cognitively healthy 73-year-old with the protective APOEe2 allele (APOEe2-FMT), (iii) a 22-year-old healthy donor (Young-FMT), and (iv) untreated mice (Mice-FMT).
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