Background: The cytokine growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a member of the TGF beta superfamily, has recently been discovered to play an important role in cardiovascular diseases. It is mostly expressed in macrophages of atherosclerotic lesions, but its impact on advanced atherosclerosis is still unknown. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of GDF-15 in an established mouse model of advanced atherosclerosis.
Methods: Thirty-eight LDL receptor deficient mice received a lethal body radiation. Half of the group was transplanted with bone marrow of GDF-15 deficient mice. Nineteen mice were transplanted with bone marrow from wild-type controls. After 24 weeks on an atherogenic diet, animals were euthanized and sections of the aortic sinus were prepared. Lesion size and lesion composition, as well as macrophage content,were evaluated.
Results: While demonstrating no difference in lesion size, LDL-receptor knockout mice transplanted with bone marrow from GDF-15 deficient mice showed enhanced macrophage accumulation and features of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization, such as thinning of fibrous caps. Immunostaining against intercellular adhesion molecule-1 further revealed an increased expression in mice receiving GDF-15-deficient bone marrow.
Conclusions: This is the first study that demonstrates a protective role of GDF-15 in advanced atherosclerosis and macrophage accumulation, possibly due to the reduced expression of adhesion molecules.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2047-783X-18-19 | DOI Listing |
EMBO Rep
January 2025
Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Pro-inflammatory macrophage activation is a hallmark example of how mitochondria serve as signaling organelles. Oxidative phosphorylation sharply decreases upon classical macrophage activation, as mitochondria are thought to shift from ATP production towards accumulating signals that amplify effector function. However, evidence is conflicting regarding whether this collapse in respiration is essential or dispensable.
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Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
The switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis is crucial for microglial activation. Recent studies highlight that histone lactylation promotes macrophage homeostatic gene expression via transcriptional regulation, but its role in microglia activation in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that inhibiting glycolysis with 2-deoxy-D-glucose alleviates microgliosis, neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neurons damage by reducing lactate accumulation in PD mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Adv
January 2025
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
Following myocardial infarction (MI), the accumulation of CD86-positive macrophages in the ischemic injury zone leads to secondary myocardial damage. Precise pharmacological intervention targeting this process remains challenging. This study engineered a nanotherapeutic delivery system with CD86-positive macrophage-specific targeting and ultrasound-responsive release capabilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Science Directorate, Livermore, CA, United States of America.
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a painful joint disease characterized by the degradation of bone, cartilage, and other connective tissues in the joint. PTOA is initiated by trauma to joint-stabilizing tissues, such as the anterior cruciate ligament, medial meniscus, or by intra-articular fractures. In humans, ~50% of joint injuries progress to PTOA, while the rest spontaneously resolve.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Immunol Immunother
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Geneis Beijing Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100102, China.
Limited research into the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) for bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC), particularly the neglect of the intratumoral microbiota, has hindered the development of immunotherapies targeting BUC. Here, we collect 401 patients with BUC with host transcriptome samples and matched tumor microbiome samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Besides, two independent BUC cohorts receiving immunotherapy were obtained.
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