TY - JOUR
T1 - Single systemic transfer of a human gene associated with exceptional longevity halts the progression of atherosclerosis and inflammation in ApoE knockout mice through a CXCR4-mediated mechanism
AU - Puca, Annibale Alessandro
AU - Carrizzo, Albino
AU - Spinelli, Chiara
AU - Damato, Antonio
AU - Ambrosio, Mariateresa
AU - Villa, Francesco
AU - Ferrario, Anna
AU - Maciag, Anna
AU - Fornai, Francesco
AU - Lenzi, Paola
AU - Valenti, Valentina
AU - di Nonno, Flavio
AU - Accarino, Giulio
AU - Madonna, Michele
AU - Forte, Maurizio
AU - Calì, Gaetano
AU - Baragetti, Andrea
AU - Norata, Giuseppe Danilo
AU - Catapano, Alberico Luigi
AU - Cattaneo, Monica
AU - Izzo, Raffaele
AU - Trimarco, Valentina
AU - Montella, Francesco
AU - Versaci, Francesco
AU - Auricchio, Alberto
AU - Frati, Giacomo
AU - Sciarretta, Sebastiano
AU - Madeddu, Paolo
AU - Ciaglia, Elena
AU - Vecchione, Carmine
N1 - © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.
PY - 2019/7/10
Y1 - 2019/7/10
N2 - AIMS: Here, we aimed to determine the therapeutic effect of longevity-associated variant (LAV)-BPIFB4 gene therapy on atherosclerosis.METHODS AND RESULTS: ApoE knockout mice (ApoE-/-) fed a high-fat diet were randomly allocated to receive LAV-BPIFB4, wild-type (WT)-BPIFB4, or empty vector via adeno-associated viral vector injection. The primary endpoints of the study were to assess (i) vascular reactivity and (ii) atherosclerotic disease severity, by Echo-Doppler imaging, histology and ultrastructural analysis. Moreover, we assessed the capacity of the LAV-BPIFB4 protein to shift monocyte-derived macrophages of atherosclerotic mice and patients towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. LAV-BPIFB4 gene therapy rescued endothelial function of mesenteric and femoral arteries from ApoE-/- mice; this effect was blunted by AMD3100, a CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) inhibitor. LAV-BPIFB4-treated mice showed a CXCR4-mediated shift in the balance between Ly6Chigh/Ly6Clow monocytes and M2/M1 macrophages, along with decreased T cell proliferation and elevated circulating levels of interleukins IL-23 and IL-27. In vitro conditioning with LAV-BPIFB4 protein of macrophages from atherosclerotic patients resulted in a CXCR4-dependent M2 polarization phenotype. Furthermore, LAV-BPIFB4 treatment of arteries explanted from atherosclerotic patients increased the release of atheroprotective IL-33, while inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory IL-1β, inducing endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation and restoring endothelial function. Finally, significantly lower plasma BPIFB4 was detected in patients with pathological carotid stenosis (>25%) and intima media thickness >2 mm.CONCLUSION: Transfer of the LAV of BPIFB4 reduces the atherogenic process and skews macrophages towards an M2-resolving phenotype through modulation of CXCR4, thus opening up novel therapeutic possibilities in cardiovascular disease.
AB - AIMS: Here, we aimed to determine the therapeutic effect of longevity-associated variant (LAV)-BPIFB4 gene therapy on atherosclerosis.METHODS AND RESULTS: ApoE knockout mice (ApoE-/-) fed a high-fat diet were randomly allocated to receive LAV-BPIFB4, wild-type (WT)-BPIFB4, or empty vector via adeno-associated viral vector injection. The primary endpoints of the study were to assess (i) vascular reactivity and (ii) atherosclerotic disease severity, by Echo-Doppler imaging, histology and ultrastructural analysis. Moreover, we assessed the capacity of the LAV-BPIFB4 protein to shift monocyte-derived macrophages of atherosclerotic mice and patients towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. LAV-BPIFB4 gene therapy rescued endothelial function of mesenteric and femoral arteries from ApoE-/- mice; this effect was blunted by AMD3100, a CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) inhibitor. LAV-BPIFB4-treated mice showed a CXCR4-mediated shift in the balance between Ly6Chigh/Ly6Clow monocytes and M2/M1 macrophages, along with decreased T cell proliferation and elevated circulating levels of interleukins IL-23 and IL-27. In vitro conditioning with LAV-BPIFB4 protein of macrophages from atherosclerotic patients resulted in a CXCR4-dependent M2 polarization phenotype. Furthermore, LAV-BPIFB4 treatment of arteries explanted from atherosclerotic patients increased the release of atheroprotective IL-33, while inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory IL-1β, inducing endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation and restoring endothelial function. Finally, significantly lower plasma BPIFB4 was detected in patients with pathological carotid stenosis (>25%) and intima media thickness >2 mm.CONCLUSION: Transfer of the LAV of BPIFB4 reduces the atherogenic process and skews macrophages towards an M2-resolving phenotype through modulation of CXCR4, thus opening up novel therapeutic possibilities in cardiovascular disease.
U2 - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz459
DO - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz459
M3 - Article
C2 - 31289820
JO - European Heart Journal
JF - European Heart Journal
SN - 0195-668X
ER -