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Abstract Background and aims Progranulin is a circulating protein that modulates inflammation and is found in atherosclerotic lesions. Here we determined whether inflammatory cell–derived progranulin impacts atherosclerosis development. Methods Ldlr –/– mice were transplanted with bone marrow from wild-type (WT) or Grn –/– (progranulin KO) mice (referred to as Tx-WT and Tx-KO, respectively). Results After 10 weeks of high-fat diet feeding, both groups displayed similarly elevated plasma levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Despite abundant circulating levels of progranulin, the size of atherosclerotic lesions in Tx-KO mice was increased by 47% in aortic roots and by 62% in whole aortas. Aortic root lesions in Tx-KO mice had increased macrophage content and larger necrotic cores, consistent with more advanced lesions. Progranulin staining was markedly reduced in the lesions of Tx-KO mice, indicating little or no uptake of circulating progranulin. Mechanistically, cultured progranulin-deficient macrophages exhibited increased lysosome-mediated exophagy of aggregated low-density lipoproteins resulting in increased cholesterol uptake and foam cell formation. Conclusions We conclude that hematopoietic progranulin deficiency promotes diet-induced atherosclerosis in Ldlr –/– mice, possibly due to increased exophagy-mediated cholesterol uptake. Circulating progranulin was unable to prevent the increased lesion development, consistent with the importance of progranulin acting via cell-autonomous or local effects. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Progranulin deficiency in the hematopoietic compartment results in accelerated atherosclerosis in Ldlr –/– mice. • Progranulin deficiency in macrophages results in increased exophagy-mediated uptake of agLDL and foam cell formation. • Progranulin is a modulator of exophagy, a lysosome-related cellular uptake pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The transcription of the Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP1) is upregulated by aggregated LDL (agLDL) and angiotensin II (AngII) in human vascular smooth muscle cells (hVSMC). The polymorphism c.1-25C>G creates a new GC-box in the LRP1 promoter recognized by Sp1/Sp3 transcription factors. The aims of this study were 1) to evaluate the impact of c.1-25C>G polymorphism on LRP1 transcriptional activity and expression, and 2) to examine the response of c.1-25C>G LRP1 promoter to LDL and AngII. EMSA and Luciferase assays in HeLa cells showed that -25G promoter has enhanced basal transcriptional activity and specific Sp1/Sp3 binding. hVSMC with GG genotype (GG-hVSMC) had higher LRP1 mRNA and protein levels, respectively than CC genotype (CC-hVSMC). EMSA assays showed that the polymorphism determines scarce amount of SRE-B/SREBP-2 complex formation and the failure of agLDL to further reduce these SRE-B/SREBP-2 complexes. Taken together, these results suggest that c.1-25C>G, by difficulting SREBP-2 binding, prevents SREBP-2 displacement required for LRP1 promoter response to LDL. In contrast, c.1-25C>G strongly favours Sp1/Sp3 binding and AngII-induced activity in Sp1/Sp3 dependent manner in GG-hVSMC. This increase is functionally translated into a higher capacity of GG-hVSMC to become foam cells from agLDL in presence of AngII. These results suggest that c.1-25C>G determines a lack of response to agLDL and an exacerbated response to AngII. It is thus conceivable that the presence of the polymorphism would be easily translated to vascular alterations in the presence of the pro-hypertensive autacoid, AngII. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) negatively modulate the expression of the CD91/low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP1), a carrier and signaling receptor that mediates the endocytosis of more than 40 structurally and functionally distinct ligands. The aim of this work was to analyze whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can regulate LRP1 expression through SREBPs in human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM). LPS led to LRP1 mRNA and protein inhibition in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Concomitantly, a strong upregulation of SREBP-1 mRNA and SREBP-1 nuclear protein levels was observed in LPS-treated HMDM. The specific silencing of SREBP-1 efficiently prevented LRP1 reduction caused by LPS. SREBP-1 mRNA and nuclear protein levels remained high in HMDM treated with LPS unexposed or exposed to LDL. Native (nLDL) or aggregated LDL (agLDL) per se downregulated SREBP-2 expression levels and increased LRP1 expression. However, lipoproteins did not significantly alter the effect of LPS on SREBP-1 and LRP1 expression. Collectively, these data support that lipoproteins and LPS exert their modulatory effect on LRP1 expression through different SREBP isoforms, SREBP-2 and SREBP-1, respectively. These results highlight a crucial role of SREBP-1 as a mediator of the downregulatory effects of LPS on LRP1 expression in human macrophages, independently of the absence or presence of modified lipoproteins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP1) is upregulated in vascular smooth muscle cells by intravascular aggregated LDL (agLDL) – LDL trapped in the arterial intima and systemic LDL. LRP1 upregulation in hypercholesterolemic aortas is concomitant with SREBP downregulation. However, the specific role of SREBP isoforms in LRP1 transcription and LDL-induced LRP1 upregulation in human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is unknown. In the present study we report that specific silencing of either SREBP-1 or SREBP-2 enhanced LRP1 whereas overexpression of the active SREBP isoforms decreased LRP1 expression. Gel mobility shift and ChIP assays demonstrated that SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c and SREBP-2 were able to bind to three putative SRE sequences; SRE-A (−1042 to −1028), SRE-B (−115 to −101) and SRE-C (+226 to +234). ChIP assays demonstrated that agLDL (100μg/mL, 24h) significantly and specifically decreased SREBP-2 binding to the LRP1 promoter. Luciferase assays demonstrated that agLDL increased the transcriptional activity of A/B or A/C double mutants but failed to increase that of the double B/C mutant. Our results show that both SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 negatively modulated LRP1 transcription. Furthermore, agLDL exerted an upregulatory effect on LRP1 expression by decreasing SREBP-2 binding to LRP1 promoter. Two SRE-like sequences control the response of LRP1 to agLDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Plaque stability largely depends on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function. VSMC secrete metalloproteinases (MMPs), matrix degrading endopeptidases, that regulate VSMC migration and function. Among them, gelatinase B or MMP-9 seems to have a protective effect by promoting a stable plaque phenotype. In macrophage foam cells oxidized LDL (oxLDL) uptake regulates MMP-9 expression. However, it is unknown whether VSMC-lipid loading by aggregated LDL (agLDL) internalization produces any effect on MMP-9 production by human resident vascular cells. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of lipid-internalization in MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression and activity and its consequences in VSMC migration. Our results show that agLDL-internalization down-regulates MMP-9 activity in a time-dependent manner up to 42% at 48h and in a dose-dependent manner up to 87% at 300μg/mL. nLDL induced similar but not sustained decrease on MMP-9 activity. However, neither agLDL nor nLDL exerted any significant effect on MMP-2 and TIMP-1. VSMC regrowth after a scratch injury was significantly reduced by exposure to agLDL. We conclude that agLDL-lipid loading reduces MMP-9 activity and this effect is associated to inhibition of VSMC migration. Thus, agLDL internalization may have consequences on vascular remodeling after injury, and the stability of lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]