Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 Controls Necrotic Core Formation in Atherosclerotic Lesions by Impairing Efferocytosis.

Background: Myeloid cells are central to atherosclerotic lesion development and vulnerable plaque formation. Impaired ability of arterial phagocytes to uptake apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) promotes lesion growth and establishment of a necrotic core. The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-5 is an important modulator of myeloid function and programming. We sought to investigate whether IRF5 affects the formation and phenotype of atherosclerotic lesions.
Methods: We investigated the role of IRF5 in atherosclerosis in 2 complementary models. First, atherosclerotic lesion development in hyperlipidemic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE ^-/- ) mice and ApoE ^-/- mice with a genetic deletion of IRF5 (ApoE ^-/- Irf5 ^-/- ) was compared and then lesion development was assessed in a model of shear stress-modulated vulnerable plaque formation.
Results: Both lesion and necrotic core size were significantly reduced in ApoE ^-/- Irf5 ^-/- mice compared with IRF5-competent ApoE ^-/- mice. Necrotic core size was also reduced in the model of shear stress-modulated vulnerable plaque formation. A significant loss of CD11c ⁺ macrophages was evident in ApoE ^-/- Irf5 ^-/- mice in the aorta, draining lymph nodes, and bone marrow cell cultures, indicating that IRF5 maintains CD11c ⁺ macrophages in atherosclerosis. Moreover, we revealed that the CD11c gene is a direct target of IRF5 in macrophages. In the absence of IRF5, CD11c ^- macrophages displayed a significant increase in expression of the efferocytosis-regulating integrin-β3 and its ligand milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 protein and enhanced efferocytosis in vitro and in situ.
Conclusions: IRF5 is detrimental in atherosclerosis by promoting the maintenance of proinflammatory CD11c ⁺ macrophages within lesions and controlling the expansion of the necrotic core by impairing efferocytosis.
(© 2017 The Authors.)