Department of Medicine, Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Providence Healthcare Research Institute at St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Curr Opin Lipidol. 2019 Apr;30(2):117-124. doi: 10.1097/MOL.0000000000000574.
Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are the major cell type in human atherosclerosis-prone arteries and take up excess lipids, thereby contributing to luminal occlusion. Here we provide a focused review on pathways by which smooth muscle cells (SMCs) can become foam cells in atherosclerosis.
A synthesis of recent and older investigations provides key mechanistic insights into SMC foam cell formation. LDL and other apoB-containing lipoproteins are modified by a diverse array of oxidative, enzymatic, and nonenzymatic processes present in the arterial intima. These modifications of LDL all promote the aggregation of LDL (agLDL), a key finding from analysis of arterial lesion particles. Scavenger receptor and phagocytic capacity of SMCs can vary greatly, perhaps related to differences in SMC phenotype or in-vitro cell culture environments, and can be increased with exposure to cytokines, growth factors, and cholesterol. Macrophages promote the formation of SMC foam cells in direct or indirect co-culture models.
SMCs contribute significantly to the foam cell population in atherosclerosis. Further investigation and identification of key mechanisms of SMC foam cell formation will help drive new therapeutics to reduce cardiovascular disease.
平滑肌细胞（SMC）是人类易患动脉粥样硬化动脉中的主要细胞类型，它们摄取过多的脂质，从而导致管腔闭塞。本文重点综述了平滑肌细胞（SMC）成为动脉粥样硬化泡沫细胞的途径。
对近期和早期研究的综合分析为 SMC 泡沫细胞形成的机制提供了关键的见解。LDL 和其他载脂蛋白 B 含脂蛋白通过存在于动脉内膜中的多种氧化、酶和非酶过程而被修饰。这些 LDL 的修饰都促进 LDL 的聚集（agLDL），这是对动脉病变颗粒分析的一个关键发现。SMC 的清道夫受体和吞噬能力可能有很大差异，这可能与 SMC 表型或体外细胞培养环境的差异有关，并可以通过暴露于细胞因子、生长因子和胆固醇来增加。巨噬细胞在直接或间接共培养模型中促进 SMC 泡沫细胞的形成。
SMC 对动脉粥样硬化中的泡沫细胞群体有很大的贡献。进一步研究和确定 SMC 泡沫细胞形成的关键机制将有助于推动新的治疗方法来减少心血管疾病。
