Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Dec 28;22(1):216. doi: 10.3390/ijms22010216.
The development, progression, or stabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque depends on the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory macrophages. The influx of the macrophages and the regulation of macrophage phenotype, inflammatory or anti-inflammatory, are controlled by the small GTPase RhoA and its downstream effectors. Therefore, macrophages and the components of the RhoA pathway are attractive targets for anti-atherosclerotic therapies, which would inhibit macrophage influx and inflammatory phenotype, maintain an anti-inflammatory environment, and promote tissue remodeling and repair. Here, we discuss the recent findings on the role of macrophages and RhoA pathway in the atherosclerotic plaque formation and resolution and the novel therapeutic approaches.
动脉粥样硬化斑块的发展、进展或稳定取决于促炎和抗炎巨噬细胞。巨噬细胞的涌入以及巨噬细胞表型（炎症或抗炎）的调节受小 GTPase RhoA 及其下游效应物控制。因此，巨噬细胞和 RhoA 通路的成分是抗动脉粥样硬化治疗的有吸引力的靶点，其可以抑制巨噬细胞的涌入和炎症表型，维持抗炎环境，并促进组织重塑和修复。在这里，我们讨论了巨噬细胞和 RhoA 通路在动脉粥样硬化斑块形成和消退中的作用以及新的治疗方法的最新发现。
