UMR CNRS 7369 MEDyC, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, 51687, Reims Cedex 2, France.
Institut RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS U-5070, EFS, ENVT, INSERM U1301, Université Paul Sabatier, 4bis Ave Hubert Curien, 31100, Toulouse, France.
Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 15;11(1):22278. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-01735-z.
Numerous recent studies have shown that in the continuum of cardiovascular diseases, the measurement of arterial stiffness has powerful predictive value in cardiovascular risk and mortality and that this value is independent of other conventional risk factors, such as age, cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking, or average blood pressure. Vascular stiffening is often the main cause of arterial hypertension (AHT), which is common in the presence of obesity. However, the mechanisms leading to vascular stiffening, as well as preventive factors, remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the consequences of apelin deficiency on the vascular stiffening and wall remodeling of aorta in mice. This factor freed by visceral adipose tissue, is known for its homeostasic role in lipid and vascular metabolisms, or again in inflammation. We compared the level of metabolic markers, inflammation of white adipose tissue (WAT), and aortic wall remodeling from functional and structural approaches in apelin-deficient and wild-type (WT) mice. Apelin-deficient mice were generated by knockout of the apelin gene (APL-KO). From 8 mice by groups, aortic stiffness was analyzed by pulse wave velocity measurements and by characterizations of collagen and elastic fibers. Mann-Whitney statistical test determined the significant data (p < 5%) between groups. The APL-KO mice developed inflammation, which was associated with significant remodeling of visceral WAT, such as neutrophil elastase and cathepsin S expressions. In vitro, cathepsin S activity was detected in conditioned medium prepared from adipose tissue of the APL-KO mice, and cathepsin S activity induced high fragmentations of elastic fiber of wild-type aorta, suggesting that the WAT secretome could play a major role in vascular stiffening. In vivo, remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM), such as collagen accumulation and elastolysis, was observed in the aortic walls of the APL-KO mice, with the latter associated with high cathepsin S activity. In addition, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and AHT were increased in the APL-KO mice. The latter could explain aortic wall remodeling in the APL-KO mice. The absence of apelin expression, particularly in WAT, modified the adipocyte secretome and facilitated remodeling of the ECM of the aortic wall. Thus, elastolysis of elastic fibers and collagen accumulation contributed to vascular stiffening and AHT. Therefore, apelin expression could be a major element to preserve vascular homeostasis.
大量最近的研究表明,在心血管疾病的连续体中,动脉僵硬度的测量在心血管风险和死亡率方面具有强大的预测价值,并且这种价值独立于其他传统危险因素,如年龄、胆固醇水平、糖尿病、吸烟或平均血压。血管僵硬通常是动脉高血压(AHT)的主要原因,而肥胖症中常见 AHT。然而,导致血管僵硬的机制以及预防因素仍不清楚。本研究旨在探讨 Apelin 缺乏对小鼠主动脉血管僵硬和壁重构的影响。这种由内脏脂肪组织释放的因子,因其在脂质和血管代谢或炎症中的稳态作用而闻名。我们比较了 Apelin 缺乏型和野生型(WT)小鼠的代谢标志物水平、白色脂肪组织(WAT)炎症和主动脉壁重构,从功能和结构方法进行比较。Apelin 缺乏型小鼠通过 Apelin 基因(APL-KO)敲除产生。每组 8 只小鼠,通过脉搏波速度测量分析主动脉僵硬,并通过胶原蛋白和弹性纤维特征分析进行评估。Mann-Whitney 统计检验确定了组间有显著差异的数据(p < 0.05%)。APL-KO 小鼠发生炎症,与内脏 WAT 的显著重构有关,如中性粒细胞弹性蛋白酶和组织蛋白酶 S 的表达。体外,从 APL-KO 小鼠的脂肪组织制备的条件培养基中检测到组织蛋白酶 S 活性,并且组织蛋白酶 S 活性诱导野生型主动脉弹性纤维的高片段化,表明 WAT 分泌组可能在血管僵硬中起主要作用。在体内,APL-KO 小鼠的主动脉壁观察到细胞外基质(ECM)的重构,如胶原蛋白积累和弹性溶解,后者与高组织蛋白酶 S 活性有关。此外,APL-KO 小鼠的脉搏波速度(PWV)和 AHT 增加。后者可以解释 APL-KO 小鼠的主动脉壁重构。Apelin 表达的缺失,特别是在 WAT 中,改变了脂肪细胞的分泌组,促进了主动脉壁 ECM 的重构。因此,弹性纤维的弹性溶解和胶原蛋白的积累导致了血管僵硬和 AHT。因此,Apelin 表达可能是维持血管内稳态的主要因素。