TY - JOUR
T1 - Osteopontin deficiency dampens the pro-atherogenic effect of uraemia
AU - Pedersen, Tanja Xenia
AU - Madsen, Marie
AU - Nielsen, Nanna Maria Junker
AU - Christoffersen, Christina
AU - Vikeså, Jonas
AU - Bro, Susanne
AU - Hultgårdh-Nilsson, Anna
AU - Nielsen, Lars Bo
PY - 2013/6/1
Y1 - 2013/6/1
N2 - AimsUraemia is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Osteopontin (OPN) is highly expressed in aortas of uraemic apolipoprotein E knockout (E KO) mice. OPN affects key atherogenic processes, i.e. inflammation and phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). We explored the role of OPN on vascular pathology in uraemic mice.Methods and resultsUraemia was induced by 5/6 nephrectomy in E KO and in OPN and E double KO mice (E/OPN KO). In E KO mice, uraemia increased the relative surface plaque area in the aortic arch (from 28 ± 2% [n = 15], to 37 ± 3% [n = 20] of the aortic arch area, P < 0.05). A positive correlation was observed between plasma OPN and aortic atherosclerosis in uraemic E KO mice (r2 = 0.48, P = 0.001). In contrast, aortic atherosclerosis was not increased by uraemia in E/OPN KO mice. OPN deficiency in haematopoietic cells (including macrophages) did not affect development of uraemic atherosclerosis, even though OPN-deficient foam cells had decreased inflammatory capacity. Gene expression analyses indicated that uraemia de-differentiates SMCs in the arterial wall. This effect was dampened in whole-body OPN-deficient mice.ConclusionThe data suggest that OPN promotes development of uraemic atherosclerosis possibly by changing the phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells.
AB - AimsUraemia is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Osteopontin (OPN) is highly expressed in aortas of uraemic apolipoprotein E knockout (E KO) mice. OPN affects key atherogenic processes, i.e. inflammation and phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). We explored the role of OPN on vascular pathology in uraemic mice.Methods and resultsUraemia was induced by 5/6 nephrectomy in E KO and in OPN and E double KO mice (E/OPN KO). In E KO mice, uraemia increased the relative surface plaque area in the aortic arch (from 28 ± 2% [n = 15], to 37 ± 3% [n = 20] of the aortic arch area, P < 0.05). A positive correlation was observed between plasma OPN and aortic atherosclerosis in uraemic E KO mice (r2 = 0.48, P = 0.001). In contrast, aortic atherosclerosis was not increased by uraemia in E/OPN KO mice. OPN deficiency in haematopoietic cells (including macrophages) did not affect development of uraemic atherosclerosis, even though OPN-deficient foam cells had decreased inflammatory capacity. Gene expression analyses indicated that uraemia de-differentiates SMCs in the arterial wall. This effect was dampened in whole-body OPN-deficient mice.ConclusionThe data suggest that OPN promotes development of uraemic atherosclerosis possibly by changing the phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells.
U2 - 10.1093/cvr/cvt049
DO - 10.1093/cvr/cvt049
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 23455547
SN - 0008-6363
VL - 98
SP - 352
EP - 359
JO - Cardiovascular Research
JF - Cardiovascular Research
IS - 3
ER -