scholarly journals Inflammatory Mechanisms Contributing to Endothelial Dysfunction

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 781
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Theofilis ◽  
Marios Sagris ◽  
Evangelos Oikonomou ◽  
Alexios S. Antonopoulos ◽  
Gerasimos Siasos ◽  
...  

Maintenance of endothelial cell integrity is an important component of human health and disease since the endothelium can perform various functions including regulation of vascular tone, control of hemostasis and thrombosis, cellular adhesion, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and vascular inflammation. Endothelial dysfunction is encompassed by complex pathophysiology that is based on endothelial nitric oxide synthase uncoupling and endothelial activation following stimulation from various inflammatory mediators (molecular patterns, oxidized lipoproteins, cytokines). The downstream signaling via nuclear factor-κB leads to overexpression of adhesion molecules, selectins, and chemokines that facilitate leukocyte adhesion, rolling, and transmigration to the subendothelial space. Moreover, oscillatory shear stress leads to pro-inflammatory endothelial activation with increased monocyte adhesion and endothelial cell apoptosis, an effect that is dependent on multiple pathways and flow-sensitive microRNA regulation. Moreover, the role of neutrophil extracellular traps and NLRP3 inflammasome as inflammatory mechanisms contributing to endothelial dysfunction has recently been unveiled and is under further investigation. Consequently, and following their activation, injured endothelial cells release inflammatory mediators and enter a pro-thrombotic state through activation of coagulation pathways, downregulation of thrombomodulin, and an increase in platelet adhesion and aggregation owing to the action of von-Willebrand factor, ultimately promoting atherosclerosis progression.

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 790-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiji Horio ◽  
Tsuyoshi Kadomatsu ◽  
Keishi Miyata ◽  
Yasumichi Arai ◽  
Kentaro Hosokawa ◽  
...  

Objective— Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the most common morbidity resulting from atherosclerosis, remains a frequent cause of death. Efforts to develop effective therapeutic strategies have focused on vascular inflammation as a critical pathology driving atherosclerosis progression. Nonetheless, molecular mechanisms underlying this activity remain unclear. Here, we ask whether angiopoietin-like protein 2 (Angptl2), a proinflammatory protein, contributes to vascular inflammation that promotes atherosclerosis progression. Approach and Results— Histological analysis revealed abundant Angptl2 expression in endothelial cells and macrophages infiltrating atheromatous plaques in patients with cardiovascular disease. Angptl2 knockout in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice ( ApoE −/− / Angptl2 −/− ) attenuated atherosclerosis progression by decreasing the number of macrophages infiltrating atheromatous plaques, reducing vascular inflammation. Bone marrow transplantation experiments showed that Angptl2 deficiency in endothelial cells attenuated atherosclerosis development. Conversely, ApoE −/− mice crossed with transgenic mice expressing Angptl2 driven by the Tie2 promoter ( ApoE −/− /Tie2- Angptl2 Tg), which drives Angptl2 expression in endothelial cells but not monocytes/macrophages, showed accelerated plaque formation and vascular inflammation because of increased numbers of infiltrated macrophages in atheromatous plaques. Tie2- Angptl2 Tg mice alone did not develop plaques but exhibited endothelium-dependent vasodilatory dysfunction, likely because of decreased production of endothelial cell–derived nitric oxide. Conversely, Angptl2 −/− mice exhibited less severe endothelial dysfunction than did wild-type mice when fed a high-fat diet. In vitro, Angptl2 activated proinflammatory nuclear factor-κB signaling in endothelial cells and increased monocyte/macrophage chemotaxis. Conclusions— Endothelial cell–derived Angptl2 accelerates vascular inflammation by activating proinflammatory signaling in endothelial cells and increasing macrophage infiltration, leading to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis progression.


2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Wang

With the prevalence of antiviral therapy in the developed world, many HIV-1-infected people die of diseases other than AIDS. One of the emerging major causes is cardiovascular disease, leading to the prediction that the majority of HIV-1 patients are expected to develop cardiovascular complications. Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be a key event in the development of cardiovascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis. Assays testing the effect of HIV-1 on endothelial activation shows that direct contact with HIV-1 infected T cells enhance endothelial cell activation to a greater extent than HIV-1 alone, suggesting an intracellular HIV-1 protein is responsible for endothelial activation. The HIV-1 viral protein Nef, which is responsible for T cell activation and maintenance of high viral loads in vivo , has been shown to mediate its own transfer to bystander cells. We demonstrate here for the first time that Nef induces nanotube-like conduits connecting T cells and endothelial cells. We also show that Nef is transferred from T cells to endothelial cells via these nanotubes, and is necessary and sufficient for endothelial cell activation. Moreover, we show that SIV-infected macaques exhibit endothelial Nef expression in coronary arteries. Nef expression in endothelial cells causes endothelial apoptosis, ROS and MCP-1 production. Interestingly, a Nef SH3 binding site mutant abolishes Nef-induced apoptosis and ROS formation and reduces MCP-1 production in endothelial cells, suggesting that the Nef SH3 binding site is critical for Nef effects on endothelial cells. Nef induces apoptosis of endothelial cells through an NADPH oxidase- and ROS-dependent mechanism, while Nef-induced MCP-1 production is NF-kB dependent. Taken together, these data suggest that Nef can mediate its transfer from T cells to endothelial cells through nanotubes to enhance endothelial dysfunction.Thus, Nef is a promising new therapeutic target for reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease in the HIV-1 positive population.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (4) ◽  
pp. L841-L847 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Tinsley ◽  
Nicole R. Teasdale ◽  
Sarah Y. Yuan

Major cutaneous burns result in not only localized tissue damage but broad systemic inflammation causing organ system damage distal to the burn site. It is well recognized that many problems result from the release of inflammatory mediators that target vascular endothelial cells, causing organ dysfunction. The pulmonary microvessels are particularly susceptible to functional abnormalities as a direct consequence of exposure to burn-induced inflammatory mediators. Traditional therapeutic intervention is quite often ineffective in treating burn patients suffering from systemic problems. A possible explanation for this ineffectiveness may be that because so many mediators are released, supposedly activating numerous signaling cascades that interact with each other, targeting of upstream factors in these cascades on an individual basis becomes futile. Therefore, if an end-point effector responsible for endothelial dysfunction following burn injury could be identified, it may present a target for intervention. In this study, we identified phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) as a required element of burn plasma-induced hyperpermeability across rat lung microvascular endothelial cell monolayers. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and Rho kinase as well as transfection of MLCK-inhibiting peptide blocked actin stress fiber formation and MLC phosphorylation in response to burn plasma. The results suggest that blocking MLC phosphorylation may provide therapeutic intervention in burn patients with the goal of alleviating systemic inflammation-induced endothelial dysfunction.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 3310-3310
Author(s):  
Xiaojin Sha ◽  
Shu Meng ◽  
Xinyuan Li ◽  
Jahaira Lopez Pastrana ◽  
Hong Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3310 Our previous reports showed that survival/apoptosis of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) modulates vascular inflammation even though the mode of Tregs inhibition was unknown. Interleukin-35 (IL-35), consisting of two subunits Epstein-Barr virus–induced gene 3 (EBI3) and p35, is a novel anti-inflammatory cytokine, which is a member of the interleukin-12 (IL-12) cytokine family. IL-35 is produced by Tregs. It has been shown that IL-35 suppresses chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma and inflammatory bowel diseases. However, an important question of whether IL-35 can carry out Tregs suppression and inhibit endothelial cell (EC) activation in acute inflammation remained unknown. Here we found that IL-35 significantly inhibits lung neutrophil infiltration into the surrounding areas of bronchioles and alveolar space when induced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in wild type mice and EBI3-deficient mice. Furthermore, cremaster microvasculature study using intravital microscopy showed IL-35 significantly suppresses leukocyte adhesion to the vascular wall as well, suggesting IL-35 inhibition of endothelial activation. Mechanistically, IL-35 inhibited LPS-induced upregulation of adhesion molecules on human aortic endothelial cells, a marker of endothelial activation, including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). IL-35 acted through new IL-35 dimeric receptors gp130 and IL-12Rβ2, and inhibited VCAM-1 promoter transcription in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated pathway. These results provide a novel insight on Tregs and IL-35 inhibition of vascular inflammation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 9309
Author(s):  
Jessica Maiuolo ◽  
Rocco Mollace ◽  
Micaela Gliozzi ◽  
Vincenzo Musolino ◽  
Cristina Carresi ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) infection is associated, alongside with lung infection and respiratory disease, to cardiovascular dysfunction that occurs at any stage of the disease. This includes ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathies. The common pathophysiological link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cardiovascular events is represented by coagulation abnormalities and disruption of factors released by endothelial cells, which contribute in maintaining the blood vessels into an anti-thrombotic state. Thus, early alteration of the functionality of endothelial cells, which may be found soon after SARS-CoV-2 infection, seems to represent the major target of a SARS CoV-2 disease state and accounts for the systemic vascular dysfunction that leads to a detrimental effect in terms of hospitalization and death accompanying the disease. In particular, the molecular interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with the ACE2 receptor located in the endothelial cell surface, either at the pulmonary and systemic level, leads to early impairment of endothelial function, which, in turn, is followed by vascular inflammation and thrombosis of peripheral blood vessels. This highlights systemic hypoxia and further aggravates the vicious circle that compromises the development of the disease, leading to irreversible tissue damage and death of people with SARS CoV-2 infection. The review aims to assess some recent advances to define the crucial role of endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of vascular complications accompanying SARS-CoV-2 infection. In particular, the molecular mechanisms associated with the interaction of SARS CoV-2 with the ACE2 receptor located on the endothelial cells are highlighted to support its role in compromising endothelial cell functionality. Finally, the consequences of endothelial dysfunction in enhancing pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection are assessed in order to identify early therapeutic interventions able to reduce the impact of the disease in high-risk patients.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 573-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Nader ◽  
NM Gamiel ◽  
H El-Kashef ◽  
MS Zaghloul

This study was designed to investigate the effect of agmatine sulfate (AG, CAS2482-00-0) in nicotine (NIC)-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction (VED) in rabbits. NIC was administered to produce VED in rabbits with or without AG for 6 weeks. Serum lipid profile, serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase generation, serum nitrite/nitrate, serum vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and aortic nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) levels were analyzed.Treatment with AG markedly improves lipid profile and prevented NIC-induced VED and oxidative stress. The mechanism of AG in improving NIC-induced VED may be due to the significant reduction in serum VCAM-1 levels and aortic NF-κB. Thus, it may be concluded that AG reduces the oxidative stress, nitric oxide production, VCAM-1 levels, and aortic NF-κB expression, thereby consequently improving the integrity of vascular endothelium.


2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (09) ◽  
pp. 632-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Hoke ◽  
Max-Paul Winter ◽  
Oswald Wagner ◽  
Markus Exner ◽  
Martin Schillinger ◽  
...  

SummaryCellular adhesion molecules also known as selectins promote recruitment of inflammatory cells into the arterial wall where they interact with lipid particles leading subsequently to plaque formation. The intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and the endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 (ELAM-1) also known as E-selectin mediate the attachment of leukocytes and have been implicated in the destabilisation of atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, we hypothesised that plasma selectin levels are associated with adverse clinical outcome. We prospectively studied 855 patients with sonographically confirmed carotid atherosclerosis. During a median follow-up of 6.2 years, corresponding to 5,551 overall person-years, 275 patients (26 %) died. We detected a significant association between cardiovascular mortality and ICAM-1 (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 3.43, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.00–5.88, p< 0.001) as well as VCAM-1 (adjusted HR: 2.51, 95 % CI 1.45–4.34, p=0.001) when comparing the fourth with the first quartile. Comparable results were obtained for all-cause mortality. In contrast, we could not detect a significant association between E-selectin and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. We identified the selectins ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 as strong and independent predictors of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with stable carotid atherosclerosis. These molecules are elevated in states of endothelial activation and might assist to monitor anti-atherosclerotic therapy and select those patients with carotid atherosclerosis, who are at higher risk for cardiovascular events.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Jessica Maiuolo ◽  
Carolina Muscoli ◽  
Micaela Gliozzi ◽  
Vincenzo Musolino ◽  
Cristina Carresi ◽  
...  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects about 1% of the global population, with a female–male ratio of 3:1. RA preferably affects the joints, with consequent joint swelling and deformities followed by ankylosis. However, evidence has accumulated showing that patients suffering from RA can also develop extra-articular manifestations, including cardiovascular disease states, neuropathies, and multiorgan dysfunction. In particular, peripheral nerve disorders showed a consistent impact in the course of the disease (prevalence about 20%) mostly associated to vasculitis of the nerve vessels leading to vascular ischemia, axonal degeneration, and neuronal demyelination. The pathophysiological basis of this RA-associated microvascular disease, which leads to impairment of assonal functionality, is still to be better clarified. However, endothelial dysfunction and alterations of the so-called brain-nerve barrier (BNB) seem to play a fundamental role. This review aims to assess the potential mechanisms underlying the impairment of endothelial cell functionality in the development of RA and to identify the role of dysfunctional endothelium as a causative mechanism of extra-articular manifestation of RA. On the other hand, the potential impact of lifestyle and nutritional interventions targeting the maintenance of endothelial cell integrity in patients with RA will be discussed as a potential option when approaching therapeutic solutions in the course of the disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 12458
Author(s):  
Daria K. Shishkova ◽  
Elena A. Velikanova ◽  
Leo A. Bogdanov ◽  
Maxim Yu. Sinitsky ◽  
Alexander E. Kostyunin ◽  
...  

An association between high serum calcium/phosphate and cardiovascular events or death is well-established. However, a mechanistic explanation of this correlation is lacking. Here, we examined the role of calciprotein particles (CPPs), nanoscale bodies forming in the human blood upon its supersaturation with calcium and phosphate, in cardiovascular disease. The serum of patients with coronary artery disease or cerebrovascular disease displayed an increased propensity to form CPPs in combination with elevated ionised calcium as well as reduced albumin levels, altogether indicative of reduced Ca2+-binding capacity. Intravenous administration of CPPs to normolipidemic and normotensive Wistar rats provoked intimal hyperplasia and adventitial/perivascular inflammation in both balloon-injured and intact aortas in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors. Upon the addition to primary human arterial endothelial cells, CPPs induced lysosome-dependent cell death, promoted the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, stimulated leukocyte adhesion, and triggered endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. We concluded that CPPs, which are formed in the blood as a result of altered mineral homeostasis, cause endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation, thereby contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease.


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