Toll-Like Receptor 4 Mediates Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion in Smooth Muscle Cells Induced by Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein

作者：Yang, Ke; Zhang, Xiao Jie; Cao, Li Juan; Liu, Xin He; Liu, Zhu Hui; Wang, Xiao Qun; Chen, Qiu Jin; Lu, Lin; Shen, Wei Feng^*; Liu, Yan

来源：PLos One, 2014, 9(4): e95935.

DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0095935

• APOE-DEFICIENT MICE
• FOAM CELL
• PROTEIN-KINASES
• ATHEROSCLEROSIS
• DISEASE
• ACTIVATION
• LDL
• MACROPHAGES
• EXPRESSION
• PATHWAY

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-regulated secretion of inflammatory cytokines in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is regarded as an important step in the progression of atherosclerosis; however, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the role of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in oxLDL-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines in SMCs both in vivo and in vitro. We found that the levels of TLR4, interleukin 1-beta (IL1-beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression were increased in the SMCs of atherosclerotic plaques in patients with femoral artery stenosis. In cultured primary arterial SMCs from wild type mice, oxLDL caused dose-and time-dependent increase in the expression levels of TLR4 and cytokines. These effects were significantly weakened in arterial SMCs derived from TLR4 knockout mice (TLR4(-/-)). Moreover, the secretion of inflammatory cytokines was blocked by TLR4-specific antibodies in primary SMCs. Ox-LDL induced activation of p38 and NFkB was also inhibited in TLR4(-/-) primary SMCs or when treated with TLR4-specific antibodies. These results demonstrated that TLR4 is a crucial mediator in oxLDL-induced inflammatory cytokine expression and secretion, and p38 and NFkB activation.

• 出版日期2014-4-22
• 单位上海市闵行区中心医院