Shear stress is uncoupled from atheroprotective KLK10 in atherosclerotic plaques

Zhou, Ziqi and Korteland, Suze-Anne and Tardajos-Ayllon, Blanca and Wu, Junxi and Chambers, Emily and Weninck, Julia and Simons, Michael and Dunning, Mark and Schenkel, Torsten and Diagbouga, Mannekomba and Wentzel, Jolanda and Fragiadaki, Maria and Evans, Paul C (2024) Shear stress is uncoupled from atheroprotective KLK10 in atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerosis, 398. 118622. ISSN 1879-1484 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.118...)

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Abstract

Background and aims: Physiological shear stress promotes vascular homeostasis by inducing protective molecules in endothelial cells (EC). However, physiological shear stress has been linked to atherosclerosis progression in some individuals with heightened cardiovascular risk. To address this apparent paradox, we hypothesized that diseased arteries may exhibit reduced responsiveness to the protective effects of physiological shear stress. Consequently, we compared the transcriptome of EC exposed to physiological shear stress in healthy arteries versus atherosclerotic conditions. Methods: Employing 3D light sheet imaging and computational fluid dynamics, we identified NOS3 as a marker of physiological shear stress in both healthy and atherosclerotic murine arteries. Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on EC from healthy (C57BL/6) mice, mildly diseased (Apoe −/− normal diet) mice, and highly diseased (Apoe −/− high fat diet) mice. The transcriptomes of Nos3 high cells (exposed to physiological shear stress) were compared among the groups. Results: Nos3 high EC were associated with several markers of physiological shear stress in healthy arteries. Clustering of Nos3 high EC revealed 8 different EC subsets that varied in proportion between healthy and diseased arteries. Cluster-specific nested functional enrichment of gene ontology terms revealed that Nos3 high EC in diseased arteries were enriched for inflammatory and apoptotic gene expression. These alterations were accompanied by changes in several mechanoreceptors, including the atheroprotective factor KLK10, which was enriched in Nos3 high EC in healthy arteries but markedly reduced in severely diseased arteries. Conclusions: Physiological shear stress is uncoupled from atheroprotective KLK10 within atherosclerotic plaques. This sheds light on the complex interplay between shear stress, endothelial function, and the progression of atherosclerosis in individuals at risk of cardiovascular complications.

ORCID iDs

Zhou, Ziqi, Korteland, Suze-Anne, Tardajos-Ayllon, Blanca, Wu, Junxi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1334-887X, Chambers, Emily, Weninck, Julia, Simons, Michael, Dunning, Mark, Schenkel, Torsten, Diagbouga, Mannekomba, Wentzel, Jolanda, Fragiadaki, Maria and Evans, Paul C;
  • Item type:Article
    ID code:90988
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    November 2024
    Published
    4 October 2024
    Published Online
    3 October 2024
    Accepted
    30 June 2023
    Submitted
    Subjects:Medicine > Internal medicine
    Department:Faculty of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:30 Oct 2024 10:29
    Last modified:11 Nov 2024 14:29
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/90988
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