In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in Macrophages

Statins are successful drugs used to treat hypercholesterolemia, a primary cause of atherosclerosis. In this work, we investigated how hypercholesterolemia and pravastatin treatment impact macrophage and mitochondria functions, the key cell involved in atherogenesis. By comparing bone marrow-derived...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Leandro Henrique de Paula Assis, Gabriel de Gabriel Dorighello, Thiago Rentz, Jane Cristina de Souza, Aníbal Eugênio Vercesi, Helena Coutinho Franco de Oliveira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.839428/full
_version_ 1819158879915737088
author Leandro Henrique de Paula Assis
Gabriel de Gabriel Dorighello
Thiago Rentz
Jane Cristina de Souza
Aníbal Eugênio Vercesi
Helena Coutinho Franco de Oliveira
author_facet Leandro Henrique de Paula Assis
Gabriel de Gabriel Dorighello
Thiago Rentz
Jane Cristina de Souza
Aníbal Eugênio Vercesi
Helena Coutinho Franco de Oliveira
author_sort Leandro Henrique de Paula Assis
collection DOAJ
description Statins are successful drugs used to treat hypercholesterolemia, a primary cause of atherosclerosis. In this work, we investigated how hypercholesterolemia and pravastatin treatment impact macrophage and mitochondria functions, the key cell involved in atherogenesis. By comparing bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) of wild-type (WT) and LDL receptor knockout (LDLr−/−) mice, we observed hypercholesterolemia increased the number of contact sites at mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs), enhanced mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide release, altered the gene expression of inflammatory markers, and increased oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) uptake and phagocytic activity. Three months of in vivo pravastatin treatment of LDLr−/− mice reversed the number of contact sites at the MAM, ox-LDL uptake, and phagocytosis in LDLr−/− BMDM. Additionally, pravastatin increased BMDM mitochondrial network branching. In peritoneal macrophages (PMs), hypercholesterolemia did not change MAM stability, but stimulated hydrogen peroxide production and modulated gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers. It also increased mitochondrial branching degree and had no effects on ox-LDL uptake and phagocytosis in PM. Pravastatin treatment increased superoxide anion production and changed inflammation-related gene expression in LDLr−/− PM. In addition, pravastatin increased markedly the expression of the mitochondrial dynamics-related genes Mfn2 and Fis1 in both macrophages. In summary, our results show that hypercholesterolemia and pravastatin treatment affect macrophage mitochondria network structure as well as their interaction with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These effects impact on macrophage conversion rates to foam cell and macrophage phagocytic capacity. These findings associate MAM stability changes with known mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis progression and resolution.
first_indexed 2024-12-22T16:31:41Z
format Article
id doaj.art-5c3995e8334346f194e9593f953e571b
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-889X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-22T16:31:41Z
publishDate 2022-03-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
spelling doaj.art-5c3995e8334346f194e9593f953e571b2022-12-21T18:20:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences2296-889X2022-03-01910.3389/fmolb.2022.839428839428In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in MacrophagesLeandro Henrique de Paula Assis0Gabriel de Gabriel Dorighello1Thiago Rentz2Jane Cristina de Souza3Aníbal Eugênio Vercesi4Helena Coutinho Franco de Oliveira5Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, BrazilDepartment of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, BrazilDepartment of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, BrazilDepartment of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, BrazilDepartment of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, BrazilDepartment of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, BrazilStatins are successful drugs used to treat hypercholesterolemia, a primary cause of atherosclerosis. In this work, we investigated how hypercholesterolemia and pravastatin treatment impact macrophage and mitochondria functions, the key cell involved in atherogenesis. By comparing bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) of wild-type (WT) and LDL receptor knockout (LDLr−/−) mice, we observed hypercholesterolemia increased the number of contact sites at mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs), enhanced mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide release, altered the gene expression of inflammatory markers, and increased oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) uptake and phagocytic activity. Three months of in vivo pravastatin treatment of LDLr−/− mice reversed the number of contact sites at the MAM, ox-LDL uptake, and phagocytosis in LDLr−/− BMDM. Additionally, pravastatin increased BMDM mitochondrial network branching. In peritoneal macrophages (PMs), hypercholesterolemia did not change MAM stability, but stimulated hydrogen peroxide production and modulated gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers. It also increased mitochondrial branching degree and had no effects on ox-LDL uptake and phagocytosis in PM. Pravastatin treatment increased superoxide anion production and changed inflammation-related gene expression in LDLr−/− PM. In addition, pravastatin increased markedly the expression of the mitochondrial dynamics-related genes Mfn2 and Fis1 in both macrophages. In summary, our results show that hypercholesterolemia and pravastatin treatment affect macrophage mitochondria network structure as well as their interaction with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These effects impact on macrophage conversion rates to foam cell and macrophage phagocytic capacity. These findings associate MAM stability changes with known mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis progression and resolution.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.839428/fullhypercholesterolemiastatinmacrophagemitochondria-associated membranefoam cellphagocytosis
spellingShingle Leandro Henrique de Paula Assis
Gabriel de Gabriel Dorighello
Thiago Rentz
Jane Cristina de Souza
Aníbal Eugênio Vercesi
Helena Coutinho Franco de Oliveira
In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in Macrophages
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
hypercholesterolemia
statin
macrophage
mitochondria-associated membrane
foam cell
phagocytosis
title In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in Macrophages
title_full In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in Macrophages
title_fullStr In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in Macrophages
title_full_unstemmed In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in Macrophages
title_short In Vivo Pravastatin Treatment Reverses Hypercholesterolemia Induced Mitochondria-Associated Membranes Contact Sites, Foam Cell Formation, and Phagocytosis in Macrophages
title_sort in vivo pravastatin treatment reverses hypercholesterolemia induced mitochondria associated membranes contact sites foam cell formation and phagocytosis in macrophages
topic hypercholesterolemia
statin
macrophage
mitochondria-associated membrane
foam cell
phagocytosis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.839428/full
work_keys_str_mv AT leandrohenriquedepaulaassis invivopravastatintreatmentreverseshypercholesterolemiainducedmitochondriaassociatedmembranescontactsitesfoamcellformationandphagocytosisinmacrophages
AT gabrieldegabrieldorighello invivopravastatintreatmentreverseshypercholesterolemiainducedmitochondriaassociatedmembranescontactsitesfoamcellformationandphagocytosisinmacrophages
AT thiagorentz invivopravastatintreatmentreverseshypercholesterolemiainducedmitochondriaassociatedmembranescontactsitesfoamcellformationandphagocytosisinmacrophages
AT janecristinadesouza invivopravastatintreatmentreverseshypercholesterolemiainducedmitochondriaassociatedmembranescontactsitesfoamcellformationandphagocytosisinmacrophages
AT anibaleugeniovercesi invivopravastatintreatmentreverseshypercholesterolemiainducedmitochondriaassociatedmembranescontactsitesfoamcellformationandphagocytosisinmacrophages
AT helenacoutinhofrancodeoliveira invivopravastatintreatmentreverseshypercholesterolemiainducedmitochondriaassociatedmembranescontactsitesfoamcellformationandphagocytosisinmacrophages