Role of HSP22 in atherosclerosis induced by high-fat diet and effects of statin / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM:To evaluate the role of heat shock protein 22(HSP22)in atherosclerosis(AS)induced by high-fat diet and in the intervention with atorvastatin(Ator).METHODS: Total 3 groups of 8 ~9-week-old ApoE-/-, HSP22-/-ApoE-/-and HSP22 +ApoE-/-male mice were used,with 18 mice in each group.After 1 week of adaptive feeding, the mice in each group were randomly divided into 2 subgroups control group, and Ator group, HSP22 knockout group (KO group)and HSP22 knockout with Ator treatment group(KO+Ator group),and HSP22 overexpression group(Tg group)and HSP22 overexpression with Ator treatment group(Tg+Ator group).Atro at 10 mg· kg-1-d-1was administered to the mice in all Ator groups from the 5th week.The mice in the control groups were given saline.All these mice were fed for 13 weeks.Oil red O staining and HE staining of the aortic wall of the mice were used to measure the atherosclerotic le-sion burdens.The protein levels of HSP22,NF-κB, eNOS, ICAM-1 and IL-6 in the aorta and serum were examined by Western blot,immunohistochemistry and ELISA.RESULTS:Aortic Oil red O staining and HE staining showed that the relative area of aorta plaque in Tg group was less than that in KO group(P<0.05).The protein expression of HSP22 in Tg group was significantly higher than that in control group and KO group,and its expression in control group was signifi-cantly higher than that in KO group.The protein expression of eNOS in Tg group and control group was significantly higher than that in KO group.The protein expression of NF-κB and ICAM-1 in control group was significantly decreased as com-pared with KO group,and their expression was significantly higher than that in Tg group.No difference of serum IL-6 level was found among Tg group,KO group and control group.CONCLUSION:HSP22 gene deletion up-regulates the expres-sion of NF-κB and ICAM-1,and down-regulates the expression of eNOS,leading to accelerating AS.HSP22 overexpression decreases the expression of NF-κB and ICAM-1 and increases the expression of eNOS,thus attenuating AS development. HSP22 gene deletion partially limits the role of Ator in the expression of NF-κB,ICAM-1 and eNOS.HSP22 overexpression amplifies the reduced expression of ICAM-1 by the intervention with Ator,and further attenuates AS development.