Smooth muscle-specific deletion of cellular communication network factor 2 causes severe aorta malformation and atherosclerosis
(2024) In Cardiovascular Research 120(15). p.1851-1868- Abstract
AIMS: Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) is a matricellular protein implicated in fibrotic diseases, with ongoing clinical trials evaluating anti-CCN2-based therapies. By uncovering CCN2 as abundantly expressed in non-diseased artery tissue, this study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that CCN2 plays a pivotal role in maintaining smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype and protection against atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Global- and SMC-specific Ccn2 knockout mouse models were employed to demonstrate that Ccn2 deficiency leads to SMC de-differentiation, medial thickening, and aorta elongation under normolipidaemic conditions. Inducing hyperlipidaemia in both models resulted in severe aorta malformation and a 17-fold... (More)
AIMS: Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) is a matricellular protein implicated in fibrotic diseases, with ongoing clinical trials evaluating anti-CCN2-based therapies. By uncovering CCN2 as abundantly expressed in non-diseased artery tissue, this study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that CCN2 plays a pivotal role in maintaining smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype and protection against atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Global- and SMC-specific Ccn2 knockout mouse models were employed to demonstrate that Ccn2 deficiency leads to SMC de-differentiation, medial thickening, and aorta elongation under normolipidaemic conditions. Inducing hyperlipidaemia in both models resulted in severe aorta malformation and a 17-fold increase in atherosclerosis formation. Lipid-rich lesions developed at sites of the vasculature typically protected from atherosclerosis development by laminar blood flow, covering 90% of aortas and extending to other vessels, including coronary arteries. Evaluation at earlier time points revealed medial lipid accumulation as a lesion-initiating event. Fluorescently labelled LDL injection followed by confocal microscopy showed increased LDL retention in the medial layer of Ccn2 knockout aortas, likely attributed to marked proteoglycan enrichment of the medial extracellular matrix. Analyses leveraging data from the Athero-Express study cohort indicated the relevance of CCN2 in established human lesions, as CCN2 correlated with SMC marker transcripts across 654 transcriptomically profiled carotid plaques. These findings were substantiated through in situ hybridization showing CCN2 expression predominantly in the fibrous cap. CONCLUSION: This study identifies CCN2 as a major constituent of the normal artery wall, critical in regulating SMC differentiation and aorta integrity and possessing a protective role against atherosclerosis development. These findings underscore the need for further investigation into the potential effects of anti-CCN2-based therapies on the vasculature.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Aorta, Atherosclerosis, Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2), Smooth muscle cell
- in
- Cardiovascular Research
- volume
- 120
- issue
- 15
- pages
- 18 pages
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85212457508
- pmid:39167826
- ISSN
- 1755-3245
- DOI
- 10.1093/cvr/cvae174
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 12ba4843-ef73-473e-8e26-2224a370af35
- date added to LUP
- 2025-01-17 14:35:10
- date last changed
- 2025-08-02 07:27:00
@article{12ba4843-ef73-473e-8e26-2224a370af35,
abstract = {{<p>AIMS: Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) is a matricellular protein implicated in fibrotic diseases, with ongoing clinical trials evaluating anti-CCN2-based therapies. By uncovering CCN2 as abundantly expressed in non-diseased artery tissue, this study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that CCN2 plays a pivotal role in maintaining smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype and protection against atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Global- and SMC-specific Ccn2 knockout mouse models were employed to demonstrate that Ccn2 deficiency leads to SMC de-differentiation, medial thickening, and aorta elongation under normolipidaemic conditions. Inducing hyperlipidaemia in both models resulted in severe aorta malformation and a 17-fold increase in atherosclerosis formation. Lipid-rich lesions developed at sites of the vasculature typically protected from atherosclerosis development by laminar blood flow, covering 90% of aortas and extending to other vessels, including coronary arteries. Evaluation at earlier time points revealed medial lipid accumulation as a lesion-initiating event. Fluorescently labelled LDL injection followed by confocal microscopy showed increased LDL retention in the medial layer of Ccn2 knockout aortas, likely attributed to marked proteoglycan enrichment of the medial extracellular matrix. Analyses leveraging data from the Athero-Express study cohort indicated the relevance of CCN2 in established human lesions, as CCN2 correlated with SMC marker transcripts across 654 transcriptomically profiled carotid plaques. These findings were substantiated through in situ hybridization showing CCN2 expression predominantly in the fibrous cap. CONCLUSION: This study identifies CCN2 as a major constituent of the normal artery wall, critical in regulating SMC differentiation and aorta integrity and possessing a protective role against atherosclerosis development. These findings underscore the need for further investigation into the potential effects of anti-CCN2-based therapies on the vasculature.</p>}},
author = {{Larsen, Jannik H. and Hegelund, Julie S. and Pedersen, Matilde K. and Andersson, Cecilie M. and Lindegaard, Caroline A. and Hansen, Didde R. and Stubbe, Jane and Lindholt, Jes S. and Hansen, Camilla S. and Grentzmann, Andrietta and Bloksgaard, Maria and Jensen, Boye L. and Rodriguez-Díez, Raúl R. and Ruiz-Ortega, Marta and Albinsson, Sebastian and Pasterkamp, Gerard and Mokry, Michal and Leask, Andrew and Goldschmeding, Roel and Pilecki, Bartosz and Sorensen, Grith L. and Pyke, Charles and Overgaard, Martin and Beck, Hans C. and Ketelhuth, Daniel F.J. and Rasmussen, Lars M. and Steffensen, Lasse B.}},
issn = {{1755-3245}},
keywords = {{Aorta; Atherosclerosis; Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2); Smooth muscle cell}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{15}},
pages = {{1851--1868}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Cardiovascular Research}},
title = {{Smooth muscle-specific deletion of cellular communication network factor 2 causes severe aorta malformation and atherosclerosis}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvae174}},
doi = {{10.1093/cvr/cvae174}},
volume = {{120}},
year = {{2024}},
}