KR-31378 ameliorates atherosclerosis by blocking monocyte recruitment in hypercholestrolemic mice.
The recruitment of monocytes into the artery wall is a crucial early step in atherogenesis. A novel compound, KR-31378, has been shown to be a neuroprotective agent for ischemia-reperfusion damage in rat brain via its potent antioxidant and antiapoptotic actions. Here, we report the effects of this compound on atherogenesis and possible mechanisms of action. In Ldlr knockout mice fed with a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, treatment with KR-31378 significantly inhibited fatty streak formation and macrophage accumulation. To address the possibility that KR-31378 may influence the initial stages of atherogenesis, we examined its effect on the adhesion and migration of monocytes to endothelial cells stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. KR-31378 decreased the adhesion in a dose-dependent manner. The observed decreases in cell adhesion and migration correlated with KR-31378-mediated down-regulation of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and interleukin (IL)-8. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is known to regulate the expression of adhesive and chemotactic molecules including VCAM-1 and IL-8. Indeed, transient transfection experiments, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and IkappaB degradation assay showed that KR-31378 decreased NF-kappaB activation. These results indicate that KR-31378 potently reduces fatty streak formation by inhibiting NF-kappaB-dependent cellular adhesion and chemotactic molecule expression, which are crucial to monocyte infiltration into the arterial wall during the early stages of atherogenesis.
Kim
Jiyun
J
Laboratory of Development and Differentiation, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yusong, Daejon, Korea.
Nam
Ki-Hoan
KH
Kim
Sun-Ok
SO
Choi
Jae-Hoon
JH
Kim
Hyoung-Chin
HC
Yang
Sung-Don
SD
Kang
Joo-Hyoung
JH
Ryu
Young-Han
YH
Oh
Goo Taeg
GT
Yoo
Sung-Eun
SE
D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D006146:Guanidines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D011714:Pyrans / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism
D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D006146:Guanidines; C438686:N''-cyano-N-(6-amino-3,4-dihydro-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-dimethoxymethyl-2H-benzopyran-4-yl)-N'-benzylguanidine; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011714:Pyrans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1