title: Cannabinoid (CB2) receptor deficiency reduces the susceptibility of macrophages to oxidized LDL/oxysterol-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Macrophage apoptosis is an important process in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (OxLDL) are a major component of lesions and potently induce macrophage apoptosis. Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), the predominant macrophage cannabinoid receptor, modulates several macrophage processes associated with ongoing atherosclerosis; however, the role of CB2 in macrophage apoptosis is unknown. To determine if CB2 influences a macrophage apoptotic pathway relevant to atherosclerosis, we examined the effect of CB2 deficiency on OxLDL-induced macrophage apoptosis. In situ terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis of resident peritoneal macrophages detected significantly fewer apoptotic CB2(-/-) macrophages than CB2(+/+) macrophages after incubation with OxLDL (27.9 +/- 4.7% vs. 61.9 +/- 8.5%, P < 0.001) or 7-ketocholesterol (7KC) (18.9 +/- 10.5% vs. 54.1 +/- 6.9%, P < 0.001), an oxysterol component of OxLDL. Caspase-3 activity; proteolytic conversion of procaspase-3; and cleavage of a caspase-3 substrate, PARP, were also diminished in 7KC-treated CB2(-/-) macrophages. Furthermore, the deactivation of the prosurvival kinase, Akt, in response to 7KC was impaired in CB2(-/-) macrophages. These results suggest that CB2 expression increases the susceptibility of macrophages to OxLDL-induced apoptosis, in part, by modulating the effect of oxysterols on the Akt survival pathway and that CB2 may influence atherosclerosis by modulating lesional macrophage apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Natalie E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Freeman-Anderson
authors.forename: Theresa G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Pickle
authors.forename: Courtney D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Netherland
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bales
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Douglas P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Thewke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein