title: MFG-E8 released by apoptotic endothelial cells triggers anti-inflammatory macrophage reprogramming.
abstract: Apoptotic endothelial cells are an important component of the "response to injury" process. Several atherosclerosis risk factors such as hyperglycemia and oxidized low-density lipoproteins, and immune injuries, such as antibodies and complement, induce endothelial cell apoptosis. While endothelial cell apoptosis is known to affect neighboring vascular wall cell biology, its consequences on macrophage reprogramming are ill defined. In this study, we report that apoptosis of human and mouse endothelial cells triggers the release of milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG-E8) and reprograms macrophages into an anti-inflammatory cells. We demonstrated that MFG-E8 is released by apoptotic endothelial cells in a caspase-3-dependent manner. When macrophages were exposed to conditioned media from serum-starved apoptotic endothelial cells, they adopt a high anti-inflammatory, low pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine secreting phenotype that is lost if MFG-E8 is absent from the media. Macrophage treatment with recombinant MFG-E8 recapitulates the effect of conditioned media. Finally, we showed that MFG-E8-mediated reprogramming of macrophages occurs through increased phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3). Taken together, our study suggests a key role of MFG-E8 release from apoptotic endothelial cells in macrophage reprogramming and demonstrates the importance of the apoptotic microenvironment in anti-inflammatory macrophage responses.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Joëlle
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brissette
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lepage
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lamonde
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sirois
authors.forename: Jessika
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Groleau
authors.forename: Louis-Philippe
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Laurin
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cailhier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; C490919:Mfge8 protein, mouse; D008894:Milk Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D053148:Caspase 3