title: Macrophage Foam Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Promote Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration and Adhesion.
abstract: A new mechanism for intercellular communication has recently emerged that involves intercellular transfer of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Several studies have indicated that EVs may play a potential role in cell-to-cell communication between macrophage foam cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in atherosclerotic lesion.
  
  
  
  This study involved the comparison of circulating EVs from atherosclerotic patients and control participants. The results showed that the circulation of the patients contained more leukocyte-derived EVs and that these EVs promoted more VSMC adhesion and migration than those of healthy participants. We then established a macrophage foam cell model and characterized the EVs from the macrophages. We used flow cytometric analyses and cell migration and adhesion assays and determined that the foam cells generated more EVs than the normal macrophages and that the foam cell-derived EVs were capable of promoting increased levels of VSMC migration and adhesion. Furthermore, we performed a proteomic analysis of the EVs. The data showed that the foam cell-derived EVs may promote VSMC adhesion and migration by regulating the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion pathways. In addition, Western blotting revealed that foam cell-derived EVs could promote the phosphorylation of ERK and Akt in VSMCs in a time-dependent manner. We also found that foam cell-derived EVs could enter the VSMCs and transfer integrins to the surface of these cells.
  
  
  
  The data in our present study provide the first evidence that EVs from foam cells could promote VSMC migration and adhesion, which may be mediated by the integration of EVs into VSMCs and the subsequent downstream activation of ERK and Akt.
authors: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors: Chenguang
authors: C
authors: Niu
authors: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors: Mingming
authors: M
authors: Zhao
authors: Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals and Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Tanxi
authors: T
authors: Cai
authors: Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals and Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Peibin
authors: P
authors: Liu
authors: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors: Jizhao
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Proteomics Laboratory, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Belinda
authors: B
authors: Willard
authors: Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Lingyun
authors: L
authors: Zu
authors: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors: Enchen
authors: E
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Capital Medical University Pinggu Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Yufeng
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Pan
authors: Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals and Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China fqyang@ibp.ac.cn zhengl@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors: Fuquan
authors: F
authors: Yang
authors: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China fqyang@ibp.ac.cn zhengl@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors: Lemin
authors: L
authors: Zheng
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle; D010766:Phosphorylation; D040901:Proteomics; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016023:Integrins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
keywords: atherosclerosis; exosomes; microparticles; microvesicles; proteomics