Coronary artery disease is a major cause of mortality and disability in the United States and worldwide, and accounts for rising health costs. Clinically it is evident that plaque rupture, the most important cause of coronary thrombosis, is often associated with myocardial infarction and death. Many of the endogenous ligands that play a key role in plaque rupture are still not well understood. A variant of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin containing the alternatively-spliced extra domain A (EDA+-FN) is absent in healthy arteries, but expressed in the atherosclerotic arteries of humans, suggesting a role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Our recent study using a specific inhibitor suggests that EDA+-FN aggravates ischemia/reperfusion brain injury via toll-like-receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway. Together these findings provide a compelling rationale to test the novel role of EDA+-FN and TLR4 signaling in modulating early and advanced atherosclerosis.
In Aim 1, we will test the hypothesis that EDA+-FN exacerbates early atherosclerosis via TLR4 signaling in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice. Further, we will define the role of endothelial cell TLR4 in exacerbating early atherosclerosis.
In Aim 2, we will test the hypothesis that TLR4 signaling contributes to plaque vulnerability during advanced atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice. Further, we will test the hypothesis that EDA+-FN promotes plaque vulnerability via TLR4 signaling.
In Aim 3, we will define the role of endothelial cell EDA+-FN in atherosclerosis. As a preclinical approach, we will test the hypothesis that blocking EDA+-FN with monoclonal antibodies will inhibit atherosclerotic lesion progression in ApoE-/- mice. The proposed studies will use multidisciplinary innovative approaches, including several novel genetic mouse strains, and a novel intravital method to define the mechanisms by which EDA+-FN modulates atherosclerosis. The proposal is significant and may have important clinical implications because the studies designed herein will identify a novel endogenous ligand and unravel new pathway that modulate key atherogenic events in early and advance lesion development.

Public Health Relevance

The most common cause of coronary artery disease is the development of atherosclerotic plaques and their rupture, which is often associated with myocardial infarction and death. The proposed studies will determine the mechanistic role of extracellular matrix fibronectin extra domain A in exacerbating early atherosclerosis and promoting plaque vulnerability during advanced atherosclerosis. This research has the potential to identify a novel endogenous ligand and an underexplored pathway that could be targeted for prevention and treatment of the vulnerable plaques, thus enhancing human health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL118246-05
Application #
9249959
Study Section
Atherosclerosis and Inflammation of the Cardiovascular System Study Section (AICS)
Program Officer
Olive, Michelle
Project Start
2013-06-01
Project End
2018-03-31
Budget Start
2017-04-01
Budget End
2018-03-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
$377,500
Indirect Cost
$127,500
Name
University of Iowa
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
062761671
City
Iowa City
State
IA
Country
United States
Zip Code
52246
Flippo, Kyle H; Gnanasekaran, Aswini; Perkins, Guy A et al. (2018) AKAP1 Protects from Cerebral Ischemic Stroke by Inhibiting Drp1-Dependent Mitochondrial Fission. J Neurosci 38:8233-8242
Doddapattar, Prakash; Dhanesha, Nirav; Chorawala, Mehul R et al. (2018) Endothelial Cell-Derived Von Willebrand Factor, But Not Platelet-Derived, Promotes Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 38:520-528
Doddapattar, Prakash; Jain, Manish; Dhanesha, Nirav et al. (2018) Fibronectin Containing Extra Domain A Induces Plaque Destabilization in the Innominate Artery of Aged Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 38:500-508
Prakash, P; Nayak, M K; Chauhan, A K (2017) P-selectin can promote thrombus propagation independently of both von Willebrand factor and thrombospondin-1 in mice. J Thromb Haemost 15:388-394
Dhanesha, Nirav; Doddapattar, Prakash; Chorawala, Mehul R et al. (2017) ADAMTS13 Retards Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy by Inhibiting Intrarenal Thrombosis in Mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 37:1332-1338
Gu, Sean X; Blokhin, Ilya O; Wilson, Katina M et al. (2016) Protein methionine oxidation augments reperfusion injury in acute ischemic stroke. JCI Insight 1:
Dhanesha, Nirav; Prakash, Prem; Doddapattar, Prakash et al. (2016) Endothelial Cell-Derived von Willebrand Factor Is the Major Determinant That Mediates von Willebrand Factor-Dependent Acute Ischemic Stroke by Promoting Postischemic Thrombo-Inflammation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 36:1829-37
Niki, Masaru; Nayak, Manasa K; Jin, Hong et al. (2016) Dok-1 negatively regulates platelet integrin ?IIb?3 outside-in signalling and inhibits thrombosis in mice. Thromb Haemost 115:969-78
Jin, Hong; Gebska, Milena A; Blokhin, Ilya O et al. (2015) Endothelial PPAR-? protects against vascular thrombosis by downregulating P-selectin expression. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 35:838-44
Prakash, Prem; Kulkarni, Paresh P; Chauhan, Anil K (2015) Thrombospondin 1 requires von Willebrand factor to modulate arterial thrombosis in mice. Blood 125:399-406

Showing the most recent 10 out of 15 publications