Arteriosclerosis is the chronic disease state characterized by thickening and hardening of arterial walls with loss of elasticity. Atherosclerosis, Monckeberg's medial calcific sclerosis, and arteriolosclerosis are the three histopathologic types of arteriosclerosis. With advancing age, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes, and hypertension, the conduit arteries become increasingly arteriosclerotic, losing compliance necessary for smooth distal tissue perfusion. This Windkessel physiology is impaired by changes in vascular geometry, and by changes in vascular matrix material properties arising from fibrosis, cross-linking and mineralization. Arteriosclerosis- viz., medial calcific sclerosis - has emerged as a particularly important contributor to lower extremity (LE) amputation risk in type II diabetes (T2DM). A better understanding of signaling pathways that control arterial fibrosis, calcification, and compliance will lead to new strategies for diminishing arteriosclerotic disease burden. Recent data identify Wnt/ 2 -catenin signaling and Wnt7 /LRP6 interactions as important in vascular calcification and tissue fibrosis -- down-stream of TNF-, BMP2-, and Msx2- activated osteogenic mineralization. Thus, the specific aims of this proposal are:
Aim 1 : """"""""To establish the contributions of cell-autonomous vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) 2-catenin actions to vascular calcification and mural fibrosis in diabetic arteriosclerosis, using SM22- Cre(+);Ctnnb1(flox/+);LDLR(-/-) mice as a model for study."""""""" We test whether genetic down- regulation of VSMC 2-catenin signaling alters initiation and progression of diabetic arteriosclerosis, including diet-induced reductions in LE blood flow in the LDLR-/- mouse.
Aim 2 : """"""""To examine the role of VSMC LRP6 expression in mediating the pro-calcific actions of Msx2-Wnt signaling during cardiovascular calcification, using diabetic SM22- Cre(+);LRP6(fl/fl);LDLR(-/-) mice as a model for study."""""""" LRP6 mediates Wnt7-dependent osteogenic and fibrotic signals in culture via 2-catenin and NFATc-mediated transcription. In this aim, we determine in vivo the cell-autonomous roles of VSMC LRP6 to the initiation of vascular calcification in diabetic arteriosclerosis in vivo, and the impact upon diet-induced activation of aortic osteogenic gene programs. The outcomes of these aims will provide physiological rationale and validation for reducing VSMC 2-catenin levels and LRP6 signaling as a potential therapeutic strategy to ameliorate vascular calcification -- and thus reduce lower extremity amputation risk in type II diabetes

Public Health Relevance

Arterial hardening in diabetes increases the risk for heart attacks &foot amputation. This occurs in part via metabolic &inflammatory signals that induce bone-like calcification in large arteries. We have identified that two proteins, LRP6 and 2-catenin, are activated with calcification, fibrosis, and hardening of the arteries in diabetic mice. We test whether regulation of these proteins reduces arterial hardening, decreases cardiac workload, and improves blood flow to the foot.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL081138-10
Application #
8477231
Study Section
Atherosclerosis and Inflammation of the Cardiovascular System Study Section (AICS)
Program Officer
Srinivas, Pothur R
Project Start
2005-09-30
Project End
2014-05-31
Budget Start
2013-06-01
Budget End
2014-05-31
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$459,459
Indirect Cost
$223,839
Name
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
020520466
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92037
Towler, Dwight A (2015) Arteriosclerosis, bone biology, and calciotropic hormone signaling: learning the ABCs of disease in the bone-vascular axis. J Am Soc Nephrol 26:243-5
Cheng, Su-Li; Ramachandran, Bindu; Behrmann, Abraham et al. (2015) Vascular smooth muscle LRP6 limits arteriosclerotic calcification in diabetic LDLR-/- mice by restraining noncanonical Wnt signals. Circ Res 117:142-56
Cheng, Su-Li; Behrmann, Abraham; Shao, Jian-Su et al. (2014) Targeted reduction of vascular Msx1 and Msx2 mitigates arteriosclerotic calcification and aortic stiffness in LDLR-deficient mice fed diabetogenic diets. Diabetes 63:4326-37
Towler, Dwight A (2014) The platelet: sensing shear and the endocrine regulation of cardiovascular sclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 34:1803-5
Towler, Dwight A (2013) Molecular and cellular aspects of calcific aortic valve disease. Circ Res 113:198-208
Towler, Dwight A (2013) Chronic kidney disease: the ""perfect storm"" of cardiometabolic risk illuminates genetic diathesis in cardiovascular disease. J Am Coll Cardiol 62:799-801
Cheng, Su-Li; Shao, Jian-Su; Behrmann, Abraham et al. (2013) Dkk1 and MSX2-Wnt7b signaling reciprocally regulate the endothelial-mesenchymal transition in aortic endothelial cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 33:1679-89
Towler, Dwight A (2013) Mitochondrial ROS deficiency and diabetic complications: AMP[K]-lifying the adaptation to hyperglycemia. J Clin Invest 123:4573-6
Thompson, Bithika; Towler, Dwight A (2012) Arterial calcification and bone physiology: role of the bone-vascular axis. Nat Rev Endocrinol 8:529-43
Lai, Chung-Fang; Shao, Jian-Su; Behrmann, Abraham et al. (2012) TNFR1-activated reactive oxidative species signals up-regulate osteogenic Msx2 programs in aortic myofibroblasts. Endocrinology 153:3897-910

Showing the most recent 10 out of 28 publications