Published online before print November 11, 2004, doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000150044.84012.68
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.
Atherosclerosis and Lipoproteins |
Macrophage Liver X Receptor Is Required for Antiatherogenic Activity of LXR Agonists
From X-Ceptor Therapeutics Inc, San Diego, Calif.
Correspondence to Ira G. Schulman, PhD, X-Ceptor Therapeutics Inc, 4757 Nexus Center Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92121. E-mail ischulman{at}exelixis.com
Objective— Complications of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease due to elevated blood cholesterol levels are the major cause of death in the Western world. The liver X receptors, LXR
and LXRß (LXRs), are ligand-dependent transcription factors that act as cholesterol sensors and coordinately control transcription of genes involved in cholesterol and lipid homeostasis as well as macrophage inflammatory gene expression. LXRs regulate cholesterol balance through activation of ATP-binding cassette transporters that promote cholesterol transport and excretion from the liver, intestine, and macrophage. Although LXR agonists are known to delay progression of atherosclerosis in mouse models, their ability to abrogate preexisting cardiovascular disease by inducing regression and stabilization of established atherosclerotic lesions has not been addressed.
Methods and Results— We demonstrate that LXR agonist treatment increases ATP-binding cassette transporter expression within preexisting atherosclerotic lesions, resulting in regression of these lesions as well as remodeling from vulnerable to stable lesions and a reduction in macrophage content. Further, using macrophage-selective LXR-deficient mice created by bone marrow transplantation, we provide the first evidence that macrophage LXR expression is necessary for the atheroprotective actions of an LXR agonist.
Conclusions— These data substantiate that drugs targeting macrophage LXR activity may offer therapeutic benefit in the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
LXR agonist treatment increases ATP-binding cassette transporter expression within preexisting atherosclerotic lesions, resulting in lesion regression, remodeling from vulnerable to stable lesions, and a reduction in lesion macrophage content. Using bone marrow transplantation, we provide the first evidence that macrophage LXR expression is necessary for the atheroprotective actions of an LXR agonist.
Key Words: atherosclerosis • LXRs • nuclear receptors • reverse cholesterol transport
Related Article:
Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 2005 25: 10-11.
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