Knockout of IL-17D alleviates atherosclerotic plaque formation in mice
10.3969/j.issn.1000-4718.2025.08.004
- VernacularTitle:IL-17D敲除缓解小鼠动脉粥样硬化斑块形成的研究
- Author:
Junli ZHAO
1
;
Xiaodong GU
;
Ruiqiang WENG
;
Qiaoting DENG
;
Sudong LIU
Author Information
1. 汕头大学医学院梅州临床学院,广东 梅州 514000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
interleukin-17D;
atherosclerosis;
plaque formation;
macrophage;
p38/CD36 signaling pathway
- From:
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology
2025;41(8):1486-1494
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
AIM:To investigate the impact of interleukin-17(IL-17D)knockout on lipid phagocytosis in ath-erosclerosis(AS)and bone marrow-derived macrophages.METHODS:Twenty 8-week-old ApoE-/-C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups(10 mice per group).The experimental group was subjected to a high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce AS,while the control group received a normal diet.Additionally,fifteen 8-week-old ApoE-/-IL-17D-/-and ApoE-/-mice were also fed a high-fat diet for the same duration.Body weight and blood lipid levels were measured.Aortas were harvested,and IL-17D expression was assessed using RT-qPCR.Bone marrow cells were iso-lated and differentiated into macrophages with colony-stimulating factors.Oil red O staining was employed to visualize lip-id deposition in aortic plaques and macrophages.To stimulate macrophages,oxidized low-density lipoprotein(oxLDL)was used,and RT-qPCR along with Western blot analyses were conducted to evaluate the expression of lipid phagocytosis-related genes and the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.Dehydrocorydaline(DHC),a p38 MAPK activator,was adminis-tered to IL-17D-/-macrophages,and the expression of CD36 and lipid phagocytosis were assessed.RESULTS:IL-17D ex-pression was significantly elevated in the aortas of AS mice and in oxLDL-treated macrophages(P<0.01).IL-17D-/-mice exhibited notably lower serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels(P<0.01),along with a sig-nificant reduction in plaque area in the aortas and aortic roots(P<0.01).Macrophages lacking IL-17D demonstrated de-creased expression of CD36,LOX-1,IL-1β,and IL-6(P<0.01)and showed diminished lipid phagocytosis.These mac-rophages also exhibited reduced phosphorylation of p38(P<0.01)compared to wild-type macrophages.Activation of p38 MAPK by DHC significantly countered the inhibitory effects of IL-17D knockout on CD36 expression(P<0.01)and en-hanced lipid phagocytosis in macrophages.CONCLUSION:Knockout of IL-17D may modulate lipid phagocytosis in macro-phages via the p38/CD36 signaling pathway,potentially inhibiting the formation and progression of aortic plaques in mice.
