Aim: A growing body of evidence has shown that increased formation of oxidized molecules and reactive oxygen species within the vasculature (i.e., the extracellular space) plays a crucial role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and in the formation of unstable plaques. Peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4) is the only known secretory member of the antioxidant PRDX family. However, the relationship between PRDX4 and susceptibility to atherosclerosis has remained unclear. Results: To define the role of PRDX4 in hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis, we generated hPRDX4 transgenic (Tg) and apolipoprotein E (apoE) knockout mice (hPRDX4 +/+ /apoE -/ -). After feeding the mice a high-cholesterol diet, they showed fewer atheromatous plaques, less T-lymphocyte infiltration, lower levels of oxidative stress markers, less necrosis, a larger number of smooth muscle cells, and a larger amount of collagen, resulting in thickened fibrous cap formation and possible stable plaque phenotype as compared with apoE -/ -mice. We also detected greater suppression of apoptosis and decreased Bax expression in hPRDX4 +/+ /apoE -/ -mice than in apoE -/ -mice. Bone marrow transplantation from hPRDX4 +/+ donors to apoE -/ -mice confirmed the antiatherogenic aspects of PRDX4, revealing significantly suppressed atherosclerotic progression. Innovation: In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that PRDX4 suppressed the development of atherosclerosis in apoE -/ -mice fed a high-cholesterol diet. Conclusion: These data indicate that PRDX4 is an antiatherogenic factor and, by suppressing oxidative damage and apoptosis, that it may protect against the formation of vulnerable (unstable) plaques. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 17, 1362-1375.

Aims: Consumption of a high-fructose diet (HFrD) can induce the development of a metabolic syndrome, manifesting as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), via a process in which oxidative stress plays a critical role. Peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4) is a unique and only known secretory member of the PRDX antioxidant family. However, its putative roles in the development of NASH and/or T2DM have not been investigated. Results: To elucidate the functions of PRDX4 in a metabolic syndrome, we established a nongenetic mouse model of T2DM by feeding mice a HFrD after injecting a relatively low dose of streptozotocin. Compared with wild-type (WT), human PRDX4 transgenic (Tg) mice exhibited significant improvements in insulin resistance, characterized by a lower glucose and insulin concentration and faster responses in glucose tolerance tests. The liver of Tg also showed less severe vesicular steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, along with lower lipid concentrations, lower levels of oxidative stress markers, more decreased expression of hepatic aminotransferase, and more reduced stellate cell activation than those in the WT liver, reminiscent of human early NASH. Hepatocyte apoptosis was also significantly repressed in Tg mice. By contrast, serum adiponectin levels and hepatic adiponectin receptor expression were significantly lower in WT mice, consistent with greater insulin resistance in the peripheral liver tissue compared with Tg mice. Innovation and Conclusion: Our data for the first time show that PRDX4 may protect against NASH, T2DM, and the metabolic syndrome by ameliorating oxidative stress-induced injury.

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase that plays a crucial role in stress-induced apoptosis. Recently, we have reported that suppressed macrophage apoptosis in ASK1 and apolipoprotein E double-knockout mice accelerates atheromatous plaques in the hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerotic model. However, the pathogenic role of smooth muscle cell (SMC) apoptosis in atherosclerosis still remains unclear. We investigated neointimal remodeling in ligated carotid arteries of ASK1-deficient mice (ASK1(-/-)) for 3 weeks. ASK1(-/-) mice had significantly more suppressed intimal formation, inversely manifesting as potential anti-atherogenic aspects of ASK1 deficiency, characterized by fewer SMCs and less collagen synthesis; and fewer apoptotic SMCs, infiltrating T lymphocytes, and microvessels, associated with decreased apoptosis of luminal endothelial cells, compared with those of wild-type mice. Injured arteries of ASK1(-/-) mice also showed significantly down-regulated expression of pro-apoptotic markers, adhesion molecules, and pro-inflammatory signaling factors. Moreover, tumor necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis was markedly suppressed in cultured aortic SMCs from ASK1(-/-) mice. These findings suggest that ASK1 accelerates mechanical injury-induced vascular remodeling with activated SMC migration via increased neovascularization and/or enhanced SMC and endothelial cell apoptosis. ASK1 expression, especially in the SMCs, might be crucial, and reciprocally responsible for various pro-atherogenic functions, and SMC apoptosis seems to be detrimental in this model.

Histamine is synthesized as a low-molecular-weight amine from L-histidine by histidine decarboxylase (HDC). Recently, we demonstrated that carotid artery-ligated HDC gene-deficient mice (HDC(-/-)) showed less neointimal formation than wild-type (WT) mice, indicating that histamine participates in the process of arteriosclerosis. However, little is known about the roles of histamine-specific receptors (HHRs) in arteriosclerosis. To define the roles of HHRs in arteriosclerosis, we investigated intimal remodeling in ligated carotid arteries of HHR-deficient mice (H1R(-/-) or H2R(-/-)). Quantitative analysis showed that H1R(-/-) mice had significantly less arteriosclerogenesis, whereas H2R(-/-) mice had more, as compared with WT mice. Bone marrow transplantation from H1R(-/-) or H2R(-/-) to WT mice confirmed the above observation. Furthermore, the increased expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), adhesion molecules and liver X receptor (LXR)-related inflammatory signaling factors, including Toll-like receptor (TLR3), interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) and tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R), was consistent with the arteriosclerotic phenotype of H2R(-/-) mice. Peripheral progenitor cells in H2R(-/-) mice accelerate ligation-induced arteriosclerosis through their regulation of MCP-1, PDGF, adhesion molecules and LXR-related inflammatory signaling factors. In contrast, peripheral progenitor cells act to suppress arteriosclerosis in H1R(-/-) mice, indicating that HHRs reciprocally regulate inflammation in the ligation-induced arteriosclerosis.

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), also known as mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K), is ubiquitously expressed and situated in an important upstream position of many signal transduction pathways. ASK1 plays a pivotal role in stressor-induced cell survival and inflammatory reactions. To ascertain the regulatory functions of ASK1 in bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver injury, we examined the net effects of ASK1 depletion on hepatic necroinflammation and/or fibrosis. We subjected C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) or ASK1-deficient (ASK1(-/-)) mice to sham or BDL surgery for 14 days. In day 3 BDL animals, ASK1(-/-) mice had significantly fewer bile infarcts along with more reduced interlobular or portal inflammatory infiltrate of various immune cells, including neutrophils, compared with WT mice in which ASK1 expression was markedly activated. Morphologically apoptotic hepatocytes or cholangiocytes were negligible in both the sham and BDL animals. In contrast, ASK1(-/-) mice had significantly less proliferating activity of not only hepatocytes but also large cholangiocytes than WT mice. Day 14 BDL ASK1(-/-) mice manifested potential antifibrogenic aspects of ASK1 deficiency, characterized by significantly fewer activated peribiliary fibrogenic cells and peribiliary fibrosis. These observations indicate that ASK1-mediated hepatic necroinflammation and proliferation, but not apoptosis, are closely linked to liver fibrosis and fibrogenesis. A specific ASK1 pathway blocker or inhibitor might offer a therapeutic strategy against human cholestatic diseases.