Objective Endothelial cell activation drives early atherosclerotic plaque formation. Both fibronectin deposition and accumulation of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) occur early during atherogenesis and both are implicated in enhanced endothelial cell activation. However, interplay between these responses has not been established. The objective of our study was to determine whether endothelial matrix composition modulates the inflammatory properties of oxLDL. Approach and Results We now show that oxLDL-induced NF-κB activation, proinflammatory gene expression, and monocyte binding is significantly enhanced when endothelial cells are attached to fibronectin compared to basement membrane proteins. This enhanced response does not result from altered oxLDL receptor expression, oxLDL uptake, or reactive oxygen species production, but instead results from oxLDL-induced activation of the fibronectin-binding integrin α5β1. Preventing α5β1 signaling (blocking antibodies, knockout cells) inhibits oxLDL-induced NF-κB activation and VCAM-1 expression. Furthermore, oxLDL-drives α5β1-dependent integrin signaling through the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathway and FAK inhibition (PF-573228, siRNA) blunts oxLDL-induced NF-κB activation, VCAM-1 expression, and monocyte adhesion. Lastly, treatment with the α5β1 signaling inhibitor, ATN-161, significantly blunts atherosclerotic plaque development in ApoE deficient mice, characterized by reduced VCAM-1 expression and macrophage accumulation without affecting fibrous cap size. Conclusions Our data suggest that α5β1-mediated crosstalk between fibronectin and oxidized LDL regulates inflammation in early atherogenesis and therapeutics that inhibit α5 integrins may reduce inflammation without adversely affecting plaque structure.

Endothelial cell interactions with transitional matrix proteins, such as fibronectin, occur early during atherogenesis and regulate shear stress-induced endothelial cell activation. Multiple endothelial cell integrins bind transitional matrix proteins, including a5b1, avb3, and avb5. However, the role these integrins play in mediating shear stress-induced endothelial cell activation remains unclear. Therefore, we sought to elucidate which integrin heterodimers mediate shear stress-induced endothelial cell activation and early atherogenesis. We now show that inhibiting avb3 integrins (S247, siRNA), but not a5b1 or avb5, blunts shear stress-induced proinflammatory signaling (NF-kB, p21-activated kinase) and gene expression (ICAM1, VCAM1). Importantly, inhibiting avb3 did not affect cytokine-induced proinflammatory responses or inhibit all shear stress-induced signaling, because Akt, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and extracellular regulated kinase activation remained intact. Furthermore, inhibiting av integrins (S247), but not a5 (ATN-161), in atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E knockout mice significantly reduced vascular remodeling after acute induction of disturbed flow. S247 treatment similarly reduced early diet-induced atherosclerotic plaque formation associated with both diminished inflammation (expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, plaque macrophage content) and reduced smooth muscle incorporation. Inducible, endothelial cell-specific av integrin deletion similarly blunted inflammation in models of disturbed flow and diet-induced atherogenesis but did not affect smooth muscle incorporation. Our studies identify avb3 as the primary integrin heterodimer mediating shear stress-induced proinflammatory responses and as a key contributor to early atherogenic inflammation. (Am J Pathol 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2015 Although traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia, are systemic throughout the circulation, atherosclerotic plaques form at discrete areas of the vasculature where vessel geometry results in altered hemodynamics.1,2 Endothelial cells respond to the frictional force generated by these flow patterns, termed shear stress, and convert them into intracellular biochemical signals that critically modulate endothelial cell function. In straight regions of arteries, shear stress generated by unidirectional, laminar flow promotes nitric oxide production and limits endothelial cell activation, consistent with the absence of atherosclerosis in these areas.1,2 In contrast, shear stress generated by disturbed flow patterns, such as those observed at sites of vessel branch points, bifurcations, and curvatures, results in endothelial cell activation with enhanced proinflammatory gene expression [intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1)] and permeability.

Objective Endothelial cell activation results in altered cell-cell interactions with adjacent endothelial cells and with infiltrating leukocytes. Eph receptors and their ephrin ligands regulate cell-cell interactions during tissue remodeling, and multiple proinflammatory mediators induce endothelial EphA receptor and ephrinA ligand expression. Therefore, we sought to elucidate the role of EphA receptors and ephrinA ligands in endothelial cell activation and atherosclerosis. Methods and Results qRT-PCR screening for EphA/ephrinA expression in atherosclerosis-prone macrovascular endothelium identified EphA2, EphA4, and ephrinA1 as the dominant isoforms. Endothelial activation with oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and proinflammatory cytokines induced EphA2 and ephrinA1 expression and sustained EphA2 activation, whereas EphA4 expression was unaffected. Atherosclerotic plaques from mice and humans show enhanced EphA2 and ephrinA1 expression colocalizing in the endothelial cell layer. EphA2 activation with recombinant Fc-ephrinA1 induces proinflammatory gene expression (ex. VCAM-1, E-Selectin) and stimulates monocyte adhesion, while inhibiting EphA2 (siRNA, pharmacological inhibitors) abrogated both ephrinA1-induced and oxLDL-induced VCAM-1 expression. Conclusions The current data suggest that enhanced EphA2 signaling during endothelial cell activation perpetuates proinflammatory gene expression. Coupled with EphA2 expression in mouse and human atherosclerotic plaques, these data implicate EphA2 as a novel proinflammatory mediator and potential regulator of atherosclerotic plaque development.