A role for autophagy in carotid atherosclerosis

Abstract

Purpose: Autophagy has emerged in recent years as a critical cellular survival mechanism for cell homeostasis and may play a protective role in atherosclerosis. We aimed to review here the role autophagy plays in different cell types present in carotid atherosclerotic plaques and that may be associated with the development of unstable carotid atheroma plaque. Methods: We performed a thorough literature exploration in this area of research covering the three main cell types present in carotid atheroma plaques. Findings: Reviewed reports indicate that the role of autophagy in stable or unstable carotid atherosclerotic plaques depends on the different cell types and phenotypes, the stage and morphology of the plaque and the specific autophagy factor/s involved. Discussion: Although defective autophagy could be one of the causes for carotid atheroma plaques to become unstable, it is important to take into account that autophagic players can act differentially in different cell types and different stages of the developed plaque. Conclusion: This review provides an overview of the role of autophagy in the main cell types in carotid atherosclerosis (i.e. macrophages, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells).

Identification of Biomarkers of Autophagy-Related Genes Between Early and Advanced Carotid Atherosclerosis

“… 32 Autophagy has emerged in recent years as a critical cellular survival mechanism for cell homeostasis and may play a protective role in atherosclerosis. 33 Autophagy-related biomarkers have been found in many atherosclerotic diseases, including hsa_circ_0030042 in coronary arteries, Beclin 1 in major intracranial artery, DR-NPs in the abdominal artery and miR-100 in aorta. However, there are few autophagy-related studies, comparing early carotid atherosclerosis with advanced carotid atherosclerosis samples.…”

Smooth muscle-specific HuR knockout induces defective autophagy and atherosclerosis

“…The most important upstream regulators of autophagy are AMPK and mammalian target of rapamycin. Moreover, some studies have found that AMPK and mammalian target of rapamycin interact with each other 44 , 45 . From autophagosomes to autolysosomes, autophagy-related proteins such as Atg5, Atg7, LC3II, and p62 are indispensable for the occurrence and development of autophagy 46 .…”

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“…ATG5 then bounds to ATG16 and facilitates cytoplasmic proteins delivery to lysosomes for degradation [26]. Along with MAPLC3B, ATG12-ATG5-ATG16 complex elongates the phagophore membrane and dissociates when autophagosome formation is complete [27]. We found that the conjugated ATG5-ATG12 complex was up regulated in LSCD-diseased corneal epithelial cells.…”