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Idebenone Protects against Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Via Activation of the SIRT3-SOD2-mtROS Pathway

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Abstract

Purpose

Atherosclerosis, a chronic disease of the arteries, results from pathological processes including the accumulation and aggregation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in the vessel walls, development of neointima, formation of a fibrous cap, and migration of immune cells to damaged vascular endothelium. Recent studies have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction is closely associated with the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Idebenone, a short-chain benzoquinone similar in structure to coenzyme Q10, can effectively clear oxygen free radicals as an electron carrier and antioxidant. In the present study, we aim to investigate weather idebenone protects against atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE−/−) mice.

Methods

apoE−/− mice receiving a high-fat diet (HFD) were treated with idebenone for 16 weeks. A total of 60 mice were randomized into the following four groups: (1) HFD, (2) HFD and low-dose idebenone (100 mg/kg/d), (3) HFD and medium-dose idebenone (200 mg/kg/d), and (4) HFD and high-dose (400 mg/kg/d). Proteomic analysis was performed between the HFD and idebenone-high-dose group. Plaque analysis was carried out by histological and immunohistochemical staining. Western blot, TUNEL staining, and MitoSOX assays were performed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate the SIRT3-SOD2-mtROS pathway.

Results

Histological and morphological analysis demonstrated that idebenone significantly reduced plaque burden and plaque size. Idebenone treatment effectively stabilized the atherosclerotic plaques. In mice treated with idebenone, 351 up-regulated and 379 down-regulated proteins were found to be significantly altered in proteomic analysis. In particular, the expression of SIRT3, SOD2, and NLRP3 was significantly regulated in the idebenone treatment groups compared with the HFD group both in vivo and in vitro. We further confirmed that idebenone protected against endothelial cell damage and inhibited the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) in cholesterol-treated HUVECs.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that idebenone acted as a mitochondrial protective agent by inhibiting the activation of NLPR3 via the SIRT3-SOD2-mtROS pathway. Idebenone may be a promising therapy for patients with atherosclerosis by improving mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting oxidative stress.

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Abbreviations

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

OxLDL:

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein

HFD:

High-fat diet

HUVECs:

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

mtROS:

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species

SIRT3:

Sirtuin3

SOD2:

Superoxide dismutase 2

CoQ10:

Coenzyme Q10

ECM:

Endothelial cell medium

ECGS:

Endothelial cell growth supplement

CCK-8:

Cell counting kit-8

IDE-L:

Low-dose idebenone group

IDE-M:

Medium-dose idebenone group

IDE-H:

High-dose idebenone group

OCT:

Optimal cutting temperature

RIPA:

Radioimmunoprecipitation assay

H&E:

Hematoxylin and eosin

SMCs:

Smooth muscle cells

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor-α

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

DAB:

Diaminobenzidine

TEAB:

Triethylamine-carbonic acid buffer

MMP:

Mitochondrial membrane potential

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

TG:

Triglycerides

TC:

Total cholesterol

HDL-C:

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol

LDL-C:

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

MRC:

Mitochondrial respiratory chain

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Acknowledgments

We thank the State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine for appropriate advice about the animal experimental protocol. This manuscript was edited for English language by Medjaden Bioscience Limited. We thank Medjaden Bioscience Limited for English language editing.

Funding

This work was supported by the Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province and Policy supported projects of collaborative innovation and achievement transformation in universities and research institutes of Jinan (2019GXRC050).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology and Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 25000, Shandong, China

    Wei Jiang, Hongzhi Geng, Xiaoqing Lv, Pengfei Lin & Chuanzhu Yan

  2. The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 25000, Shandong, China

    Jing Ma

  3. Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Fuchen Liu

  4. Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Shandong University, Qingdao, 266035, Shandong, China

    Chuanzhu Yan

  5. Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, Shandong, China

    Chuanzhu Yan

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  1. Wei Jiang
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Contributions

Wei Jiang, Fuchen Liu, Pengfei Lin, and Chuanzhu Yan were involved in the conceptualization and design of the study, acquisition and interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript, and final approval of the version to be published.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Pengfei Lin or Chuanzhu Yan.

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Ethics Statement

This study was approved by the Brain Science Research Institute and the Ethics Committee from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Jinan, China).

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The authors declare that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication, and no significant financial support was received for this work that could have influenced its outcome.

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ESM 1

Fig. S1. Tissues between the aortic root and the abdominal aorta were selected for the proteomics. Fig. S2 - Fig. S4. GO enrichment bubble plot of differentially expressed proteins in three categories. Fig. S5 - Fig. S7. Comprehensive heat map for cluster analysis of the enrichment patterns of GO functional categories. Fig. S8. COG/KOG functional classification chart of differentially expressed proteins mainly involved in (C) energy production and conversion, (E) amino acid transport and metabolism, (I) lipid transport and metabolism, (R) general function prediction, and (T) signal transduction mechanisms. Fig. S9. Idebenone can suppress the expression of IL-1β tested by ELISA in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. (A) Quantification of the expression of IL-1β by ELISA in the four different treatment groups with apoE−/− mice (each group n = 7). (B) Quantification of the expression of IL-1β by ELISA in the four different groups (Si-control, Si-control + 10 μM CHOL, Si-control + 10 μM CHOL + 0.2 μM IDE, and Si-SIRT3 + 10 μM CHOL + 0.2 μM IDE) with HUVECs (each group n = 3). Representative data were from three independent experiments. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD. (A)*P < 0.05 vs. control; (B)*P < 0.05 vs.10 μM CHOL, #P < 0.05 vs. Si-control + 10 μM CHOL + 0.2 μM IDE. CHOL: cholesterol, IDE: idebenone. HFD: high-fat diet, L: low-dose, M: medium-dose, H: high-dose. Fig. S10. (a) Representative fluorescence image by MitoSOX and MitoTracker staining between control and 0.2 μM idebenone group (each group n = 5). (b) Quantitative analysis of intensity of red fluorescence by MitoSOX staining. (c) CCK8 detects the cell viability of HUVECs between control and 0.2 μM idebenone group (each group n = 5). Representative data were from three independent experiments. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD. IDE: idebenone. (DOCX 14586 kb)

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Jiang, W., Geng, H., Lv, X. et al. Idebenone Protects against Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Via Activation of the SIRT3-SOD2-mtROS Pathway. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 35, 1129–1145 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10557-020-07018-5

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