Title Information
Title
A Macrophage Rac1-IL1B Signaling Axis Directs Atherosclerotic Calcification
Name: Personal
Name Part
Berus, Joshua
Role
Role Term: Text
creator
Name: Personal
Name Part
Morrison, Alan
Role
Role Term: Text
Advisor
Name: Personal
Name Part
Wessel, Gary
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Johnson, Mark
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Wharton, Kristi
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Chun, Hyung
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Corporate
Name Part
Brown University. Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry
Role
Role Term: Text
sponsor
Origin Information
Copyright Date
2020
Physical Description
Extent
0, 254 p.
digitalOrigin
born digital
Note: thesis
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Brown University, 2020
Genre (aat)
theses
Abstract
Atherosclerotic plaque calcification is associated increased risk of cardiovascular events. Inflammation plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and is thought to potentially participate in vascular calcification. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzymeA reductase inhibitors or statins, which are used to reduce risk of cardiovascular events, appear to alter plaque calcification. However, the signaling mechanisms that promote this process and how statins alter these mechanisms are minimally understood. Prior investigation of these mechanisms defined a macrophage Rac (Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate)-IL-1β (interleukin-1 beta) signaling axis as important in promoting atherosclerotic calcification in Rac2 deficient mice, which exhibit elevated calcification. This project sought to evaluate the role of Rac-IL-1β signaling in endogenous atherosclerotic calcification and to investigate the role of statin therapy in this pathway. Both endogenous macrophage Rac1 expression and Rac1-dependent IL-1β expression are demonstrated to contribute to the development of atherosclerotic calcification. Statins are shown to enhance calcification by disrupting the complex between Rac1 and its inhibitor RhoGDI (Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor), leading to increased Rac1 activity (GTP bound) in primary monocytes/macrophages. Rac1 regulation of IL-1β expression appears to be dependent upon NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) activity in both endogenous and statin-treated macrophage signaling under inflammasome stimulation. These findings demonstrate that macrophage endogenous Rac1-IL-1β signaling is important for atherosclerotic calcification and that statin-enhanced calcification is facilitated through this same signaling axis by disrupting the inhibition of Rac1 activity.
Subject
Topic
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01005265")
Topic
Macrophages
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/00844023")
Topic
Calcification
Language
Language Term (ISO639-2B)
English
Record Information
Record Content Source (marcorg)
RPB
Record Creation Date (encoding="iso8601")
20210607
Type of Resource (primo)
dissertations
Access Condition: rights statement (href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/")
In Copyright
Access Condition: restriction on access
All rights reserved. Collection is open to the Brown community for research.