Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: TRP , TRPV , TRPV1

Title: Activation of TRPV1 reduces vascular lipid accumulation and attenuates atherosclerosis.

Authors: Liqun Ma, Jian Zhong, Zhigang Zhao, Zhidan Luo, Shuangtao Ma, Jing Sun, Hongbo He, Tianqi Zhu, Daoyan Liu, Zhiming Zhu, Martin Tepel

Journal, date & volume: Cardiovasc. Res., 2011 Dec 1 , 92, 504-13

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21908651

Abstract
Activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) channels may affect lipid storage and the cellular inflammatory response. Now, we tested the hypothesis that activation of TRPV1 channels attenuates atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E knockout mice (ApoE(-/-)) but not ApoE(-/-)TRPV1(-/-) double knockout mice on a high-fat diet.Both TRPV1 mRNA and protein expression were identified in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and in aorta from C57BL/6J mice using RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry. In vitro, activation of TRPV1 by the specific agonists capsaicin and resiniferatoxin dose-dependently increased cytosolic calcium and significantly reduced the accumulation of lipids in VSMC from C57BL/6J mice but not from TRPV1(-/-) mice. TRPV1 activation increased ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) expression and reduced low-density lipoprotein-related protein 1 (LRP1) expression in VSMC by calcium-dependent and calcineurin- and protein kinase A-dependent mechanisms. These results showed increased cellular cholesterol efflux and reduced cholesterol uptake. In vivo, long-term activation of TRPV1 by capsaicin for 24 weeks increased ABCA1 and reduced LRP1 expression in aorta from ApoE(-/-) mice on a high-fat diet. Long-term activation of TRPV1 significantly reduced lipid storage and atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus and in the thoracoabdominal aorta from ApoE(-/-) mice but not from ApoE(-/-)TRPV1(-/-) mice on a high-fat diet. These findings indicated that TRPV1 activation ameliorates high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis.Activation of TRPV1 may be a novel therapeutic tool to attenuate atherosclerosis caused by a high-fat diet.