INDUCTION OF MITOCHONDRIAL MANGANESE SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE IN MACROPHAGES BY OXIDIZED LDL - ITS RELEVANCE IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS OF HUMANS AND HERITABLE HYPERLIPIDEMIC RABBITS
R. Kinscherf et al., INDUCTION OF MITOCHONDRIAL MANGANESE SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE IN MACROPHAGES BY OXIDIZED LDL - ITS RELEVANCE IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS OF HUMANS AND HERITABLE HYPERLIPIDEMIC RABBITS, The FASEB journal, 11(14), 1997, pp. 1317-1328
The objective of the study was to analyze the intracellular antioxidat
ive response of macrophages (M Phi) exposed to increased levels of low
density lipoprotein (LDL). We studied manganese superoxide dismutase
(MnSOD) and, in part, GSH in cultured human and rabbit M Phi, and in a
theromatous arterial tissue of humans and heritable hyperlipidemic (HH
L) rabbits. Incubation of human M Phi with oxidized-LDL (ox-LDL) resul
ted in an induction of MnSOD mRNA production as shown by RT-PCR. MnSOD
immunoreactivity (IR) was found to be located in the mitochondria of
M Phi. In HHL rabbits, MnSOD activity and GSH concentration were signi
ficantly increased in atherosclerotic intima compared to the media of
the aorta, but significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in larger plaques co
mpared with smaller ones, resulting in a significant inverse correlati
on of MnSOD activity (r = -0.67, P < 0.001) and GSH concentration (r =
-0.57, P < 0.01) with plaque size. Immunohistology of the atheroscler
otic intima revealed MnSOD-IR in Mac-1 (CD 11b/CD 18)-immunoreactive (
ir) M Phi of human arteries and, similarly, in RAM-11-ir M Phi, of rab
bit ones. The relation of MnSOD-ir M Phi decreased with plaque advance
ment, which is consistent with biochemical finding. Most MnSOD-ir M Ph
i in atherosclerotic plaques revealed TUNEL-positive nuclei, indicatin
g DNA strand breaks, and p53-1R. We conclude that mitochondrial antiox
idants such as MnSOD are induced in M Phi in vitro and in atherosclero
tic arteries as a reply to increased mitochondrial oxidation. As norma
l consequences of an increased oxidative stress due to the exposure to
ox-LDL nuclear DNA strand breaks occur, which are suggested to be a s
ignal to increase p53 protein levels. Reactive oxygen species-mediated
mitochondrial-dependent pathways are suggested as major contributing
pathomechanisms to nuclear damage, which eventually may result in apop
tosis. A common response to increased oxidative stress due to modified
LDL is presumed in rabbit and human atherosclerotic plaques.