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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

On-Chip Endothelial Inflammatory Phenotyping
Published on: July 21, 2012
APOC3 induces endothelial dysfunction through TNF-α and JAM-1
Yun Tao1, Yisong Xiong2, Huimin Wang1
1Center of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital, Nantong University, 20 Xi Si Road, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) promotes cardiovascular disease (CVD) by increasing inflammation and endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction. Targeting APOC3-induced inflammation may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for CVD.
Area of Science:
- Lipid metabolism and cardiovascular research
- Endothelial cell biology
- Inflammation and atherosclerosis
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) fatality rates are rising, with elevated triglycerides as a risk factor.
- Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is a key contributor to CVD.
- Apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) is linked to hyperlipidemia and CVD risk, but its direct effects on ECs were unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the direct effects of APOC3 on ECs.
- To investigate APOC3's role in EC inflammation, chemotaxis, and exudation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ELISA, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and transwell assays on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).
- Employed siRNA to silence TNF-α and JAM-1 to analyze APOC3's influence on EC inflammatory processes.
Main Results:
- APOC3 correlated with EC inflammation, marked by increased TNF-α expression.
- APOC3 disrupted endothelial tight junctions (TJs) via elevated JAM-1, promoting leukocyte exudation and EC chemotaxis.
- APOC3 increased THP-1 cell adhesion to HUVECs.
Conclusions:
- Elucidated the mechanism of APOC3-induced EC inflammation, chemotaxis, and exudation.
- Suggests targeting APOC3-mediated inflammatory pathways as a potential new therapeutic approach for CVD.
Background:
The fatality rate for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has increased in recent years and higher levels of triglyceride have been shown to be an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic CVD. Dysfunction of endothelial cells (ECs) is also a key factor of CVD. APOC3 is an important molecule in lipid metabolism that is closely associated with hyperlipidemia and an increased risk of developing CVD. But the direct effects of APOC3 on ECs were still unknown. This study was aimed at determining the effects of APOC3 on inflammation, chemotaxis and exudation in ECs.
Methods:
ELISA, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and transwell assays were used to investigate the effects of APOC3 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). SiRNA-induced TNF-α and JAM-1 silencing were used to observe how APOC3 influenced the inflammatory process in the ECs.
Results:
Our results showed that APOC3 was closely associated with the inflammatory process in ECs, and that this process was characterized by the increased expression of TNF-α. Inflammatory processes further disrupted the tight junctions (TJs) between HUVECs by causing increased expression of JAM-1. JAM-1 was involved in maintaining the integrity of TJs, and it promoted the assembly of platelets and the exudation of leukocytes. Changes in its expression promoted chemotaxis and the exudation of ECs, which contributed to atherosclerosis. While the integrity of the TJs was disrupted, the adhesion of THP-1 cells to HUVECs was also increased by APOC3.
Conclusions:
In this study, we describe the mechanism by which APOC3 causes inflammation, chemotaxis and the exudation of ECs, and we suggest that controlling the inflammatory reactions that are caused by APOC3 may be a new method to treat CVD.
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