Perilipin 5 deficiency promotes atherosclerosis progression through accelerating inflammation, apoptosis, and...

Excessive plasma triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol levels promote the progression of several prevalent cardiovascular risk factors, including atherosclerosis, which is a leading death cause. Perilipin 5 (Plin5), an important perilipin protein, is abundant in tissues with very active lipid catabolism and is involved in the regulation of oxidative stress. Although inflammation and oxidative stress play a critical role in atherosclerosis development, the underlying mechanisms are complex and not completely understood. In the present study, we demonstrated the role of Plin5 in high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E null (ApoE^-/- ) mice. Our results suggested that Plin5 expressions increased in the artery tissues of ApoE^-/- mice. ApoE/Plin5 double knockout (ApoE^-/- Plin5^-/- ) exacerbated severer atherogenesis, accompanied with significantly disturbed plasma metabolic profiles, such as elevated TG, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol contents. ApoE^-/- Plin5^-/- exhibited a higher number of inflammatory monocytes and neutrophils, as well as overexpression of cytokines and chemokines linked with an inflammatory response. Consistently, the IκBα/nuclear factor kappa B pathway was strongly activated in ApoE^-/- Plin5^-/- . Notably, apoptosis was dramatically induced by ApoE^-/- Plin5^-/- , as evidenced by increased cleavage of Caspase-3 and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-2. In addition, ApoE^-/- Plin5^-/- contributed to oxidative stress generation in the aortic tissues, which was linked with the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B and mitogen-activated protein kinases pathways. In vitro, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) increased Plin5 expression in RAW264.7 cells. Its knockdown enhanced inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and lipid accumulation, while promotion of Plin5 markedly reduced all the effects induced by ox-LDL in cells. These studies strongly supported that Plin5 could be a new regulator against atherosclerosis, providing new insights on therapeutic solutions.