Nek6 knockdown polarized macrophages into a pro-inflammatory phenotype via inhibiting STAT3 expression

Recently macrophage polarization has emerged as playing an essential role in the oathogenesis of atherosclerosis, which is the most important underlying process in many types of cardiovascular diseases. Although Nek6 has been reported to be involved in various cellular processes, the effect of Nek6 on macrophage polarization remains unknown. Macrophages exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or IL-4 were used to establish an in vitro model for the study of regulation of classically (M1) or alternatively (M2) activated macrophage. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) transfected with short hairpin RNA-targeting Nek6 were then in functional studies. We observed that Nek6 expression was decreased in both peritoneal macrophages (PMs) and BMDMs stimulated by LPS. This effect was seen at both mRNA and protein level. The opposite results were obtained after administration of IL-4. Macrophage-specific Nek6 knockdown significantly exacerbated pro-inflammatory M1 polarized macrophage gene expression in response to LPS challenge, but the anti-inflammatory response gene expression that is related to M2 macrophages was attenuated by Nek6 silencing followed by treatment with IL-4. Mechanistic studies exhibited that Nek6 knockdown inhibited the phosphorylated STAT3 expression that mediated the effect on macrophage polarization regulated by AdshNek6. Moreover, decreased Nek6 expression was also observed in atherosclerotic plaques. Collectively, these evidences suggested that Nek6 acts as a crucial site in macrophage polarization, and that this operates in a STAT3-dependent manner.