Temporal effects of LPS-induced inflammation on aortic remodelling and function.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular biology
• Vascular inflammation
• Aortic remodelling

Background:

• Inflammation drives cardiovascular disease through vascular remodelling and dysfunction.
• The impact of inflammation on vessel remodelling varies with the stimulus.
• This study investigates how inflammation duration affects aortic molecular pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the temporal effects of systemic inflammation on aortic remodelling.
• To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammation-induced vascular changes.
• To differentiate the impacts of acute versus chronic inflammation on the aorta.

Main Methods:

• Rats were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 hours, one week, or four weeks.
• Measurements included blood pressure, aortic function, cytokine levels, gene expression, structural changes, and lipidomics.
• Different durations of LPS exposure were used to model acute and chronic inflammation.

Main Results:

• Acute inflammation (24h) upregulated inflammatory and remodelling genes without functional changes.
• One-week inflammation increased matrix metalloproteinase-9 and reduced aortic compliance.
• Chronic inflammation (4 weeks) elevated blood pressure, structural/metabolic remodelling, and aortic stiffness.

Conclusions:

• Inflammation differentially impacts the aorta based on duration.
• Early inflammation triggers gene changes without immediate dysfunction.
• Chronic inflammation promotes NF-κB activation, leading to aortic stiffness and dysfunction.