| First Author | Al-Sharea A | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Atherosclerosis | Volume | 265 |
| Pages | 47-53 | PubMed ID | 28858686 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:328381 | Mgi Id | MGI:6863426 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2017.08.010 | Citation | Al-Sharea A, et al. (2017) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 7 stimulation dampens splenic myelopoiesis and inhibits atherogenesis in Apoe(-/-) mice. Atherosclerosis 265:47-53 |
| abstractText | BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Monocyte levels predict cardiovascular outcomes and play a causal role in atherogenesis. Monocytes can be produced in the spleen and track to the atherosclerotic lesion in significant numbers. The cholinergic system has been shown to have anti-inflammatory actions in the spleen. We aimed to explore whether therapeutic stimulation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 7 (nAChRalpha7) can suppress atherogenesis. METHODS: Apoe(-/-) mice were placed on a Western-type diet and treated with bi-daily injections of the nAChRalpha7 agonist GTS-21 or vehicle every 2-3 days for 8 weeks. RESULTS: GTS-21 caused a reduction in atherosclerosis in the aortic arch and proximal aorta. This also resulted in less plaque macrophages. Moreover, GTS-21 reduced the abundance of blood monocytes, which was caused by inhibition of inflammatory cytokines and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen, along with splenic monocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Stimulation of nAChRalpha7 with GTS-21 reduced atherosclerosis, which was associated with dampened splenic myelopoiesis. |
