Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient Mice

Han-Xu Zhu,1,* Jin-Ling Ren,2,* Wen-Juan Cao,1 Rui Wang,3 Lei-Lei Chen,1,4 Qing Gao,1 Ye-Bo Zhou1 1Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Henan University of Chinese Med...

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Main Authors: Zhu HX, Ren JL, Cao WJ, Wang R, Chen LL, Gao Q, Zhou YB
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Inflammation Research
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Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/intermedin1-53-improves-atherosclerosis-by-reducing-local-endothelial--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JIR
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author Zhu HX
Ren JL
Cao WJ
Wang R
Chen LL
Gao Q
Zhou YB
author_facet Zhu HX
Ren JL
Cao WJ
Wang R
Chen LL
Gao Q
Zhou YB
author_sort Zhu HX
collection DOAJ
description Han-Xu Zhu,1,* Jin-Ling Ren,2,* Wen-Juan Cao,1 Rui Wang,3 Lei-Lei Chen,1,4 Qing Gao,1 Ye-Bo Zhou1 1Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China; 3Laboratory of Cardiovascular Bioactive Molecule, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lei-Lei Chen, Email chenlei19762002@163.com Qing Gao, Email gaoqing@njmu.edu.cnBackground: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are commonly found in obesity. Endothelial inflammation accompanied by oxidative stress is a crucial risk factor and a key initiating step for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). In the present study, the role and mechanism of intermedin (IMD), a potent active peptide, in endothelial damage in AS in obese apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE−/−) mice were investigated.Methods and Results: In vivo, IMD1-53 was infused via Alzet mini-osmotic pump in apoE−/− mice with high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks. In vitro, palmitic acid (PA) and oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) were used to stimulate human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for exploring the potential mechanism of IMD1-53 action on endothelial damage. We found that IMD1-53 application remarkably improved plasma lipid profiles, hepatic lipid accumulation and its cholesterol levels, and vascular lipid accumulation and lesion sizes. Moreover, IMD1-53 markedly increased eNOS expression and decreased the levels of vascular inflammatory factors and ROS. In vitro, the combination of PA and Ox-LDL caused more severe inflammatory and oxidative damages and lower expression of eNOS, which were significantly inhibited by IMD1-53. IMD1-53 notably induced AMPK phosphorylation, and the inhibition of AMPK activation markedly reversed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of IMD1-53 on PA and Ox-LDL-treated HUVECs.Conclusion: IMD1-53 improves AS partially by reducing endothelial inflammatory and oxidative damage via AMPK signaling pathway and decreasing vascular lipid accumulation involving the improvement of lipid profiles in blood and in liver in a state of obesity. Keywords: intermedin, atherosclerosis, endothelium, inflammation, oxidative stress
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spelling doaj-art-41cabfe3a37240b989048b9cfbd9e0682025-08-20T02:24:14ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Inflammation Research1178-70312025-05-01Volume 18Issue 165836596103201Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient MiceZhu HX0Ren JL1Cao WJ2Wang R3Chen LL4Gao Q5Zhou YB6PhysiologyPathology and PathophysiologyPhysiologyLaboratory of Cardiovascular Bioactive MoleculeCardiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyHan-Xu Zhu,1,* Jin-Ling Ren,2,* Wen-Juan Cao,1 Rui Wang,3 Lei-Lei Chen,1,4 Qing Gao,1 Ye-Bo Zhou1 1Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China; 3Laboratory of Cardiovascular Bioactive Molecule, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lei-Lei Chen, Email chenlei19762002@163.com Qing Gao, Email gaoqing@njmu.edu.cnBackground: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are commonly found in obesity. Endothelial inflammation accompanied by oxidative stress is a crucial risk factor and a key initiating step for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). In the present study, the role and mechanism of intermedin (IMD), a potent active peptide, in endothelial damage in AS in obese apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE−/−) mice were investigated.Methods and Results: In vivo, IMD1-53 was infused via Alzet mini-osmotic pump in apoE−/− mice with high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks. In vitro, palmitic acid (PA) and oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) were used to stimulate human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for exploring the potential mechanism of IMD1-53 action on endothelial damage. We found that IMD1-53 application remarkably improved plasma lipid profiles, hepatic lipid accumulation and its cholesterol levels, and vascular lipid accumulation and lesion sizes. Moreover, IMD1-53 markedly increased eNOS expression and decreased the levels of vascular inflammatory factors and ROS. In vitro, the combination of PA and Ox-LDL caused more severe inflammatory and oxidative damages and lower expression of eNOS, which were significantly inhibited by IMD1-53. IMD1-53 notably induced AMPK phosphorylation, and the inhibition of AMPK activation markedly reversed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of IMD1-53 on PA and Ox-LDL-treated HUVECs.Conclusion: IMD1-53 improves AS partially by reducing endothelial inflammatory and oxidative damage via AMPK signaling pathway and decreasing vascular lipid accumulation involving the improvement of lipid profiles in blood and in liver in a state of obesity. Keywords: intermedin, atherosclerosis, endothelium, inflammation, oxidative stresshttps://www.dovepress.com/intermedin1-53-improves-atherosclerosis-by-reducing-local-endothelial--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JIRintermedinatherosclerosisendotheliuminflammationoxidative stress
spellingShingle Zhu HX
Ren JL
Cao WJ
Wang R
Chen LL
Gao Q
Zhou YB
Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient Mice
Journal of Inflammation Research
intermedin
atherosclerosis
endothelium
inflammation
oxidative stress
title Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient Mice
title_full Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient Mice
title_fullStr Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient Mice
title_full_unstemmed Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient Mice
title_short Intermedin1-53 Improves Atherosclerosis by Reducing Local Endothelial Damage via AMPK Signaling Pathway in Obese apoE-Deficient Mice
title_sort intermedin1 53 improves atherosclerosis by reducing local endothelial damage via ampk signaling pathway in obese apoe deficient mice
topic intermedin
atherosclerosis
endothelium
inflammation
oxidative stress
url https://www.dovepress.com/intermedin1-53-improves-atherosclerosis-by-reducing-local-endothelial--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JIR
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