Targeting the Crosstalk of Immune Response and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Phenotype Switch for Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation

Abstract

Plaque formation, thrombosis, and embolism are the underlying causes of acute cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke while early thrombosis and stenosis are common pathologies for the maturation failure of arteriovenous fistula (AVF). Chronic inflammation is a common underlying pathogenesis mediated by innate and adaptive immune response involving infiltration of immune cells and secretion of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Impaired immune cell infiltration and change in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype play a crucial role in the underlying pathophysiology. However, the change in the phenotype of VSMCs in a microenvironment of immune cell infiltration and increased secretion of cytokines have not been investigated. Since change in VSMC phenotype regulates vessel remodeling after intimal injury, in this study, we investigated the effect of macrophages and pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, on the change in VSMC phenotype under in vitro conditions. We also investigated the expression of the markers of VSMC phenotypes in arteries with atherosclerotic plaques and VSMCs isolated from control arteries. We found that the inhibition of cytokine downstream signaling may mitigate the effect of cytokines on the change in VSMCs phenotype. The results of this study support that regulating or targeting immune cell infiltration and function might be a therapeutic strategy to mitigate the effects of chronic inflammation to attenuate plaque formation, early thrombosis, and stenosis, and thus enhance AVF maturation.