Glycoxydation Promotes Vascular Damage Via MAPK-ERK/JNK Pathways

Oxidation and glycation enhance foam cell formation via MAPK/JNK in euglycemic and diabetic subjects. Here, we investigated the effects of glycated and oxidized LDL (glc-oxLDL) on MAPK-ERK and JNK signaling pathways using human coronary smooth muscle cells. Glc-oxLDL induced a broad cascade of MAPK/JNK-dependent signaling transduction pathways and the AP-1 complex. In glc-oxLDL treated coronary arterioles, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α increased JNK phosphorylation, whereas protein kinase inhibitor dimethylaminopurine (DMAP) prevented the TNF-induced increase in JNK phosphorylation. The role of MKK4 and JNK were then investigated in vivo, using apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE(-/-)) mice. Peritoneal macrophages, isolated from spontaneously hyperlipidemic but euglycemic mice showed increases in both proteins and phosphorylated proteins. Compared to streptozotocin-treated diabetic C57BL6 and nondiabetic C57BL6 Wt mice, in streptozotocin-diabetic ApoE(-/-) mice, the increment of foam cell formation corresponded to an increment of phosphorylation of JNK1, JNK2, and MMK4. Thus, we provide a first line of evidence that MAPK-ERK/JNK pathways are involved in vascular damage induced by glycoxidation.