Mitofusin2 decreases intracellular cholesterol of oxidized LDL-induced foam cells from rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

Mitofusin2 (Mfn2) plays a pivotal role in the proliferation and apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Mfn2 on the trafficking of intracellular cholesterol in the foam cells derived from rat VSMCs (rVSMCs) and also to investigate the effects of Mfn2 on the expression of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1), adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily G member 1 (ABCG1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). The rVSMCs were co-cultured with oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL, 80 μg/mL) to produce foam cells and cholesterol accumulation in cells. Before oxidized LDL treatment, different titers (20, 40 and 60 pfu/cell) of recombinant adenovirus containing Mfn2 gene (Adv-Mfn2) were added into the culture medium for 24 h to transfect the Mfn2 gene into the rVSMCs. Then the cells were harvested for analyses. The protein expression of Mfn2 was significantly higher in Adv-Mfn2-transfected group than in untransfected group (P<0.05), and the expression levels significantly increased when the titer of Adv-Mfn2 increased (P<0.05). At 24 or 48 h after oxidized LDL treatment, rVSMCs became irregular and their nuclei became larger, and their plasma abounded with red lipid droplets. However, the number of red lipid droplets was significantly decreased in Adv-Mfn2-transfected group as compared with untransfected group. At 48 h after oxidized LDL treatment, the intracellular cholesterol in rVSMCs was significantly increased (P<0.05), but it was significantly decreased in Adv-Mfn2-transfected group as compared with untransfected group (P<0.05), and it also significantly decreased when the titer of Adv-Mfn2 increased (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of ABCA1 and ABCG1 were significantly increased in Adv-Mfn2-transfected group as compared with untransfected group (P<0.05). Though the mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ was not significantly increased (P>0.05), the phosporylation levels of PPARγ were significantly decreased in Adv-Mfn2-transfected group as compared with untransfected group (P<0.05). These results suggest that the transfection of Adv-Mfn2 can significantly reduce intracellular cholesterol in oxidized LDL-induced rVSMCs possibly by decreasing PPARγ phosporylation and then increasing protein expression levels of ABCA1 and ABCG1, which may be helpful to suppress the formation of foam cells.