Aryl-hydrocarbon receptor in smooth muscle cells protect against dioxin induced adverse remodeling of atherosclerosis
Authors: Qin Guyu Tracy , Zhao Quanyi , Fujita Ayaka , Damiani Isabella , Easwaran Meena , Basu Sugandha , Gu Wenduo , Li Daniel Y. , Worssam Matthew , Palmisano Brian , Monteiro Joao Pinho , Ramste Markus , Kundu Ramendra , Nguyen Trieu , Park Chong , Weldy Chad S. , Cheng Paul , Kim Juyong Brian 
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Environmental exposure to dioxin has been linked to increased myocardial infarction. Smooth muscle cells (SMC) in the coronary vasculature play a critical role in atherosclerotic plaque remodeling due to their phenotypic plasticity, however, the detailed mechanism linking dioxin exposure to adverse SMC modulation is not well understood.

Methods

Single-cell RNA and ATAC sequencing and histological analyses were performed on the aorta from mouse models of atherosclerosis exposed to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) or control. Primary human coronary artery SMC (HCASMC) treated in culture with TCDD were used to perform RNA-Seq, ATAC-Seq, and functional phenotypic assays. ChIP-Seq was performed with antibodies against Aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and TCF21, two of known SMC modulating transcription factors.

Results

Modulated SMC were the most transcriptionally responsive cell type to dioxin in the atherosclerotic aorta. Dioxin accelerated disease phenotype by promoting a modulated SMC phenotype early, resulting in increased lesion size, migration of SMC, and macrophage recruitment to the lesion. We foundC3expressing modulated SMCs to be likely contributing to the increased macrophage recruitment and inflammation. Analysis of the RNA-Seq data from HCASMC treated with TCDD showed differential enrichment of biological pathways related to cell migration, localization, and inflammation. Furthermore, ATAC-Seq data showed a significant activation for pathways regulating vascular development, cell migration, inflammation, and apoptosis. With TCDD treatment, there was also enrichment of AHR ChIP-Seq peaks, while the TCF21 enrichment decreased significantly. The SMC-specificAhrknockout resulted in increased oxidative stress in SMC, increased lesion size and macrophage content, and loss of SMC lineage cells in the lesion cap when exposed to TCDD, consistent with a more vulnerable plaque phenotype.

Conclusion

Dioxin adversely remodels atherosclerotic plaque by accelerating the SMC- phenotypic modulation, and increasing inflammation and oxidative stress resulting in increased macrophage recruitment and lesion size. Dioxin may adversely affect the SMC phenotype and disease state by affecting the TCF21 occupancy in the open chromatin regions. Furthermore, we observed that SMC-specific deletion ofAhrin mice resulted in worsening of dioxin mediated SMC modulation and atherosclerosis, suggesting thatAhrin SMC confers protection against dioxin by promoting a stable plaque phenotype and reducing dioxin induced oxidative stress.

Exposure to dioxin, an environmental pollutant present in tobacco smoke and air pollution, accelerates smooth muscle cell modulation, and atherosclerosis.

Dioxin exposure leads to inflammatory smooth muscle cell phenotype characterized by complement pathway activation and increased macrophage recruitment to plaque

Aryl-hydrocarbon receptor in SMC protects against oxidative stress, and promotes a stable plaque phenotype