• Sisi Chen, Jianing Wang, Lei Zhang, and Hao Xia.
• Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
• J. Investig. Med. 2021 Aug 1; 69 (6): 1156-1160.

AbstractTo investigate the effort of mitochondrial calcium transport and calcium-induced membrane permeability transition in alleviating atherosclerosis. The experimental mice were divided into three groups: the control group (C57BL/6 mice with normal diet), the atherosclerosis group (apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice with high-fat diet) and the mitochondrial targeting agent group (ApoE-/- mouse with high-fat diet). The mean fluorescence intensity of Ca2+ in the atherosclerosis group is significantly higher than control group and mitochondrial targeting agent group. But the mean fluorescence intensity of Ca2+-ATPase is lower than other groups. The macrophage recruitment (F4/80 positive area) and the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, pyrin domain containing protein 3, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and Jun kinase 1/2 phosphorylation in the atherosclerosis group are higher that other groups. Treatment with mitochondrial targeting agents reduced the levels of elevated cyt C and cleaved caspase-3 in atherosclerotic mice (p<0.05). Mitochondrial targeting agents interfere with mitochondrial calcium transport and calcium-induced membrane permeability transition, inhibit MAPK/JNK pathway activation, inhibit foam cell formation and alleviate the process of atherosclerosis.© American Federation for Medical Research 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

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