Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Induced Hepatoma-Derived Growth Factor Upregulation Mediates Foam Cell Formation of Cultured Rat Aortic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are important vascular components that are essential for the regulation of vascular functions during vascular atherosclerogenesis and vascular injury. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is known to induce SMC activation and foam cell transformation. This study characterized the role of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) in oxLDL-induced foam cell formation in cultured primary rat aortic SMCs. OxLDL exposure significantly increased HDGF expression and extracellular release. It also upregulated atherogenic regulators in SMCs, including TLR4, MyD88, LOX-1, and CD36. Exogenous HDGF stimulation not only increased the expression of cognate receptor nucleolin, but also the innate immunity regulators TLR4/MyD88 and lipid metabolism regulators, including LOX-1 and CD36. Oil red O staining showed that HDGF did not initiate, but enhanced oxLDL-driven foam cell formation in SMCs. Further signaling characterization demonstrated that oxLDL evoked activation of PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, both of which were involved in the upregulation of HDGF, LOX-1, and CD36 induced by oxLDL. Gene knockdown experiments using LOX-1 targeted siRNA demonstrated that LOX-1 expression was critical for oxLDL-induced HDGF upregulation, while HDGF gene depletion completely abolished oxLDL-triggered TLR4, LOX-1, and CD36 overexpression and foam cell formation in SMCs. These findings strongly suggest that oxLDL-induced HDGF upregulation participates in subsequent LOX-1 and CD36 expression in aortic SMCs and mechanistically contributes to the formation of SMC-derived foam cells. The oxLDL/LOX-1/HDGF axis may serve as a target for anti-atherogenesis therapy.