Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationPatients with diabetes display increased thrombosis and platelet activation. Preliminary metabolomics analysis of platelets from patients with T2DM revealed an accumulation of glycolytic and TCA intermediates relative to healthy controls. In vitro studie

Macrophage Inflammation, Erythrophagocytosis, and Accelerated Atherosclerosis in Jak2(V617F) Mice

Rationale: The mechanisms driving atherothrombotic risk in individuals with JAK2(V617F) (Jak2(VF)) positive clonal hematopoiesis or myeloproliferative neoplasms are poorly understood. Objective: The goal of this study was to assess atherosclerosis and underlying mechanisms in hypercholesterolemic mice with hematopoietic Jak2(VF) expression. Methods and Results: Irradiated low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (Ldlr(-/-)) mice were transplanted with bone marrow from wild-type or Jak2(VF) mice and fed a high-fat high-cholesterol Western diet. Hematopoietic functions and atherosclerosis were characterized. After 7 weeks of Western diet, Jak2(VF) mice showed increased atherosclerosis. Early atherosclerotic lesions showed increased neutrophil adhesion and content, correlating with lesion size. After 12 weeks of Western diet, Jak2(VF) lesions showed increased complexity, with larger necrotic cores, defective efferocytosis, prominent iron deposition, and costaining of erythrocytes and macrophages, suggesting erythrophagocytosis. Jak2(VF) erythrocytes were more susceptible to phagocytosis by wild-type macrophages and showed decreased surface expression of CD47, a "don't-eat-me" signal. Human JAK2VF erythrocytes were also more susceptible to erythrophagocytosis. Jak2(VF) macrophages displayed increased expression and production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, prominent inflammasome activation, increased p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling, and reduced levels of MerTK (c-Mer tyrosine kinase), a key molecule mediating efferocytosis. Increased erythrophagocytosis also suppressed efferocytosis. Conclusions: Hematopoietic Jak2(VF) expression promotes early lesion formation and increased complexity in advanced atherosclerosis. In addition to increasing hematopoiesis and neutrophil infiltration in early lesions, Jak2(VF) caused cellular defects in erythrocytes and macrophages, leading to increased erythrophagocytosis but defective efferocytosis. These changes promote accumulation of iron in plaques and increased necrotic core formation which, together with exacerbated proinflammatory responses, likely contribute to plaque instability

The AIM2 inflammasome exacerbates atherosclerosis in clonal haematopoiesis

Clonal haematopoiesis, which is highly prevalent in older individuals, arises from somatic mutations that endow a proliferative advantage to haematopoietic cells. Clonal haematopoiesis increases the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke independently of traditional risk factors(1). Among the common genetic variants that give rise to clonal haematopoiesis, the JAK2(V617F) (JAK2(VF)) mutation, which increases JAK-STAT signalling, occurs at a younger age and imparts the strongest risk of premature coronary heart disease(1,2). Here we show increased proliferation of macrophages and prominent formation of necrotic cores in atherosclerotic lesions in mice that express Jak2(VF) selectively in macrophages, and in chimeric mice that model clonal haematopoiesis. Deletion of the essential inflammasome components caspase 1 and 11, or of the pyroptosis executioner gasdermin D, reversed these adverse changes. Jak2(VF) lesions showed increased expression of AIM2, oxidative DNA damage and DNA replication stress, and Aim2 deficiency reduced atherosclerosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of Jak2(VF) lesions revealed a landscape that was enriched for inflammatory myeloid cells, which were suppressed by deletion of Gsdmd. Inhibition of the inflammasome product interleukin-1 beta reduced macrophage proliferation and necrotic formation while increasing the thickness of fibrous caps, indicating that it stabilized plaques. Our findings suggest that increased proliferation and glycolytic metabolism in Jak2(VF) macrophages lead to DNA replication stress and activation of the AIM2 inflammasome, thereby aggravating atherosclerosis. Precise application of therapies that target interleukin-1 beta or specific inflammasomes according to clonal haematopoiesis status could substantially reduce cardiovascular risk

Deletion of GLUT1 and GLUT3 Reveals Multiple Roles for Glucose Metabolism in Platelet and Megakaryocyte Function

Anucleate platelets circulate in the blood to facilitate thrombosis and diverse immune functions. Platelet activation leading to clot formation correlates with increased glycogenolysis, glucose uptake, glucose oxidation, and lactic acid production. Simultaneous deletion of glucose transporter (GLUT) 1 and GLUT3 (double knockout [DKO]) specifically in platelets completely abolished glucose uptake. In DKO platelets, mitochondrial oxidative metabolism of non-glycolytic substrates, such as glutamate, increased. Thrombosis and platelet activation were decreased through impairment at multiple activation nodes, including Ca2+ signaling, degranulation, and integrin activation. DKO mice developed thrombocytopenia, secondary to impaired pro-platelet formation from megakaryocytes, and increased platelet clearance resulting from cytosolic calcium overload and calpain activation. Systemic treatment with oligomycin, inhibiting mitochondrial metabolism, induced rapid clearance of platelets, with circulating counts dropping to zero in DKO mice, but not wild-type mice, demonstrating an essential role for energy metabolism in platelet viability. Thus, substrate metabolism is essential for platelet production, activation, and survival

SWELL1 is a regulator of adipocyte size, insulin signaling and glucose homeostasis

SUMMARY Adipocytes undergo considerable volumetric expansion in the setting of obesity. It has been proposed that such marked increases in adipocyte size may be sensed via adipocyte-autonomous mechanisms to mediate size-dependent intracellular signaling. Here, we show that SWELL1 (LRRC8a), a member of the Leucine Rich Repeat Containing protein family, is an essential component of a volume-sensitive ion channel (VRAC) in adipocytes. We find that SWELL1-mediated VRAC is augmented in hypertrophic murine and human adipocytes in the setting of obesity. SWELL1 regulates adipocyte insulin-PI3K-AKT2-GLUT4 signaling, glucose uptake and lipid content via SWELL1 C-terminal leucine-rich repeat domain interactions with GRB2/Cav1. Silencing GRB2 in SWELL1 KO adipocytes rescues insulin-pAKT2 signaling. In vivo, shRNA-mediated SWELL1 knock-down and adipose-targeted SWELL1 knock-out reduce adiposity and adipocyte size in obese mice while impairing systemic glycaemia and insulin-sensitivity. These studies identify SWELL1 as a cell-autonomous sensor of adipocyte size that regulates adipocyte growth, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance