Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha (RARα) in Macrophages Protects from Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in Mice

Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha (RARα) in Macrophages Protects from Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in Mice

Fathima N Cassim Bawa

Raja Gopoju

Yanyong Xu

Shuwei Hu

Yingdong Zhu

Shaoru Chen

Kavita Jadhav

Yanqiao Zhang

2022

Retinoic acid signaling plays an important role in regulating lipid metabolism and inflammation. However, the role of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) in atherosclerosis remains to be determined. In the current study, we investigated the role of macrophage RARα in the development of atherosclerosis. Macrophages isolated from myeloid-specific Rarα-/- (RarαMac-/-) mice showed increased lipid accumulation and inflammation and reduced cholesterol efflux compared to Rarαfl/fl (control) mice. All-trans retinoic acid (AtRA) induced ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (Abca1) and Abcg1 expression and cholesterol efflux in both RarαMac-/- mice and Rarαfl/fl mice. In Ldlr-/- mice, myeloid ablation of RARα significantly reduced macrophage Abca1 and Abcg1 expression and cholesterol efflux, induced inflammatory genes, and aggravated Western diet-induced atherosclerosis. Our data demonstrate that macrophage RARα protects against atherosclerosis, likely via inducing cholesterol efflux and inhibiting inflammation.

Cells
. 2022 Oct 11;11(20):3186. doi: 10.3390/cells11203186.

English

https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11203186