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The haemochromatosis gene Hfe and Kupffer cells control LDL cholesterol homeostasis and impact on atherosclerosis development.
Eur. Heart J. 41, 3949–3959 (2020)
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AIMS: Imbalances of iron metabolism have been linked to the development of atherosclerosis. However, subjects with hereditary haemochromatosis have a lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to understand the underlying mechanisms by combining data from genome-wide association study analyses in humans, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and loss-of-function studies in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Our analysis of the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (GLGC) dataset revealed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the haemochromatosis gene HFE associate with reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in human plasma. The LDL-C lowering effect could be phenocopied in dyslipidaemic ApoE-/- mice lacking Hfe, which translated into reduced atherosclerosis burden. Mechanistically, we identified HFE as a negative regulator of LDL receptor expression in hepatocytes. Moreover, we uncovered liver-resident Kupffer cells (KCs) as central players in cholesterol homeostasis as they were found to acquire and transfer LDL-derived cholesterol to hepatocytes in an Abca1-dependent fashion, which is controlled by iron availability. CONCLUSION: Our results disentangle novel regulatory interactions between iron metabolism, KC biology and cholesterol homeostasis which are promising targets for treating dyslipidaemia but also provide a mechanistic explanation for reduced cardiovascular morbidity in subjects with haemochromatosis.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Keywords
Abca1 ; Atherosclerosis ; Haemochromatosis ; Kupffer Cells ; Ldl Receptor; Low-density-lipoprotein; Ester Transfer Protein; Iron Overload; Hereditary Hemochromatosis; Hdl Metabolism; Risk; Inflammation; Macrophages; Efflux; Blood
ISSN (print) / ISBN
0195-668X
e-ISSN
1522-9645
Journal
European Heart Journal
Quellenangaben
Volume: 41,
Issue: 40,
Pages: 3949–3959
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publishing Place
Great Clarendon St, Oxford Ox2 6dp, England
Non-patent literature
Publications
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
Grants
Swiss National Science Foundation
COMET project VASCage Tyrol of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG
Medical University Innsbruck for young scientists MUI-START
Christian Doppler Society
Doctoral program HOROS
FWF
Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
COMET project VASCage Tyrol of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG
Medical University Innsbruck for young scientists MUI-START
Christian Doppler Society
Doctoral program HOROS
FWF
Austrian Science Fund (FWF)