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Blood, 1 May 2008, Vol. 111, No. 9, pp. 4596-4604. Prepublished online as a Blood First Edition Paper on January 14, 2008; DOI 10.1182/blood-2007-05-088906.
Submitted May 4, 2007
Department of Pathology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands * Corresponding author; email: e.lutgens{at}path.unimaas.nl.
We investigated the role of CD40 and CD40L in neointima formation and identified the downstream CD40-signaling intermediates (TNF-receptor associated factors (TRAF)) involved. Neointima formation was induced in wild type, CD40-/-, CD40L-/- and in CD40-/- mice that contained a CD40 transgene with or without mutations at the CD40-TRAF2,3&5, TRAF6 or TRAF2,3,5&6 binding sites. Compared to wild type mice, CD40-/- mice showed a significant decrease in neointima formation with increased collagen deposition and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration. Neointima formation was also impaired in wild type mice reconstituted with CD40-/- bone marrow. In vitro, the capacity of CD40-/- leukocytes to adhere to the endothelium was reduced. Ligated carotid arteries of CD40-/- mice showed a smaller total vessel volume and an impaired remodeling capacity, reflected by decreased gelatinolytic/collagenolytic activity. Comparable results were found in mice with defects in CD40-TRAF6 and CD40-TRAF 2/3/5&6 binding, but not in mice with defects in CD40-TRAF2/3&5 binding. Neointima formation and vascular remodeling in CD40-receptor deficient mice is impaired, due to a decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and matrix-degrading protease activity, with CD40-TRAF6 signaling as the key regulator. This identifies the CD40-TRAF6 axis as a potential therapeutic target in vascular disease.
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