Background:The relationship between the cellular pro-inflammatory response
and intracellular lipid accumulation in atherosclerosis is not sufficiently studied.
Transcriptomic analysis is one way to establish such a relationship. Previously, we identified
10 potential key genes (IL-15, CXCL8, PERK, IL-7, IL-7R, DUSP1, TIGIT, F2RL1,
TSPYL2, and ANXA1) involved in cholesterol accumulation in macrophages. It
should be noted that all these genes do not directly participate in cholesterol
metabolism, but encode molecules related to inflammation.Methods:In this study, we conducted a knock-down of the 10 identified key genes using
siRNA to determine their possible role in cholesterol accumulation in macrophages.
To assess cholesterol accumulation, human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM)
were incubated with atherogenic LDL from patients with atherosclerosis. Cholesterol
content was assessed by the enzymatic method. Differentially expressed genes were
identified with DESeq2 analysis. Master genes were determined by the functional analysis.Results:We found that only 5 out of 10 genes (IL-15, PERK, IL-7, IL-7R, ANXA1) can
affect intracellular lipid accumulation. Knock-down of the IL-15, PERK, and ANXA1
genes prevented lipid accumulation, while knock-down of the IL-7 and IL-7R genes led
to increased intracellular lipid accumulation during incubation of MDM with atherogenic
LDL. Seventeen overexpressed genes and 189 underexpressed genes were obtained
in the DGE analysis, which allowed us to discover 20 upregulated and 86 downregulated
metabolic pathways, a number of which are associated with chronic inflammation
and insulin signaling. We also elucidated 13 master regulators of cholesterol accumulation
that are immune response-associated genes.Conclusion:Thus, it was discovered that 5 inflammation-related master regulators may
be involved in lipid accumulation in macrophages. Therefore, the pro-inflammatory response
of macrophages may trigger foam cell formation rather than the other way
around, where intracellular lipid accumulation causes an inflammatory response, as previously
assumed.