AUTHOR=Zhao Qingxia , Wang Zhan , Meyers Allison K. , Madenspacher Jennifer , Zabalawi Manal , Zhang Qianyi , Boudyguina Elena , Hsu Fang-Chi , McCall Charles E. , Furdui Cristina M. , Parks John S. , Fessler Michael B. , Zhu Xuewei TITLE=Hematopoietic Cell-Specific SLC37A2 Deficiency Accelerates Atherosclerosis in LDL Receptor-Deficient Mice JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine VOLUME=8 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.777098 DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2021.777098 ISSN=2297-055X ABSTRACT=

Macrophages play a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Our previous study demonstrated that solute carrier family 37 member 2 (SLC37A2), an endoplasmic reticulum-anchored phosphate-linked glucose-6-phosphate transporter, negatively regulates macrophage Toll-like receptor activation by fine-tuning glycolytic reprogramming in vitro. Whether macrophage SLC37A2 impacts in vivo macrophage inflammation and atherosclerosis under hyperlipidemic conditions is unknown. We generated hematopoietic cell-specific SLC37A2 knockout and control mice in C57Bl/6 Ldlr−/− background by bone marrow transplantation. Hematopoietic cell-specific SLC37A2 deletion in Ldlr−/− mice increased plasma lipid concentrations after 12-16 wks of Western diet induction, attenuated macrophage anti-inflammatory responses, and resulted in more atherosclerosis compared to Ldlr−/− mice transplanted with wild type bone marrow. Aortic root intimal area was inversely correlated with plasma IL-10 levels, but not total cholesterol concentrations, suggesting inflammation but not plasma cholesterol was responsible for increased atherosclerosis in bone marrow SLC37A2-deficient mice. Our in vitro study demonstrated that SLC37A2 deficiency impaired IL-4-induced macrophage activation, independently of glycolysis or mitochondrial respiration. Importantly, SLC37A2 deficiency impaired apoptotic cell-induced glycolysis, subsequently attenuating IL-10 production. Our study suggests that SLC37A2 expression is required to support alternative macrophage activation in vitro and in vivo. In vivo disruption of hematopoietic SLC37A2 accelerates atherosclerosis under hyperlipidemic pro-atherogenic conditions.