Mild hyperlipidemia in mice aggravates platelet responsiveness in thrombus formation and exploration of platelet proteome and lipidome

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 8;10(1):21407. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78522-9.

Abstract

Hyperlipidemia is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Millions of people worldwide display mildly elevated levels of plasma lipids and cholesterol linked to diet and life-style. While the prothrombotic risk of severe hyperlipidemia has been established, the effects of moderate hyperlipidemia are less clear. Here, we studied platelet activation and arterial thrombus formation in Apoe-/- and Ldlr-/- mice fed a normal chow diet, resulting in mildly increased plasma cholesterol. In blood from both knockout mice, collagen-dependent thrombus and fibrin formation under flow were enhanced. These effects did not increase in severe hyperlipidemic blood from aged mice and upon feeding a high-fat diet (Apoe-/- mice). Bone marrow from wild-type or Ldlr-/- mice was transplanted into irradiated Ldlr-/- recipients. Markedly, thrombus formation was enhanced in blood from chimeric mice, suggesting that the hyperlipidemic environment altered the wild-type platelets, rather than the genetic modification. The platelet proteome revealed high similarity between the three genotypes, without clear indication for a common protein-based gain-of-function. The platelet lipidome revealed an altered lipid profile in mildly hyperlipidemic mice. In conclusion, in Apoe-/- and Ldlr-/- mice, modest elevation in plasma and platelet cholesterol increased platelet responsiveness in thrombus formation and ensuing fibrin formation, resulting in a prothrombotic phenotype.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apolipoproteins E / genetics*
  • Blood Platelets / chemistry*
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Hyperlipidemias / blood
  • Hyperlipidemias / complications*
  • Hyperlipidemias / genetics
  • Lipidomics / methods*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Platelet Activation
  • Proteomics / methods*
  • Receptors, LDL / genetics*
  • Thrombosis / blood*
  • Thrombosis / etiology

Substances

  • Apoe protein, mouse
  • Apolipoproteins E
  • Receptors, LDL
  • Cholesterol