Abstract 418: Microfibrillar-Associated Protein 4 Deficiency Reduces Size and Incidence Rate of Angiotensin II Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Mice

Abstract

Microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein primarily located in elastic arteries. It can bind elastin and collagen, and furthermore activate vascular cells through cellular integrin binding and modulate matrix metalloprotinase (MMP) activity. We hypothesized that lack of MFAP4 would decrease vascular inflammation and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. AAA was induced in 9-11 week old mice using two experimental mouse models: 1) Male Mfap4 -/- /ApoE -/- double knock-out (dKO) and ApoE -/- littermate control mice were feed western diet and subjected to continuously angiotensin II (AngII, 1000 ng/kg/min) infusion for 9-28 days via subcutaneous osmotic mini-pumps. Arterial blood pressure was measured in the femoral artery. 2) 1.5 U/mL elastase was infused into the infrarenal aorta in Mfap4 -/- and littermate Mfap4 +/+ mice for 5 minutes. Aortic blood flow was restored and the mice recovered for 9-16 days. Aortic diameter was measured in mice subjected to AngII or elastase infusion at day 28 and 16 respectively. MMP activity was detected by zymography. No difference in AAA formation was observed between genotypes after elastase perfusion. In response to AngII infusion dKO mice showed a significantly decrease in AAA diameter and incidence rate compared to ApoE -/- mice. AngII-induced increase in blood pressure was not dependent of MFAP4. However, there was decreased aortic arch atherosclerotic plaque formation, MMP2 and MMP9 activity in aortic tissue from dKO mice compared to ApoE -/- mice. Furthermore there was a non-significant tendency of decreased elastin degradation score in the AngII infused dKO mice, however this was not observed in the elastase perfused mice. Activity of MMP12 and extent of infiltrating leukocytes in aneurysmal tissue from both models will be further investigated. In conclusion we observed a decreased AAA formation and MMP activity in Mfap4 -/- /ApoE -/- mice which was not explained by variation in blood pressure or altered elastin degradation. The data suggest that MFAP4 induces MMP2-activity and thus the propensity for AAA formation.