Abstract 563: Oxidized LDL Promotes Endothelial NF-kappaB Activation and Inflammation Through Focal Adhesion Kinase-dependent RSK Signaling

Abstract

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) accumulates early in atherosclerosis and promotes endothelial NF-kappaB activation, proinflammatory gene expression, and monocyte adhesion. Like other atherogenic factors, oxLDL-induced proinflammatory responses requires integrin-dependent focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling; however, the mechanism by which FAK mediates oxLDL-dependent NF-kappaB signaling has yet to be revealed. We now show that oxLDL induces NF-kappaB activation and VCAM-1 expression through FAK-dependent IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta) activation. We further identify FAK-dependent activation of p90 ribosomal S6-kinase (RSK) as a critical mediator of oxLDL-dependent IKKbeta/NF-kappaB signaling, as inhibiting RSK blocks oxLDL-induced IKKbeta/NF-kappaB activation, VCAM-1 expression, and monocyte adhesion. Lastly, transgenic mice containing a kinase-dead mutation in FAK specifically in the endothelial cells show reduced RSK activity, decreased VCAM-1 expression, and reduced macrophage accumulation in regions of early atherosclerosis. Taken together, our data elucidates a novel mechanism whereby oxLDL-induced endothelial FAK signaling drives an ERK/RSK pathway to activate IKKbeta/NF-kappaB signaling and proinflammatory gene expression.