An autophagic deficit in the uterine vessel microenvironment provokes hyperpermeability through deregulated VEGFA, NOS1, and CTNNB1

• Published in: Autophagy Vol. 17; no. 7; pp. 1649 - 1666
• Main Authors: Lee, Bora, Shin, Hyejin, Oh, Ji-Eun, Park, Jaekyoung, Park, Mira, Yang, Seung Chel, Jun, Jin-Hyun, Hong, Seok-Ho, Song, Haengseok, Lim, Hyunjung Jade
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 03.07.2021
• Subjects: Animals; Atg7; Autophagy; beta Catenin - metabolism; Capillary Permeability; Cellular Microenvironment; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I - metabolism; permeability; Research Paper; Uterine Artery - metabolism; Uterine Artery - physiology; uterus; Uterus - blood supply; Uterus - metabolism; Uterus - physiology; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - metabolism; vascular factor; vascular factor; autophagy; uterus; Atg7; permeability
• ISSN: 1554-8627; 1554-8635; 1554-8635
• DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1778292

The uterus undergoes vascular changes during the reproductive cycle and pregnancy. Steroid hormone deprivation induces macroautophagy/autophagy in major uterine cell types. Herein, we explored the functions of uterine autophagy using the Amhr2-Cre-driven atg7 deletion model. Deletion of Atg7 was confirmed by functional deficit of autophagy in uterine stromal, myometrial, and vascular smooth muscle cells, but not in endothelial cells. atg7 d/d uteri exhibited enhanced stromal edema accompanied by dilation of blood vessels. Ovariectomized atg7 d/d uteri showed decreased expression of endothelial junction-related proteins, such as CTNNB1/beta-catenin, with increased vascular permeability, and increased expression of VEGFA and NOS1. Nitric oxide (NO) was shown to mediate VEGFA-induced vascular permeability by targeting CTNNB1. NO involvement in maintaining endothelial junctional stability in atg7 d/d uteri was confirmed by the reduction in extravasation following treatment with a NOS inhibitor. We also showed that atg7 d/d uterine phenotype improved the fetal weight:placental weight ratio, which is one of the indicators of assessing the status of preeclampsia. We showed that autophagic deficit in the uterine vessel microenvironment provokes hyperpermeability through the deregulation of VEGFA, NOS1, and CTNNB1. Abbreviations: ACTA2: actin, alpha 2, smooth muscle, aortic; Amhr2: anti-Mullerian hormone type 2 receptor; ANGPT1: angiopoietin 1; ATG: autophagy-related; CDH5: cadherin 5; CLDN5: claudin 5; COL1A1: collagen, type I, alpha 1; CSPG4/NG2: chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4; CTNNB1: catenin (cadherin associated protein), beta 1; DES: desmin; EDN1: endothelin 1; EDNRB: endothelin receptor type B; F3: coagulation factor III; KDR/FLK1/VEGFR2: kinase insert domain protein receptor; LYVE1: lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1; MAP1LC3B: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MCAM/CD146: melanoma cell adhesion molecule; MYL2: myosin, light polypeptide 2, regulatory, cardiac, slow; MYLK: myosin, light polypeptide kinase; NOS1/nNOS: nitric oxide synthase 1, neuronal; NOS2/iNOS: nitric oxide synthase 2, inducible; NOS3/eNOS: nitric oxide synthase 3, endothelial cell; OVX: ovariectomy; PECAM1/CD31: platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1; POSTN: periostin, osteoblast specific factor; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TEK/Tie2: TEK receptor tyrosine kinase; TJP1/ZO-1: tight junction protein 1; TUBB1, tubulin, beta 1 class VI; USC: uterine stromal cell; VEGFA: vascular endothelial growth factor A; VSMC: vascular smooth muscle cell.