Calcific aortic stenosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, and aortic valve interstitial cells (AVIC) play an important role in valvular inflammation. Whereas AVIC from stenotic aortic valves exhibit an augmented response to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) stimulation, the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that an excessive cross-talk between the TLR4 and Notch1 pathways is responsible for augmentation of the inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in AVIC of stenotic valves.

Human AVIC were isolated from normal and stenotic leaflets. Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation and production of interleukin-8, monocyte chemoattactrant protein-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were analyzed after treatment with LPS. The role of Notch1 in the inflammatory response was determined using inhibitor, siRNA, and specific ligand. Cells from diseased valves produced greater levels of chemokines and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 that are associated with enhanced NF-κB activation. Interestingly, diseased cells exhibited augmented Jagged1 release and Notch1 activation after TLR4 stimulation. Inhibition and silencing of Notch1 each resulted in greater suppression of the TLR4-induced inflammatory response in diseased cells. Conversely, activation of Notch1 with a specific ligand, Jagged1, enhanced the LPS-induced inflammatory response in normal AVIC. Further, Notch1 intracellular domain was coimmunoprecipited with the inhibitor of NF-κB kinase after LPS stimulation, and inhibition of Notch1 abrogated the difference in the level of NF-κB activation between diseased and normal cells.

Notch1 enhances the inflammatory response to TLR4 stimulation in human AVIC through modulating NF-κB activation. Excessive cross-talk between the TLR4 and Notch1 pathways is responsible for augmentation of the TLR4 response in AVIC of stenotic valves.