Previously, our group and others have demonstrated a causative relationship between severe hypertriglyceridaemia and atherogenesis in mice. Furthermore, clinical investigations have shown high levels of plasma Apolipoprotein C-III (ApoCIII) associated with hypertriglyceridaemia and even cardiovascular disease. However, it remains unclear whether ApoCIII affects restenosis in vivo, and whether such an effect is mediated by ApoCIII alone, or in combination with hypertriglyceridaemia. We sought to investigate ApoCIII in restenosis and clarify how smooth muscle cells (SMCs) respond to authentic triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) with or without ApoCIII (TRLs ± ApoCIII).

ApoCIII transgenic (ApoCIIItg) and knockout (ApoCIII−/−) mice underwent endothelial denudation to model restenosis. Here, ApoCIIItg mice displayed severe hypertriglyceridaemia and increased neointimal formation compared with wild-type (WT) or ApoCIII−/− mice. Furthermore, increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells, Mac-3, and vascular cell adhesion protein-1 (VCAM-1) expression, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) production were found in lesion sites. ApoCIIItg and ApoCIII−/− mice were then crossed to low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr−/−) mice and fed an atherogenic diet. ApoCIIItg/Ldlr−/− mice had significantly increased atherosclerotic lesions. However, there was no statistical difference in restenosis between ApoCIII−/− and WT mice, and in atherosclerosis between ApoCIII/Ldlr double knockout and Ldlr−/− mice. SMCs were then incubated in vitro with authentic TRLs ± ApoCIII isolated from extreme hypertriglyceridaemia glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored high-density lipoprotein-binding protein 1-deficient (GPIHBP1−/−) mice crossed with ApoCIIItg or ApoCIII−/− mice. It was shown that TRLs + ApoCIII promoted SMC proliferation, VCAM-1 expression, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and activated the Akt pathway. Scavenging ROS significantly reduced SMC activation caused by TRLs + ApoCIII.

Severe hypertriglyceridaemia resulting from ApoCIII overexpression promotes restenosis and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TRLs + ApoCIII promotes SMC proliferation.