Inflammatory cytokines stimulate vascular smooth muscle cells locomotion and growth by enhancing α5β1 integrin expression and function

The formation of atherosclerotic lesions requires the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells from the media into the intima of the artery and their proliferation. These events, which are preceded and accompanied by inflammation, are modulated by integrin receptors linking vascular smooth muscle cells to extracellular matrix molecules. Among them, fibronectin induces vascular smooth muscle cells to acquire the phenotype they show in the atherosclerotic plaque. Here we show that amounts of interleukin-1 β, tumor necrosis factor α and interferon-γ as possibly released by activated immune cells infiltrating atherosclerotic lesions, upregulate vascular smooth muscle cell expression of the α5β1 integrin, a fibronectin receptor. This improves vascular smooth muscle cell capability of migrating toward soluble or anchored fibronectin and of adhering to immobilized fibronectin. The latter effect, in turn, augments vascular smooth muscle cell proliferative response to mitogens, as suggested by the increase of intracellular pH. Finally, the effects that inflammatory cytokines have on vascular smooth muscle cell locomotion and growth, are specifically blocked by anti-α5β1 antibodies. As fibronectin and α5β1 levels are augmented in vivo in the atherosclerotic plaques, these findings support the use of integrin antagonists as potential adjuvants in atherosclerosis treatment.