TY - JOUR
T1 - Arterial and aortic valve calcification inversely correlates with osteoporotic bone remodelling
T2 - a role for inflammation
AU - Hjortnaes, Jesper
AU - Butcher, Jonathan
AU - Figueiredo, Jose-Luiz
AU - Riccio, Mark
AU - Kohler, Rainer H
AU - Kozloff, Kenneth M
AU - Weissleder, Ralph
AU - Aikawa, Elena
PY - 2010/8
Y1 - 2010/8
N2 - AIMS: Westernized countries face a growing burden of cardiovascular calcification and osteoporosis. Despite its vast clinical significance, the precise nature of this reciprocal relationship remains obscure. We hypothesize that cardiovascular calcification progresses with inflammation and inversely correlates with bone tissue mineral density (TMD).METHODS AND RESULTS: Arterial, valvular, and bone metabolism were visualized using near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) molecular imaging agents, targeting macrophages and osteogenesis. We detected significant arterial and aortic valve calcification in apoE(-/-) mice with or without chronic renal disease (CRD, 30 weeks old; n = 28), correlating with the severity of atherosclerosis. We demonstrated decreases in osteogenic activity in the femurs of apoE(-/-) mice when compared with WT mice, which was further reduced with CRD. Three-dimensional micro-computed tomography imaging of the cortical and cancellous regions of femurs quantified structural remodelling and reductions in TMD in apoE(-/-) and CRD apoE(-/-) mice. We established significant correlations between arterial and valvular calcification and loss of TMD (R(2) = 0.67 and 0.71, respectively). Finally, we performed macrophage-targeted molecular imaging to explore a link between inflammation and osteoporosis in vivo. Although macrophage burden, visualized as uptake of NIRF-conjugated iron nanoparticles, was directly related to the degree of arterial and valvular inflammation and calcification, the same method inversely correlated inflammation with TMD (R(2) = 0.73; 0.83; 0.75, respectively).CONCLUSION: This study provides direct in vivo evidence that in arteries and aortic valves, macrophage burden and calcification associate with each other, whereas inflammation inversely correlates with bone mineralization. Thus, understanding inflammatory signalling mechanisms may offer insight into selective abrogation of divergent calcific phenomena.
AB - AIMS: Westernized countries face a growing burden of cardiovascular calcification and osteoporosis. Despite its vast clinical significance, the precise nature of this reciprocal relationship remains obscure. We hypothesize that cardiovascular calcification progresses with inflammation and inversely correlates with bone tissue mineral density (TMD).METHODS AND RESULTS: Arterial, valvular, and bone metabolism were visualized using near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) molecular imaging agents, targeting macrophages and osteogenesis. We detected significant arterial and aortic valve calcification in apoE(-/-) mice with or without chronic renal disease (CRD, 30 weeks old; n = 28), correlating with the severity of atherosclerosis. We demonstrated decreases in osteogenic activity in the femurs of apoE(-/-) mice when compared with WT mice, which was further reduced with CRD. Three-dimensional micro-computed tomography imaging of the cortical and cancellous regions of femurs quantified structural remodelling and reductions in TMD in apoE(-/-) and CRD apoE(-/-) mice. We established significant correlations between arterial and valvular calcification and loss of TMD (R(2) = 0.67 and 0.71, respectively). Finally, we performed macrophage-targeted molecular imaging to explore a link between inflammation and osteoporosis in vivo. Although macrophage burden, visualized as uptake of NIRF-conjugated iron nanoparticles, was directly related to the degree of arterial and valvular inflammation and calcification, the same method inversely correlated inflammation with TMD (R(2) = 0.73; 0.83; 0.75, respectively).CONCLUSION: This study provides direct in vivo evidence that in arteries and aortic valves, macrophage burden and calcification associate with each other, whereas inflammation inversely correlates with bone mineralization. Thus, understanding inflammatory signalling mechanisms may offer insight into selective abrogation of divergent calcific phenomena.
KW - Animals
KW - Aortic Valve Stenosis
KW - Atherosclerosis
KW - Bone Density
KW - Bone Remodeling
KW - Calcinosis
KW - Carotid Artery Diseases
KW - Chronic Disease
KW - Femur
KW - Inflammation
KW - Kidney Diseases
KW - Mice
KW - Osteoporosis
U2 - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq237
DO - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq237
M3 - Article
C2 - 20601388
SN - 0195-668X
VL - 31
SP - 1975
EP - 1984
JO - European Heart Journal
JF - European Heart Journal
IS - 16
ER -