Treatment with the selective MMP-12 inhibitor RXP470.1 significantly reduced atherosclerotic plaque cross-sectional area by approximately 50% in apolipoprotein E knockout mice.
Does RXP470.1 (a selective MMP-12 inhibitor) reduce atherosclerotic plaque progression in apolipoprotein E knockout mice fed a Western diet?
Selective MMP-12 inhibition with RXP470.1 reduces atherosclerotic plaque size and promotes a more stable, fibrous plaque phenotype in a mouse model of atherosclerosis.
Effect estimate: reduced by approximately 50%
OBJECTIVE: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-12 has been implicated in plaque progression and instability and is also amenable to selective inhibition. In this study, we investigated the influence of a greater than 10-fold selective synthetic MMP-12 inhibitor on plaque progression in the apolipoprotein E knockout mouse model of atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A phosphinic peptide (RXP470.1) that is a potent, selective murine MMP-12 inhibitor significantly reduced atherosclerotic plaque cross-sectional area by approximately 50% at 4 different vascular sites in male and female apolipoprotein E knockout mice fed a Western diet. Furthermore, RXP470.1 treatment resulted in less complex plaques with increased smooth muscle cell:macrophage ratio, less macrophage apoptosis, increased cap thickness, smaller necrotic cores, and decreased incidence of calcification. Additional in vitro and in vivo findings indicate that attenuated monocyte/macrophage invasion and reduced macrophage apoptosis probably underlie the beneficial effects observed on atherosclerotic plaque progression with MMP-12 inhibitor treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that a selective MMP-12 inhibitor retards atherosclerosis development and results in a more fibrous plaque phenotype in mice. Our study provides proof of principle to motivate translational work on MMP-12 inhibitor therapy in humans.
Johnson et al. (Fri,) conducted a other in Atherosclerosis. RXP470.1 (selective synthetic MMP-12 inhibitor) was evaluated on Atherosclerotic plaque cross-sectional area (reduced by approximately 50%). Treatment with the selective MMP-12 inhibitor RXP470.1 significantly reduced atherosclerotic plaque cross-sectional area by approximately 50% in apolipoprotein E knockout mice.