Journal
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
Volume 9, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02657-z
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [21535004, 21390411, 21775092, 21575082]
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Atherosclerosis is characterized by the accumulation of lipids within the arterial wall. Although activation of TRPV1 cation channels by capsaicin may reduce lipid storage and the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, a clinical use for capsaicin has been limited by its chronic toxicity. Here we show that coupling of copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles to antibodies targeting TRPV1 act as a photothermal switch for TRPV1 signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) using near-infrared light. Upon irradiation, local increases of temperature open thermo-sensitive TRPV1 channels and cause Ca2+ influx. The increase in intracellular Ca2+ activates autophagy and impedes foam cell formation in VSMCs treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein. In vivo, CuS-TRPV1 allows photoacoustic imaging of the cardiac vasculature and reduces lipid storage and plaque formation in ApoE(-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet, with no obvious long-term toxicity. Together, this suggests CuS-TRPV1 may represent a therapeutic tool to locally and temporally attenuate atherosclerosis.
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