Transcriptome Analysis Reviewed a Two-step Transformation of VSMCs to Macrophage-like Cells

We report the transcriptome profiles of rat vascular smooth muscle cells (rVSMCs) treated by cholesterol loading or NOTCH inhibitor DAPT through RNA-Seq. rVSMCs were resistant to cholesterol loading alone that only promoted limited inflammatory responses. DAPT treatment alone also resulted in limited gene expression changes related with VSMC differentiations. Interestingly, cholesterol loading supplemented with DAPT resulted in significant changes of gene expression in rVSMCs and promoted VSMC-to-macrophage-like cell transformations.本研究通过RNA测序（RNA-Seq）技术，获取了经胆固醇负荷处理或NOTCH抑制剂DAPT处理的大鼠血管平滑肌细胞（rat vascular smooth muscle cells, rVSMCs）的转录组图谱。单独的胆固醇负荷处理对rVSMCs仅能引发有限的炎症反应，且rVSMCs对此类处理具有一定抗性。单独使用DAPT处理，也仅会引发与血管平滑肌细胞（vascular smooth muscle cells, VSMC）分化相关的有限基因表达变化。值得注意的是，联合采用胆固醇负荷与DAPT处理的rVSMCs则出现了显著的基因表达变化，并可促进VSMC向巨噬细胞样细胞的表型转化。