Interleukin-11 signaling drives vascular smooth muscle phenotypic switching and contributes to aortic remodelling

RNA sequencing of primary human aortic or arterial VSMCs after stimulation with transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1) revealed marked IL11 upregulation. In vitro, IL11 stimulation of VSMCs resulted in phenotypic switching by increased ECM production and migration/invasion. Neutralizing IL11 antibody treatment abolished phenotypic switching in VSMCs. IL11 plays an important and non-redundant role in VSMC phenotypic switching. Primary VSMCs outgrown from Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA - 22 samples) and Aortic Button (AB - 10 samples) from a total of 24 patients. Every sample is present as untreated (stimulated with basal M231 medium for 24h) and treated with TGFB )stimulated with 5ng/ml recombinant human TGFB1 in basal M231 medium for 24h)