Liraglutide blocks the proliferation, migration and phenotypic switching of Homocysteine (Hcy)-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by suppressing proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin9 (PCSK9)/ low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)

Figures & data

Figure 1. Liraglutide blocks the proliferation of Hcy-induced VSMCs. The OD values at 450 nm when (a) increasing doses of Hcy, (b) liraglutide and (c) Hcy and liraglutide were used on the VSMCs, detected by CCK-8 assay. (d) The images of TUNEL-positive cells. (e) The protein expression of AT-1 R in Hcy-induced VSMCs treated with liraglutide. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001 vs. Control group; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01 and ^###P < 0.001 vs. Hcy500 group

Figure 2. Liraglutide blocks the migration and phenotypic switching of Hcy-induced VSMCs. (a-b) The migration and (c-d) mRNA and protein expression of contractile proteins in Hcy-induced VSMCs treated with liraglutide. ***P < 0.001 vs. Control group; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01 and ^###P < 0.001 vs. Hcy500 group

Figure 3. Liraglutide downregulates the expression of PCSK9 while upregulates that of LDLR in Hcy-induced VSMCs treated with liraglutide. (a-b) The mRNA and protein expression of PCSK9 and LDLR in Hcy-induced VSMCs treated with liraglutide. ***P < 0.001 vs. Control group; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01 and ^###P < 0.001 vs. Hcy500 group

Figure 4. Liraglutide alleviates the proliferation of Hcy-induced VSMCs by suppressing PCSK9/LDLR. (a) The expression of PCSK9 after creating the overexpression plasmid of PCSK9. ***P < 0.001 vs. Control group. (b-c) The mRNA and protein expression of PCSK9 and LDLR in Hcy-induced VSMCs treated with liraglutide. ***P < 0.001 vs. Hcy 500 group; ^##P < 0.01 and ^###P < 0.001 vs. Hcy500+ liraglutide-10 group. (d) The apoptosis of Hcy-induced VSMCs co-treated with liraglutide and Ov-PCSK9 (the plasmids overexpressing PCSK9). (e) The expression of AT-1 R in Hcy-induced VSMCs co-treated with liraglutide and Ov-PCSK9. ***P < 0.001 vs. Hcy500 group; ^##P < 0.01 vs. Hcy500+ liraglutide-10 group

Figure 5. Liraglutide blocks the migration and phenotypic switching of Hcy-induced VSMCs by suppressing PCSK9/LDLR. (a-b) The migration and (c-d) mRNA and protein expression of contractile proteins in Hcy-induced VSMCs treated with liraglutide and Ov-PCSK9. ***P < 0.001 vs. Hcy500 group; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01 and ^###P < 0.001 vs. Hcy500+ liraglutide-10 group