Macrophage-enriched Sectm1a promotes efficient efferocytosis to attenuate ischemia/reperfusion-induced cardiac injury

Efficient clearance and degradation of apoptotic cardiomyocytes by macrophages (collectively termed efferocytosis) is critical for inflammation resolution and restoration of cardiac function after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Here, we define secreted and transmembrane protein 1a (Sectm1a), a cardiac macrophage-enriched gene, as a modulator of macrophage efferocytosis in I/R-injured hearts. Upon myocardial I/R, Sectm1a-KO mice exhibited impaired macrophage efferocytosis, leading to massive accumulation of apoptotic cardiomyocytes, cardiac inflammation, fibrosis, and consequently, exaggerated cardiac dysfunction. By contrast, therapeutic administration of recombinant SECTM1A protein significantly enhanced macrophage efferocytosis and improved cardiac function. Mechanistically, SECTM1A could elicit autocrine effects on the activation of glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor (GITR) at the surface of macrophages, leading to the upregulation of liver X receptor α (LXRα) and its downstream efferocytosis-related genes and lysosomal enzyme genes. Our study suggests that Sectm1a-mediated activation of the Gitr/LXRα axis could be a promising approach to enhance macrophage efferocytosis for the treatment of myocardial I/R injury.