Effects of circulating endothelial microvesicles isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide production

Circulating endothelial cell-derived microvesicles (EMVs) have been shown to be elevated with obesity and associated with endothelial dysfunction; however, their direct effect on endothelial cells is unknown. The experimental aim of this study was to determine the effect of EMVs isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide (NO) production. EMVs (CD144+ microvesicles) were identified, enumerated, and isolated from plasma by flow cytometry from 24 sedentary adults: 12 normal-weight adults [8 M/4 F; age: 55 ± 6 yr; body mass index (BMI): 24.3 ± 0.7 kg/m²; EMV: 144 ± 53 EMVs/µL] and 12 adults with obesity (6 M/6 F; 59 ± 7 yr; BMI: 31.0 ± 1.1 kg/m²; EMV: 245 ± 89 EMVs/µL). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and treated with EMVs from either normal-weight adults or adults with obesity. EMVs from obese adults induced significantly higher release of interleukin (IL)-6 (108.2 ± 7.7 vs. 90.9 ± 10.0 pg/mL) and IL-8 (75.4 ± 9.8 vs. 59.5 ± 11.5 pg/mL) from endothelial cells vs. EMVs from normal-weight adults, concordant with greater intracellular expression of phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (Ser536; active NF-κB) [145.0 ± 34.1 vs. 114.5 ± 30.4 arbitrary units (AU)]. Expression of phosphorylated p38-MAPK (15.4 ± 5.7 vs. 9.2 ± 2.5 AU) and active caspase-3 (168.2 ± 65.5 vs. 107.8 ± 40.5 AU), markers of cell apoptosis, was higher in cells treated with obesity-related EMVs. Phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (Ser1177) expression (23.5 ± 7.2 vs. 34.7 ± 9.7 AU) and NO production (6.9 ± 1.4 vs. 8.7 ± 0.7 µmol/L) were significantly lower in the cells treated with EMVs from obese adults. These data indicate that circulating EMVs from adults with obesity promote a proinflammatory, proapoptotic, and NO-compromised endothelial phenotype. Circulating EMVs are a potential mediator of obesity-related endothelial dysfunction.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the present study, we determined the effect of circulating endothelial cell-derived microvesicles (EMVs) isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide (NO) production in vitro. Circulating EMVs harvested from adults with obesity promoted a proinflammatory, proapoptotic, and NO-compromised endothelial phenotype. Elevated circulating EMVs in adults with obesity, independent of other cardiometabolic risk factors, are a potential novel systemic mediator of obesity-related endothelial dysfunction and vascular risk.