Retinoid X receptor agonists impair arterial mononuclear cell recruitment through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ activation.

Abstract Mononuclear cell migration into the vascular subendothelium constitutes an early event of the atherogenic process. Because the effect of retinoid X receptor (RXR)α on arterial mononuclear leukocyte recruitment is poorly understood, this study investigated whether RXR agonists can affect this response and the underlying mechanisms involved. Decreased RXRα expression was detected after 4 h stimulation of human umbilical arterial endothelial cells with TNF-α. Interestingly, under physiological flow conditions, TNF-α–induced endothelial adhesion of human mononuclear cells was concentration-dependently inhibited by preincubation of the human umbilical arterial endothelial cells with RXR…