REVIEW article
Front. Cardiovasc. Med.
Sec. Atherosclerosis and Vascular Medicine
Dysregulated Cellular Metabolism Drives Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression: A Multi-Cellular Perspective
Provisionally accepted
- 1河南中医药大学, Zheng Zhou, China
- 2First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
- 3Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
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Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that can lead to severe cardiovascular diseases, primarily characterized by the formation of plaques within arterial walls, resulting in vascular stenosis and hardening. Numerous studies have revealed the complex connection between dysregulated cellular metabolism, specifically metabolic reprogramming, and AS. However, a comprehensive understanding of metabolic reprogramming in AS and its potential as a therapeutic target still requires further exploration. This article provides a comprehensive review of the role of dysregulated cellular metabolism in AS, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of metabolic reprogramming in diseased cells. It discusses in detail the adjustments in lipid and glucose metabolism of macrophages, the metabolic responses of endothelial cells under blood flow shear stress, oxidative stress, and inflammatory stimulation, as well as the metabolic changes of smooth muscle cells during phenotypic transformation. Furthermore, it analyzes how these dysregulated cellular metabolism affect the development of AS. Additionally, the article outlines the mechanisms by which chemically synthesized drugs and Chinese patent medicines treat AS by regulating metabolic pathways, offering a new perspective for disease research and clinical treatment.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Macrophages, Endothelial Cells, Vascular SmoothMuscle Cells, metabolic reprogramming
Received: 18 Jan 2025; Accepted: 17 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Han, Wang, Jin, Hua and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yushan Chen, rain13633711226@126.com
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