PCSK9 inhibition ameliorates experimental autoimmune myocarditis by reducing Th17 cell differentiation through LDLR/STAT-3/ROR-γt pathway

Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) was characterized as a protein regulating circulating cholesterol metabolism; however, recent studies demonstrated a role for PCSK9 in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases unrelated to cholesterol alterations. The implication of PCSK9 in myocarditis is unclear and we aim at investigating the roles and mechanisms of PCSK9 in myocarditis. Male BALB/c mice received subcutaneous immunization with MyHC-α peptide on days 0 and 7 to establish the experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) model. PCSK9 inhibitor, evolocumab, was administered subcutaneously once a week starting on day 0 and all mice were euthanized on day 21. Our results showed that PCSK9 inhibition ameliorated the cardiac inflammation of EAM mice. PCSK9 inhibition reduced both the levels of cardiac and peripheral blood PCSK9. We found that CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and cardiomyocytes in the heart of EAM mice could express PCSK9. PCSK9 inhibition decreased the differentiation of cardiac Th17 cells by lowering ROR-γt levels but had no effects on Th1, Th2, and Treg cell differentiation. In vitro experiments of CD4+ T cells, we found that PCSK9 directly promoted Th17 cell differentiation through LDLR/STAT3/ROR-γt pathway. Collectively, we demonstrated that PCSK9 inhibition ameliorated the severity of EAM mice by reducing Th17 cell differentiation. PCSK9 is a promising target for treating myocarditis.