Loss of HIF1α signaling drives oxidative stress and expansion of smooth muscle cells in murine atherosclerosis

Background: Hypoxia develops within growing atherosclerotic lesions, inducing nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF1) and metabolic reprogramming. Its role in plaque macrophages and endothelial cells has been studied, but the hypoxic plaque interior is dominated by smooth muscle cell (SMC)-derived cells, for which the role of hypoxia signaling remains unclear. Here, we investigated how loss of Hif1a in SMC lineage cells impacts plaque progression and cell phenotype in murine atherosclerosis. Methods: Atherosclerosis was induced in mice with inducible SMC-specific deletion of Hif1a (Hif1aSMC-KO) and lineage tracing of SMC-derived plaque cells. Plaque size, necrotic core size, calcification, and SMC-derived cell phenotypes were quantified in aortic root sections and gene expression changes mapped by single-cell RNA sequencing. In parallel, a cultured SMC line with or without siRNA-mediated Hif1a knockdown was exposed to hypoxia for assessments of mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species production. Results: Hif1aSMC-KO mice developed larger plaques, with expanded necrotic cores and increased calcification, compared with littermate controls. SMC-derived plaque cells were more abundant with a higher fraction of Col2a1+ chondromyocytes, and showed elevated markers of proliferation and apoptosis, whereas macrophage and endothelial cell numbers were unaffected. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed strong dysregulation of mitochondrial genes, including electron transport chain transcripts, along with upregulation of protein folding, proteasome, and oxidative stress response pathways. In cultured SMCs subjected to hypoxia, Hif1a silencing increased cell counts, aggravated mitochondrial proton leak, and led to the accumulation of depolarized, reactive oxygen species-generating mitochondria. Further analysis of SMC-derived cells in plaques from Hif1aSMC-KO mice confirmed increased oxidative stress by 8OHdG staining. Conclusions: HIF1 maintains mitochondrial function and restrains oxidative stress in SMC-derived plaque cells in murine atherosclerosis. Its chronic loss destabilizes redox homeostasis and promotes maladaptive SMC responses, leading to SMC-driven plaque expansion, necrosis, and calcification.