# Novel PMVs/ZIP4/Zinc/Prelamin A Axis Promotes Nuclear Dysmorphism and Vascular Aging in Humans and Rodents Post‐Injury: Effective Treatment With Platelet Membrane‐Coated ZIF‐8 Nanoparticles

**Authors:** Tengzhi Ma, Han Bao, Zhijue Xu, He Ren, Wenhao Tian, Jiahe Chen, Zhongqian Liu, Xinwu Lu, Fan Lv, Qingping Yao, Yingxin Qi, Kai Huang

PMC · DOI: 10.1111/acel.70443 · Aging Cell · 2026-03-09

## TL;DR

This study shows that vascular injury causes nuclear shape changes and aging, which can be treated with special nanoparticles.

## Contribution

The discovery of a new PMVs/ZIP4/Zinc/prelamin A pathway causing vascular aging and a novel nanoparticle treatment.

## Key findings

- PMVs reduce zinc levels, impairing prelamin A processing and causing nuclear dysmorphism.
- ZIP4 deficiency contributes to zinc depletion and vascular aging.
- Platelet membrane-coated Zn-MOF nanoparticles effectively treat nuclear dysmorphism and aging.

## Abstract

Interventional therapy and surgery play important roles in the treatment of various diseases, but they cause varying degrees of vascular injury. Currently, the side effects are often overlooked. Here, we observed abnormal nuclear morphology (nuclear dysmorphism) and vascular aging in injured human and rodent arteries. Platelet‐derived microvesicles (PMVs) adhere to injured blood vessels, leading to nuclear dysmorphism and cell senescence in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This occurs because PMV adherence reduces intracellular Zn2+ levels, which impairs Zn2+‐dependent processing of prelamin A by the enzyme ZMPSTE24. Consequently, prelamin A accumulates in VSMCs, contributing to the observed nuclear dysmorphism and cell senescence. RNA sequencing and loss‐of‐function assays revealed that Zinc transporter solute carrier family 39 member 4 (SLC39A4, also called ZIP4) deficiency accounts for the decreased Zinc concentration. Consistently, Zmpste24
+/− and Zmpste24
−/− mice displayed significant cumulative prelamin A, deteriorated nuclear dysmorphism and vascular aging. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and bioinformatic analysis illustrated that demethylation of genes within Lamina‐associated domains (LADs) participates in nuclear dysmorphism and cell senescence. Of note, Zinc supplementation, especially using platelet membrane‐coated Zn‐MOF nanoparticles, robustly alleviated nuclear dysmorphism and vascular aging. Our data established a novel and significant role of pMVs/ZIP4/zinc/prelamin A axis in promoting nuclear dysmorphism and vascular aging after injury.

Interventional therapy and surgical injury induce nuclear dysmorphism and vascular aging. Nuclear dysmorphism is positively associated with vascular aging. Novel PMVs/ZIP4/Zinc/preLamin A axis plays a key role in injury‐induced nuclear dysmorphism and vascular aging. Platelet membrane‐coated Zn‐MOF nanoparticles are a potential way in treating nuclear dysmorphism and vascular aging post‐injury.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** SLC39A4 (solute carrier family 39 member 4) [NCBI Gene 55630], SLC39A4 (solute carrier family 39 member 4) [NCBI Gene 55630], ZMPSTE24 (zinc metallopeptidase STE24) [NCBI Gene 10269]
- **Proteins:** ZMPSTE24 (zinc metallopeptidase STE24)
- **Chemicals:** Zn2+ (PubChem CID 32051), Zinc (PubChem CID 23994)
- **Species:** Mus musculus (taxon 10090)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** Cdkn2a (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A) [NCBI Gene 25163] {aka Arf, INK4A, MTS1, p16, p16Cdkn2a, p19ARF}, Ptprc (protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, C) [NCBI Gene 24699] {aka CD45, L-CA, Lca, RT7, T200}, Hmox1 (heme oxygenase 1) [NCBI Gene 24451] {aka HEOXG, Heox, Hmox, Ho-1, Ho1, hsp32}, Lmnb2 (lamin B2) [NCBI Gene 16907], Lmnb1 (lamin B1) [NCBI Gene 116685], ZMPSTE24 (zinc metallopeptidase STE24) [NCBI Gene 10269] {aka FACE-1, FACE1, HGPS, PRO1, RSDM1, STE24}, Zmpste24 (zinc metallopeptidase STE24) [NCBI Gene 313564], Lmna (lamin A) [NCBI Gene 16905] {aka Dhe}, Glb1 (galactosidase, beta 1) [NCBI Gene 316033], p53-ps (Wistar clone pR53P1 p53 pseudogene) [NCBI Gene 301300], Nox4 (NADPH oxidase 4) [NCBI Gene 85431], Gapdh (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) [NCBI Gene 24383] {aka BARS-38, Gapd}, Kras (KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase) [NCBI Gene 24525] {aka K-ras, Kras2, c-Ki-ras, p21}, Lmnb1 (lamin B1) [NCBI Gene 16906], Glb1 (galactosidase, beta 1) [NCBI Gene 12091] {aka Bge, Bgl, Bgl-e, Bgl-s, Bgl-t, Bgs}, Eln (elastin) [NCBI Gene 25043] {aka RATTREL11, TREL11, Trela, Trela26}, Slc39a4 (solute carrier family 39 member 4) [NCBI Gene 300051], Cdkn2a (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A) [NCBI Gene 12578] {aka ARF-INK4a, Arf, INK4a-ARF, Ink4a/Arf, MTS1, Pctr1}, Hipk2 (homeodomain interacting protein kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 362342], SLC39A4 (solute carrier family 39 member 4) [NCBI Gene 55630] {aka AEZ, AWMS2, ZIP4}, H2ax (H2A.X variant histone) [NCBI Gene 15270] {aka H2A.X, H2afx, Hist5-2ax, gammaH2ax}, Cdkn1a (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 1A) [NCBI Gene 12575] {aka CAP20, CDKI, CIP1, Cdkn1, P21, SDI1}, Lmnb2 (lamin B2) [NCBI Gene 299625] {aka RGD1563803}, Zmpste24 (zinc metallopeptidase, STE24) [NCBI Gene 230709] {aka A530043O15Rik, D030046F19, FACE1, Face-1, MADB, STE24}, Ahr (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) [NCBI Gene 25690], Trp53-ps (transformation related protein 53, pseudogene) [NCBI Gene 22060]
- **Diseases:** Zinc Deficiency (MESH:C564286), intima injury (MESH:D014947), neurodegenerative diseases (MESH:D019636), atherosclerosis (MESH:D050197), coronary heart disease (MESH:D003327), Nuclear Dysmorphism (MESH:C564596), NM (MESH:C536816), hypertension (MESH:D006973), cancer (MESH:D009369), vascular diseases (MESH:D014652), Dysmorphism (MESH:D057215), diabetes (MESH:D003920), cardiovascular diseases (MESH:D002318), vein graft failure (MESH:D051437), aortic aneurysms (MESH:D001014), Vascular Injury (MESH:D057772), Vascular Dysfunction (MESH:D002561), heart disease (MESH:D006331), vascular pathology (MESH:D005598), intimal injury (MESH:C563733), dislocation (MESH:D004204), overdose (MESH:D062787)
- **Chemicals:** H&amp;E (MESH:D006371), NaCl (MESH:D012965), Paraffin (MESH:D010232), NaHCO3 (MESH:D017693), metal (MESH:D008670), MgCl2 (MESH:D015636), BCA (-), osmium tetroxide (MESH:D009993), O2 (MESH:D010100), Zinc (MESH:D015032), penicillin (MESH:D010406), MOF (MESH:C037042), K (MESH:D011188), 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (MESH:C410687), sodium citrate (MESH:D000077559), nitrogen (MESH:D009584), amino acid (MESH:D000596), phosphotungstic acid (MESH:D010772), EDTA (MESH:D004492), EVG (MESH:C509700), xylene (MESH:D014992), acetone (MESH:D000096), sodium thiosulfate (MESH:C017717), polyacrylamide (MESH:C016679), streptomycin (MESH:D013307), PC (MESH:C053518), PGE1 (MESH:D000527), ferric chloride (MESH:C024555), Triton X-100 (MESH:D017830), uranyl acetate (MESH:C005460), CO2 (MESH:D002245), water (MESH:D014867), TPEN (MESH:C044387), TRIzol (MESH:C411644), isoflurane (MESH:D007530), lipids (MESH:D008055), paraformaldehyde (MESH:C003043), Zinc nitrate hexahydrate (MESH:C042103), SDS (MESH:D012967), copper (MESH:D003300), alcohol (MESH:D000438), polyvinylidene difluoride (MESH:C024865), bisulfite (MESH:C042345), PBS (MESH:D007854), glutaraldehyde (MESH:D005976), KCl (MESH:D011189), ROS (MESH:D017382), aldehydes (MESH:D000447), 2-methylimidazole (MESH:C032655), Epon (MESH:C004875), DAPI (MESH:C007293), HNO3 (MESH:D017942), ethanol (MESH:D000431), glucose (MESH:D005947)
- **Species:** Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Mutations:** L120C
- **Cell lines:** VSMC — Homo sapiens (Human), Finite cell line (CVCL_4009)

## Full text

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## Figures

8 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12971392/full.md

## References

63 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12971392/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12971392