Phd contract in the field of Medical sciences financed for three years by the University of Clermont Auvergne

Endothelial Extracellular Vesicles: secretion, content and functions, and their modulations by dietary polyphenols

Nutritional stress leads during the postprandial period to a transient endothelial dysfunction associated to an increased level of circulating extracellular vesicles(EVs)derived from the vascular endothelium. The increase in endothelial derivedEVs (EEVs) has been observed in cardiometabolic disorders involving the endothelial dysfunction.EEVs are known to modulate the function of target cells. Recently, some studies have reported that the consumption of dietary polyphenols, known to be vaso-protectives, prevent the release of EEVs in patients with vascular diseases. However, the content, fate and functions of these EVs, especially the postprandial EVs, have never been explored and hence their modulations in response to dietary polyphenols. The primary aim of this PhD project is to provide an accurate characterization of content of postprandial EVs and to explore their biological functions. In a second objective, this project will assess how theconsumption of dietary polyphenols can modulatethe biology of EVs. To this way, the project will benefit from an ongoing human trial and from the access to a cohort of patients that will ensure the provision in EV samples. It will also combine ex vivo and in vivo approach to reach its aims. This project is part of the multidisciplinary project VEgHEALTH (Postprandial Extracellular vesicles: physiological friends or foes?)coordinated by L.E. Monfoulet, under evaluation by the French Agency ANR.

Sinegre T et al. Nutrients. 2020. Impact of Epicatechin on the Procoagulant Activities of Microparticles. doi: 10.3390/nu12102935