Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Previous studies from other laboratories suggest that linoleic acid and its metabolites, hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acids, play an important role in modulating the growth of some cells. A correlation has been demonstrated between hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acids and conditions characterized by abnormal cell growth such as atherosclerosis and psoriasis. To determine if linoleic acid and its metabolites modulate cell growth in atherosclerosis, we measured DNA synthesis, protooncogene mRNA expression, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Linoleic acid induces DNA synthesis, c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc mRNA expression and MAPK activation in VSMC. Furthermore, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, a potent inhibitor of the lipoxygenase system, significantly reduced the growth-response effects of linoleic acid in VSMC, suggesting that conversion of linoleic acid to hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acids (HPODEs) is required for these effects. HPODEs also caused significant induction of DNA synthesis, protooncogene mRNA expression, and MAPK activation in growth-arrested VSMC, suggesting that linoleic acid and its metabolic products, HPODEs, are potential mitogens in VSMC, and that conditions such as oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation which provoke the production of these substances may alter VSMC growth.
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PMID:Linoleic acid and its metabolites, hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acids, stimulate c-Fos, c-Jun, and c-Myc mRNA expression, mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, and growth in rat aortic smooth muscle cells. 763 78

Oxidative reactions have been implicated in the development of numerous diseases including atherosclerosis and cancer. Oxidation of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids can result in loss of membrane integrity and function, inactivation of enzymes, modification of lipoproteins, and chemical alteration of DNA. Active oxygen species, transition metals, reducing agents, and enzymes such as lipoxygenase are all involved in the catalysis of oxidative reactions. Since lipid oxidation catalysts and active oxygen species are ubiquitous to all biological systems and since lipid oxidation products can enter the body via oxidized foods, numerous endogenous antioxidant systems have been developed. Endogenous antioxidant systems include antioxidant enzymes, free radical scavengers, and metal chelators. The purpose of this review is to examine the potential of nonessential dietary components that inhibit oxidative reactions in foods and biological tissues.
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PMID:The role of phenolics, conjugated linoleic acid, carnosine, and pyrroloquinoline quinone as nonessential dietary antioxidants. 777 Jan 84

Cellular lipoxygenases have been implicated in foam cell formation during the early stages of atherogenesis. We studied the interaction of lipoxygenases of different positional specificities with human lipoproteins and found that the arachidonate 15-lipoxygenases of rabbit and humans and the arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase of porcine leukocytes oxygenate lipoproteins as indicated by the formation of oxygenated lipids and changes in electrophoretic mobility of low density lipoprotein. The arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase of human platelets, the recombinant arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase of human leukocyte, and the soybean lipoxygenase I were less effective in oxidizing human LDL. As a major oxygenation product, esterified 13S-hydro(pero)xy-9Z,11E-octadecadienoic acid was identified for both the rabbit reticulocyte 15- and the porcine leukocyte 12-lipoxygenase. In addition, esterified 15S-hydro(pero)xy-5,8,11,13(Z,Z,Z,E)-eicosatetraenoic acid (for the rabbit 15-lipoxygenase) and 12S-hydro(pero)xy-5,8,10,14(Z,Z,E,Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (for the porcine 12-lipoxygenase) as well as small amounts of racemic 9-hydro(pero)xy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid isomers were detected. More than 90% of the oxygenated polyenoic fatty acids were found in the ester lipid fraction, particularly in the cholesteryl esters and in various phospholipid classes (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine). The possible biological significance of lipoxygenase-induced oxidative modification of lipoproteins in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is discussed.
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PMID:Oxidative modification of human lipoproteins by lipoxygenases of different positional specificities. 785 52

The effects of baicalein, baicalin and wogonin, the flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis, on the proliferative responses of cultured rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells were studied. The proliferative response was determined from the uptake of tritiated thymidine. In rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells, all three flavonoids dose dependently inhibited the proliferative response induced by 5% fetal calf serum at the dose range of 10(-6) to 10(-4) M. Baicalin and wogonin were less effective than baicalein as inhibitors of the serum-induced smooth muscle cell proliferation, indicating that the three hydroxyl groups on positions 5, 6 and 7 seem to be necessary and sufficient for full inhibitory activity against the proliferative response of smooth muscle cells. Baicalein had a greater inhibitory effect on the proliferative reponse stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor than on serum-stimulated proliferation. Baicalein, a flavonoid with antiproliferative and lipoxygenase-inhibitory activities, may be useful as another template for the development of better drugs to prevent the pathological changes of atherosclerosis and restenosis.
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PMID:Antiproliferative effect of baicalein, a flavonoid from a Chinese herb, on vascular smooth muscle cell. 813 74

Three sets of experiments are presented demonstrating that activated leukocytes produce significant vasoconstriction. (1) Responses to human mononuclear leukocytes were studied in intact femoral arteries in vitro. Vasoconstriction of about 35-40% of the maximal effect obtained with KCl was found with mononuclear cells activated by thrombin or complement component C5a, but not with unactivated mononuclear cells. This vasoconstriction was endothelium-independent, and could not be inhibited by radical scavengers or by pre-treatment of the cells with inhibitors of the cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase pathway. Additional experiments suggest that this contractile effect is partially mediated by the release of a stable factor. (2) Vascular responses to intra-arterial complement C5a (10 and 100 micrograms) were studied in the blood-perfused hind limb of normal and atherosclerotic monkeys in vivo. C5a injection produced pronounced constriction of the hind limb large arteries in atherosclerotic, but not in normal animals. Perfusion of the hind limb with a cell-free blood substitute almost abolished C5a-induced vasoconstriction. These findings suggest that C5a induces vasoconstriction by activation of blood cells, probably leukocytes. (3) Vascular responses to the chemotactic peptide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), were studied in the human coronary circulation. Intracoronary fMLP (1 x 10(-8) moles) produced a transient increase in blood flow velocity and a significant decrease of the diameter of the epicardial arteries. This effect was accompanied by a decrease in leukocyte count in the coronary sinus blood. These studies suggest that activated leukocytes produce vasoconstriction by the release of vasoactive factor(s), and thus may contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications in patients with atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Vasoconstriction in response to activated leukocytes: implications for vasospasm. 829 85

Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (15-lipoxygenase) is a lipid-peroxidizing enzyme associated with specific inflammatory cells seen in asthma and atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, 15-lipoxygenase is induced in the macrophages of human and rabbit lesions and has been implicated in foam cell formation. In human lung, 15-lipoxygenase is preferentially expressed in airway epithelial cells and eosinophils. Our studies have focused both on the regulation of expression and on the structure-function relationships of the enzyme. To determine factors that could regulate expression, peripheral blood monocytes were purified and cultured with combinations of 18 factors. Only interleukin-4 (60 pM) induced 15-lipoxygenase mRNA, protein and enzymatic activity. Interferon-gamma (100 pM) inhibited the interleukin-4 dependent induction of 15-lipoxygenase. Results with cultured human airway cells were similar. These data suggest that expression of 15-lipoxygenase is regulated by interleukin-4, and that 15-lipoxygenase is a potential downstream effector molecule for this potent cytokine. In parallel studies, we have investigated determinants of positional specificity using site-directed mutagenesis and bacterial expression of human 15-lipoxygenase. Hypotheses for mutagenesis were derived from an analysis of conserved differences among multiple lipoxygenase sequences. Switching four amino acids in 15-lipoxygenase to their counterparts in 12-lipoxygenase resulted in a variant enzyme that produced equal 12- and 15-lipoxygenation. Further analysis has identified two amino acids that completely control the positional specificity of 15-lipoxygenase. These data have led to a preliminary model of the enzyme's active site region.
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PMID:Human 15-lipoxygenase: induction by interleukin-4 and insights into positional specificity. 835 18

The modification of lipoproteins by reactive aldehydes formed via lipid peroxidation is thought to be a key process in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We show that 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy can readily be used to detect a variety of different aldehydes resulting from peroxidation of liposomes induced by Fenton's reagent or lipoxygenase, and aldehydes arising from copper-induced reactions of low-density lipoprotein. There is a clear contrast between the major aldehydic products arising from metal-ion- and lipoxygenase-induced reactions.
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PMID:Aldehydes from metal ion- and lipoxygenase-induced lipid peroxidation: detection by 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy. 838 Sep 81

Both atherosclerotic lesions and hypoxia alter the contractile properties of the arterial wall and, in particular, may interfere with the relaxation mechanisms dependent or not on the endothelium. The present study was designed to test the effect of severe hypoxia on the contractile behavior of the atherosclerotic rabbit aorta. Segments of aortas obtained from control, cholesterol-fed, or Watanabe hereditary hyperlipidemic rabbits were mounted in organ chambers for isometric tension recording. A change of the bath PO2 from "normoxic" conditions (95% O2-5% CO2) to "hypoxic" conditions (95% N2-5% CO2) caused relaxation in the precontracted control aortas (by approximately 85%) but a transient contraction (approximately 20% of the maximal contraction obtained with 30 mM KCl) followed by a relaxation in the precontracted atherosclerotic aortas. Both types of responses were observed in aortas contracted with aggregating platelets, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine, endothelin, and prostaglandin F2 alpha. The hypoxic contractions in atherosclerosis were not dependent on the presence of an intact endothelium. They could not be antagonized by blockers of alpha-adrenoceptors, 5-HT2 receptors, histamine receptors, thromboxane receptors, and muscarinic cholinoreceptors. Inhibitors of cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, Na+, K(+)-ATPase, and free radical scavengers or an activator of endothelium-derived relaxing factor did not significantly affect the hypoxic contraction; the absence of effect of some inhibitors of protein synthesis seems to rule out the involvement of endothelin, angiotensin II, and bradykinin. The hypoxic contraction was not influenced by omission of Ca2+ from the medium or by inhibition of Ca2+ influx but was prevented by blockade of intracellular Ca2+. The inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (nitro-L-arginine, 100 microM) and the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (methylene blue, 10 microM) both enhanced the initial contractile responses to 5-HT to a similar extent as hypoxia and completely prevented the hypoxic contraction in the atherosclerotic tissues. The cyclic nucleotide analogues 8-bromo-cGMP and dibutyryl cAMP also inhibited the hypoxic contraction in the atherosclerotic aorta. The cGMP levels were markedly decreased and the cAMP levels were moderately decreased in the aortas of the cholesterol-fed rabbits as compared with the control aortas. Hypoxia further decreased cGMP but not the cAMP levels in atherosclerotic aortas with and without endothelium. Our data thus demonstrate the occurrence of an unusual vasoconstrictor response in atherosclerotic arteries; this constrictor response depends on the availability of intracellular Ca2+ and seems to be due to the further inhibition of an already impaired cGMP production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Hypoxia causes an abnormal contractile response in the atherosclerotic rabbit aorta. Implication of reduced nitric oxide and cGMP production. 838 23

We investigated some functions of monocytes from 20 type IIa hypercholesterolemic (HC) and five homozygous familial hypercholesterolemic (FH) patients. Monocytes from the HC patients contained as much cholesterol and formed as much thromboxane B2 in response to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or calcium ionophore A23187 as those from normal individuals. In contrast, the generation of prostaglandin E2 and 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha in response to these agonists was 1.5-3 times normal, and that of leukotriene B4 was 40-60% of the normal value (p < 0.05 for all). Studies in which the combination of fMLP or A23187 with sodium arachidonate were employed suggested that these abnormalities were independent of the availability of the endogenous substrate for the lipoxygenase or cyclooxygenase enzymes. Quantitatively and qualitatively comparable abnormalities were found in monocytes from the five FH patients, and these were little affected when the patients' plasma cholesterol levels were almost normalized by low density lipoprotein apheresis. In keeping with the abnormalities in the eicosanoid metabolism, monocytes from HC patients exhibited a defective ability (p < 0.05) to generate O2-, the extent of which was correlated with the impaired formation of leukotriene B4. On the other hand, adhesion studies indicated that patients' cells exhibited an abnormally high ability to adhere to glass (p < 0.01). These data indicate the presence of functionally abnormal monocytes in hypercholesterolemia and suggest a direction to be followed to understand the importance of such cells in the premature atherosclerosis that occurs in these patients.
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PMID:Functionally abnormal monocytes in hypercholesterolemia. 838 15

Lipid hydroperoxides have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This work was therefore set up to obtain a fast and specific chemiluminescent assay for measuring hydroperoxides in native low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The apparatus was a complete HPLC system including two pumps, an autosampler, a computer and a chemiluminescent detector with a T-mixing coil in the place of the column. Samples were injected from the autosampler and mixed with luminescent reagent (3 microM luminol and 1 microM microperoxidase in 0.1 M carbonate buffer (pH 10)) in the T-piece. To generate a calibration curve, linoleic acid hydroperoxide was obtained by incubating soybean lipoxygenase with linoleic acid. The calculated conjugated diene concentration was in good agreement with the nominal linoleic acid hydroperoxide concentration. The chemiluminescence was linear with the amount of linoleic acid hydroperoxide injected and the detection limit was about 3 pmol linoleic acid hydroperoxide. The chemiluminescence induced by copper-oxidized LDL was linear with concentration; the detection limit, when compared with linoleic acid hydroperoxide, was similar. The reproducibility of the linoleic acid hydroperoxide and of oxidized LDL hydroperoxide was examined in single pools. The coefficient of variation on the triplicates of each pool was about 3%. The titre of the linoleic acid hydroperoxide and oxidized LDL peroxides was quite stable for at least 10 days when stored under argon at 4 degrees C in the presence of EDTA. The mean value of the LDL hydroperoxides in 16 control subjects was 145.20 +/- 98.81 pmol/mg LDL protein. In conclusion, the microperoxidase-luminol-dependent chemiluminescence flow-injection assay is a rapid, sensitive and selective method for measuring lipid hydroperoxides in native LDL.
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PMID:Determination of lipid hydroperoxides in native low-density lipoprotein by a chemiluminescent flow-injection assay. 841 85


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