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)

Endothelial lipase (EL) is a newly described member of the triglyceride lipase gene family. It has a considerable molecular homology with lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (44%) and hepatic lipase (HL) (41%). Unlike LPL and HL, this enzyme is synthesized by endothelial cells and functions at the site where it is synthesized. Furthermore, its tissue distribution is different from that of LPL and HL. As a lipase, EL has primarily phospholipase A1 activity. Animals that overexpress EL showed reduced HDL cholesterol levels. Conversely, animals that are deficient in EL showed a marked elevation in HDL cholesterol levels, suggesting that it plays a physiologic role in HDL metabolism. Unlike LPL and HL, EL is located in the vascular endothelial cells and its expression is highly regulated by cytokines and physical forces, suggesting that it may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, there is only a limited amount of information available about this enzyme. Some of our unpublished data in addition to previously published data support the possibility that the enzyme plays a role in the formation of atherosclerotic lesion.
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PMID:Endothelial lipase: a new lipase on the block. 1240 76

Endothelial lipase (EL), a new member of the lipase gene family, was recently cloned and has a significant role in plasma high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL). EL has a highly similar molecular homology to lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase. It is synthesized by endothelial cells and functions at the cell surface. EL primarily has phospholipase A1 activity. Animals that overexpress EL showed decreased HDL cholesterol levels and those that lack EL show elevated levels of HDL cholesterol. The expression is highly regulated by cytokines and physical forces. These data suggest that EL may play a significant role in atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Endothelial lipase and cholesterol metabolism. 1502 97

Endothelial lipase (EL), a new member of the lipase gene family, was recently cloned and has been shown to have a significant role in modulating the concentrations of plasma high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL). EL is closely related to lipoprotein and hepatic lipases both in structure and function. It is primarily synthesized by endothelial cells, functions at the cell surface, and shows phospholipase A1 activity. Overexpression of EL decreases HDL cholesterol levels whereas blocking its action increases concentrations of HDL cholesterol. Pro-inflammatory cytokines suppress plasma HDL cholesterol concentrations by enhancing the activity of EL. On the other hand, physical exercise and fish oil (a rich source of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) suppress the activity of EL and this, in turn, enhances the plasma concentrations of HDL cholesterol. Thus, EL plays a critical role in the regulation of plasma HDL cholesterol concentrations and thus modulates the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The expression and actions of EL in specific endothelial cells determines the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis locally explaining the patchy nature of atheroma seen, especially, in coronary arteries. Both HDL cholesterol and EPA and DHA enhance endothelial nitric oxide (eNO) and prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis, which are known to prevent atherosclerosis. On the other hand, pro-inflammatory cytokines augment free radical generation, which are known to inactivate eNO and PGI2. Thus, interactions between EL, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the ability of endothelial cells to generate NO and PGI2 and neutralize the actions of free radicals may play a critical role in atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, endothelial lipase and atherosclerosis. 1566 1