Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: 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)

Macrophages are central to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and thus can be very appropriate targets for therapy. Cell adhesion molecules mediating monocytes recruitment to the endothelium are attractive therapy targets and their inhibitors are in clinical trials. Macrophage scavenger receptors like SR-A and CD-36 mediate foam cell formation by facilitating the uptake of modified lipids. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR), liver X receptor (LXR)-mediated signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) induced phosphorylation events seem to play an important role in this phenomenon. Proteins affecting macrophage cholesterol metabolism and transport, including ATP-binding cassette (ABC) A1, ABCG1, acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA-1), neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase (NCEH) also regulate foam cell formation and are being developed as therapeutic targets by many pharmaceutical companies. Macrophage proliferation and apoptosis are important events controlling inflammatory response, plaque vulnerability, and destabilization. Free cholesterol (FC) activates the macrophage endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway and apoptosis. Free radicals and nitric oxide also modulate macrophage foam cell formation and apoptosis. Various antioxidants like AGI-1067 and BO-653 are in clinical trials for atherosclerosis treatment. Macrophage matrix metalloproteinase's (MMP's) play a significant role in weakening and rupture of plaques. Efforts are on to develop isoform specific MMP inhibitor. CD-14, MMP-3, ABCA1, Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), arachidonate lipoxygenase-15 (ALOX-15), and Connexin37 polymorphisms and macrophage dysfunction signify their importance in atherosclerosis. Deciphering the role of macrophages in regulating dyslipidemia and inflammation during atherosclerosis is important for developing them as therapeutic targets.
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PMID:Macrophages: an elusive yet emerging therapeutic target of atherosclerosis. 1800 Sep 63

Diseases such as atherosclerosis, arthritis and cancer have been related with imbalance in ROS production and failures in regulation of the MMPs. Authors suggested a relationship between MPP activity and ROS. Our research group has demonstrated that retinol 7 microM induced changes in Sertoli cell metabolism linking retinol treatment and oxidative stress. We verified MMP activity in Sertoli cells treated with vitamin A using gelatin zymography. We found that retinol (7 microM) and retinoic acid (1 nM) induced MMP-2 activity in Sertoli cells. Antioxidants reversed retinol-induced but not retinoic acid-induced MMP-2 activity. Moreover, retinol but not retinoic acid increased ROS production quantified by DCFH-DA oxidation. We found that retinol and retinoic acid induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, but only retinol-increased MMP-2 activity was inhibited by UO126, an ERK1/2 phosphorylation inhibitor. Our findings suggested that retinol-induced MMP-2 activity, but not retinoic acid-induced MMP-2 activity, was related to ERK1/2 phosphorylation and ROS production.
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PMID:Retinol and retinoic acid increase MMP-2 activity by different pathways in cultured Sertoli cells. 1807 36

C-reactive protein (CRP) is present in the atherosclerotic plaques and appears to promote atherogenesis. Intraplaque CRP colocalizes with oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and macrophages in human atherosclerotic lesions. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been implicated in plaque rupture. CRP promotes OxLDL uptake and MMP induction in vitro; however, these have not been investigated in vivo. We examined the effect of CRP on OxLDL uptake and MMP-9 production in vivo in Wistar rats. CRP significantly increased OxLDL uptake in the peritoneal and sterile pouch macrophages compared with human serum albumin (huSA). CRP also significantly increased intracellular cholesteryl ester accumulation compared with huSA. The increased uptake of OxLDL by CRP was inhibited by pretreatment with antibodies to CD32, CD64, CD36, and fucoidin, suggesting uptake by both scavenger receptors and Fc-gamma receptors. Furthermore, CRP treatment increased MMP-9 activity in macrophages compared with huSA, which was abrogated by inhibitors to p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB but not Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) before human CRP treatment. Because OxLDL uptake by macrophages contributes to foam cell formation and MMP release contributes to plaque instability, this study provides novel in vivo evidence for the role of CRP in atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Human C-reactive protein promotes oxidized low density lipoprotein uptake and matrix metalloproteinase-9 release in Wistar rats. 1824 17

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a regulatory protein of the arterial wall, but its role in human atherosclerosis remains unknown. We have studied the relationships between Cav-1 abundance, atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and clinical manisfestations of atherosclerotic disease.We determined Cav-1 expression by western blotting in atherosclerotic plaques harvested from 378 subjects that underwent carotid endarterectomy. Cav-1 levels were significantly lower in carotid plaques than non-atherosclerotic vascular specimens. Low Cav-1 expression was associated with features of plaque instability such as large lipid core, thrombus formation, macrophage infiltration, high IL-6, IL-8 levels and elevated MMP-9 activity. Clinically, a down-regulation of Cav-1 was observed in plaques obtained from men, patients with a history of myocardial infarction and restenotic lesions. Cav-1 levels above the median were associated with absence of new vascular events within 30 days after surgery [0% vs. 4%] and a trend towards lower incidence of new cardiovascular events during longer follow-up. Consistent with these clinical data, Cav-1 null mice revealed elevated intimal hyperplasia response following arterial injury that was significantly attenuated after MMP inhibition. Recombinant peptides mimicking Cav-1 scaffolding domain (Cavtratin) reduced gelatinase activity in cultured porcine arteries and impaired MMP-9 activity and COX-2 in LPS-challenged macrophages. Administration of Cavtratin strongly impaired flow-induced expansive remodeling in mice. This is the first study that identifies Cav-1 as a novel potential stabilizing factor in human atherosclerosis. Our findings support the hypothesis that local down-regulation of Cav-1 in atherosclerotic lesions contributes to plaque formation and/or instability accelerating the occurrence of adverse clinical outcomes. Therefore, given the large number of patients studied, we believe that Cav-1 may be considered as a novel target in the prevention of human atherosclerotic disease and the loss of Cav-1 may be a novel biomarker of vulnerable plaque with prognostic value.
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PMID:Caveolin-1 influences vascular protease activity and is a potential stabilizing factor in human atherosclerotic disease. 1859 70

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been proposed to be an important modulator of atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability. We generated a transgenic (tg) model expressing human proMMP-9 in macrophages, using the scavenger receptor enhancer/promoter A. This model was crossed into the double Apoe/Timp-1 knockout background. After 16 weeks of a high-fat diet, there were no significant changes in plaque size in the proximal aortas between the four groups of the study population (Apoe(-/-), Apoe(-/-)/MMP-9tg, Apoe(-/-)/Timp-1(-/-), and Apoe(-/-)/MMP-9tg/Timp-1(-/-)), and, in the Timp-1 knockout background, MMP-9 transgenic mice and control littermates had similar micro-aneurysm formation. However, lesions in Apoe(-/-)/MMP-9tg/Timp-1(-/-) mice contained significantly more collagen compared to the three other groups (P<0.005). Culture supernatants from elicited Apoe(-/-)/MMP-9tg/Timp-1(-/-) macrophages contained higher levels of active TGF-beta than the three other groups (P<0.05), suggesting that augmented collagen deposition resulted from an increase in TGF-beta activation due to transgenic MMP-9 in the Timp-1(-/-) background. This study indicates that, in human atherosclerosis, increased MMP-9 activity could up-regulate collagen deposition, possibly through TGF-beta activation.
Atherosclerosis 2009 Jul
PMID:Transgenic expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 modulates collagen deposition in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. 1914 35

Generation of thrombin is associated with vascular remodeling that involves proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and activation of pro-matrix metalloproteinases (pro-MMPs). The present study was to investigate whether thrombin would induce mitogenesis and activation of pro-MMPs in cerebrovascular SMCs (CSMCs), and if so, whether MMP activity would contribute to the CSMC mitogenesis. CSMCs were cultured from pig middle cerebral arteries and stimulated with thrombin. Thrombin (0.1-5U/ml), in a dose-dependent fashion, stimulated mitogenesis in CSMCs as detected by bromo-2'-deoxy-uridine (BrdU) incorporation. Additionally, zymographic analyses showed that thrombin stimulated the appearance of the active form of MMP-2 (MMP-2) in a concentration-dependent manner, but not the release of pro-MMP-2. Thrombin did not affect expression of cell-associated pro-MMP-2 protein as evaluated by Western blot analysis. Treatment with the synthetic MMP inhibitor GM6001 or antibodies to MMP-2 significantly reduced thrombin-induced BrdU incorporation in CSMCs. In conclusion, thrombin activates pro-MMP-2 in the absence of elevated pro-MMP-2 expression and secretion in CSMCs, and thrombin induces CSMC mitogenesis involving its action on MMP-2. These findings suggest that thrombin may have relevance in cerebrovascular remodeling associated with brain atherosclerosis and atherothrombotic ischemic stroke through a mechanism involving MMP-dependent CSMC mitogenesis.
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PMID:Thrombin stimulates mitogenesis in pig cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells involving activation of pro-matrix metalloproteinase-2. 1915 Mar 92

The influence of tobacco smoke on human health is still an important problem worldwide. Complex inflammatory processes and changes in the immune system are crucial in the pathogenesis of smoking related disorders like chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), lung cancer, atherosclerosis. The objective of this review is to present the alterations in the immune system in smokers. The main affected system by cigarette smoke (CS) is the respiratory tract. In bronchial epithelium metaplastic and dysplastic changes are accompanied by elevated expression of adhesion molecules and secretion of many cytokines capable of stimulation immune cells influx. In the population of pulmonary macrophages an elevated proportion of cells, changes in expression surface markers with impaired phagocytic and antigen presenting function are observed. Chronic exposure to CS causes increased production of metalloproteinases (MMP) by macrophages and proteolitic enzymes by neutrophils. These enzymes cause destruction of alveolar wall. Increased apoptosis of lung tissue results in augmentation of foreign material which may play a role of autoantigen and which is a target for cytotoxic/suppressor cells. The role of regulatory T (Treg) cells in this process is recently postulated. Smoking cessation is the most effective method of prophylaxis and treatment of diseases related to tobacco smoking. However many immunological changes in smokers are not completely reversible after quitting smoking.
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PMID:Effects of cigarette smoke on the lung and systemic immunity. 1921 30

Angiotensin II (ATII)-mediated hypertension increases the risk for acute coronary events, which may be caused by augmented collagen degradation. Interstitial fibers of collagen type I in the plaque can be degraded by MMP8 and MMP13 specifically. Indeed high MMP8 levels have been correlated with ruptured plaques in patients. To study the contribution of ATII in plaque rupture, we evaluated its effect on MMP8 and MMP13 activity on the vulnerable lesions using an extravascular device that induces regions of pro-atherogenic shear stress in the carotid arteries of ApoE KO mice. This triggers the growth of lesions with a "vulnerable" macrophage-rich phenotype (referred to as upstream lesions) and lesions with a "stable" fibrotic phenotype (referred to as downstream lesions). ATII administration increased mean blood pressure, and increased the incidence of intra-plaque hemorrhages (IPH) from 30% to 73% of the animals in the upstream segments. The area of IPH was also increased by 5-fold. No IPHs were observed in the downstream lesions of the control group or the ATII group. In addition, ATII treatment doubled the size of upstream and downstream lesions. Upstream lesions in the ATII group were decreased in collagen content by 3-fold, contained 2-fold higher MMP8 and MMP13 levels, with a 2- and 3-fold increase in collagen type I degradation by MMP8 and MMP13 respectively compared to the upstream lesions in the control group. Gene expression analysis showed general increase in procollagens and TIMPs expression in response to ATII. However, ATII also decreased procollagen 5alpha3 expression in downstream lesions and decreased TIMP4 expression in upstream lesions. These data show that ATII promotes a "stable" fibrotic phenotype by inducing severe intra-plaque hemorrhages, characterized by increased degradation of interstitial collagen I via an MMP-mediated (MMP8 and MMP13) mechanism.
Atherosclerosis 2009 May
PMID:Activation of MMP8 and MMP13 by angiotensin II correlates to severe intra-plaque hemorrhages and collagen breakdown in atherosclerotic lesions with a vulnerable phenotype. 1923 60

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) has been suggested as a modulator of atherosclerotic plaque instability, however, its role in MMP production in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is still unclear. Thus, this study investigated the role of 5-LO in HNE-enhanced MMP-2 production in VSMC, and the mechanisms by which this enzyme could be activated by HNE. VSMC stimulated with HNE (1 microM) produced MMP-2, which was markedly attenuated in 5-LO-deficient VSMC as well as in cells pretreated with a FLAP inhibitor, MK886, confirming a role for 5-LO metabolites in HNE-enhanced MMP-2 production. Related to these results, HNE increased nuclear translocation of 5-LO promoting 5-LO activity, which was attenuated not only by SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, but also by PD98059, an ERK inhibitor. In parallel, phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK occurred as early as 15 min after exposure to HNE, suggesting a potential role for p38 MAPK and ERK pathways in HNE-induced activation of 5-LO. Among leukotriene (LT) receptor antagonists, U-75302, a BLT receptor antagonist, but not MK-571 and Rev-5901, cysLT receptor antagonists, showed an inhibitory effect on HNE-enhanced MMP-2 production. Moreover, MMP-2 production in VSMC was also significantly increased by LTB(4), but not by LTC(4) and LTD(4). Collectively, these data suggest that 5-LO mediates HNE-enhanced MMP-2 production via LTB(4)-BLT receptor pathways, consequently leading to atherosclerotic plaque instability.
Atherosclerosis 2010 Jan
PMID:Participation of 5-lipoxygenase-derived LTB(4) in 4-hydroxynonenal-enhanced MMP-2 production in vascular smooth muscle cells. 1958 28

We studied men with coronary atherosclerosis without acute coronary syndrome and determined typical valuable parameters of inflammatory (tumor necrotic factor, antagonist of receptor to interleukin [IL] 1, IL 6, IL 8, monocytes chemotactic protein 1, endothelial monocytes activating protein II), and destructive (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP] 3, MMP 7, MMP 9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase) processes at consecutive stages of formation of coronary atherosclerotic plaque: "normal intimal tissue --> lipid stain --> early stable plaque --> unstable vulnerable plaque <--> stable plaque with fibrosis", and in 3 types of unstable plaques (lipid type, inflammatory erosive type, necrotic type).
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PMID:[Changes in proinflammatory cytokine and destructive metalloproteinase levels during formation of unstable atherosclerotic plaque]. 1965 94


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