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)

RhoA and Rho-kinase (ROCK) participate in a wide variety of cell signal functions such as cell growth, smooth and cardiac muscle contraction, cytoskeleton rearrangement, cell migration and proliferation. In vascular smooth muscle cells, RhoA and ROCK play an important role in Ca2+ sensitization and regulate vascular smooth muscle tone. In the heart, RhoA and ROCK mediate hypertrophic response leading to cardiac hypertrophy. Recent cellular and molecular biology studies using ROCK inhibitors such as Y-27632 and fasudil have indicated a pivotal role of the RhoA-ROCK cascade in many aspects of cardiovascular function such as cardiac hypertrophy and ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction. Inhibition of the RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway may be a suitable target for a number of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes and hypertrophic heart failure. This review focuses on the current understanding of the RhoA-ROCK signal pathway in heart diseases and discusses the use of ROCK inhibitors as therapeutic agents for heart diseases ranging from hypertensive cardiomyopathy to heart failure.
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PMID:Small guanine nucleotide-binding protein Rho and myocardial function. 1571 22

As the cellular and molecular mechanisms of major arterial diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension are being more clearly defined, it is becoming apparent that these pathological processes share a number of functional and biochemical features in the vessel wall. Typically, arterial diseases are associated with functional and structural wall alterations including modified contractile properties, smooth muscle cell hypertrophy and proliferation, endothelial dysfunction, excessive extracellular matrix accumulation and inflammation. Small G proteins of the Rho family are defined as major regulators of cell functions including migration, proliferation, differentiation and gene transcription. Recent studies have demonstrated that activation of Rho proteins appears to be a common component for the pathogenesis of hypertension and vascular proliferative disorders. Functional analyses have further revealed that RhoA-dependent pathways are involved in excessive contraction, migration and proliferation associated with arterial diseases. This review focuses on the role of Rho proteins, in particular RhoA, in vascular smooth muscle cells and the involvement of Rho-dependent signaling pathways in vascular diseases.
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PMID:Rho proteins and vascular diseases. 1581 29

Atherosclerosis and its complications still represent the major cause of death in developed countries. Statins have revolutionized the treatment of dyslipidemia and demonstrated their ability to reduce and prevent coronary morbidity and mortality. Statins inhibit 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, an enzyme crucial to cholesterol synthesis. The effectiveness and rapidity of statin-induced decreases in coronary events led to the speculation that statins possess cholesterol-independent effects. Since mevalonate produced by the HMG-CoA reductase is not only the precursor of cholesterol, but also of non steroidal isoprenoid compounds, such as the farnesyl pyrophosphate and the geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, statins also regulate the small signaling proteins, Ras and Rho. Thus, inhibition of these prenylated proteins might account for the non-lipid lowering effects of statins. In this review, we describe the numerous beneficial pleiotropic effects of statins that could modulate atherogenesis.
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PMID:Cholesterol-independent effects of statins in inflammation, immunomodulation and atherosclerosis. 1585 54

There is growing evidence that Rho-kinases (ROCKs), the immediate downstream targets of the small guanosine triphosphate-binding protein Rho, may contribute to cardiovascular disease. ROCKs play a central role in diverse cellular functions such as smooth muscle contraction, stress fiber formation and cell migration and proliferation. Overactivity of ROCKs is observed in cerebral ischemia, coronary vasospasm, hypertension, vascular inflammation, arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. ROCKs, therefore, may be an important and still relatively unexplored therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease. Recent experimental and clinical studies using ROCK inhibitors such as Y-27632 and fasudil have revealed a critical role of ROCKs in embryonic development, inflammation and oncogenesis. This review will focus on the potential role of ROCKs in cellular functions and discuss the prospects of ROCK inhibitors as emerging therapy for cardiovascular diseases.
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PMID:ROCKs as therapeutic targets in cardiovascular diseases. 1588 72

The Rho family GTPases are regulatory molecules that link surface receptors to organisation of the actin cytoskeleton and play major roles in fundamental cellular processes. In the vasculature Rho signalling pathways are intimately involved in the regulation of endothelial barrier function, inflammation and transendothelial leukocyte migration, platelet activation, thrombosis and oxidative stress, as well as smooth muscle contraction, migration, proliferation and differentiation, and are thus implicated in many of the changes associated with atherogenesis. Indeed, it is believed that many of the beneficial, non-lipid lowering effects of statins occur as a result of their ability to inhibit Rho protein activation. Conversely, the Rho proteins can have beneficial effects on the vasculature, including the promotion of endothelial repair and the maintenance of SMC differentiation. Further identification of the mechanisms by which these proteins and their effectors act in the vasculature should lead to therapies that specifically target only the adverse effects of Rho signalling.
Atherosclerosis 2005 Nov
PMID:Rho and vascular disease. 1598 57

In the process of atherosclerosis, platelet activating factor (PAF) promotes the infiltration of inflammatory cells into atherosclerotic plaque by modulating their cytoskeleton. Here, we examined whether Rho family proteins are involved in PAF-induced cytoskeletal reorganization in THP-1 macrophages. PAF stimulation rapidly induced cell elongation, accompanied by filopodia formation. The inhibition of Rho family proteins by the overexpression of Rho-GDI attenuated the PAF-mediated morphological changes. Both RhoA and Cdc42 were activated in response to PAF. Inhibition of RhoA or Cdc42 by dominant negative mutants abrogated morphological changes induced by PAF. Collectively, PAF regulates cytoarchitecture through Rho family proteins in macrophages.
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PMID:Platelet activating factor induces cytoskeletal reorganization through Rho family pathway in THP-1 macrophages. 1600 86

Atherosclerosis and its complications still represent the major cause of death in developed countries. Statins have been described as the most potent class of drugs to reduce serum cholesterol levels. The effectiveness and rapidity of statin-induced decreases in coronary events led to the speculation that statins possess also cholesterol-independent effects. By the inhibition of 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, an enzyme crucial to cholesterol synthesis, statins reduce not only cholesterol but also non steroidal isoprenoid intermediates production. Since these isoprenoids, such as farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, regulate the small signaling proteins, Ras and Rho, inhibition of these prenylated proteins by statins might account for their non-lipid-related effects. In this review, we describe the numerous beneficial pleiotropic effects of statins that could modulate atherogenesis.
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PMID:Pleiotropic effects of statins in atherosclerosis: role on endothelial function, inflammation and immunomodulation. 1643 10

An optimal level of NO has protective effects in atherosclerosis, whereas large amounts contribute to septic shock. To study how statins, the potent inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis, regulate NO in the vascular wall, we determined their effects on interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Compared with the large amounts of NO and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) protein expression induced by LPS, the responses of IL-1beta were modest. Various statins were found to inhibit LPS-induced iNOS expression and NO production, although they potentiated IL-1beta responses. In addition, fluvastatin increased IL-1beta-induced p65 nuclear translocation and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity, although it inhibited those induced by LPS. To address the role of small G proteins in statin's actions, farnesyl transferase inhibitors [alpha-hydroxyfarne-sylphosphonic acid and (2S)-2-[[(2S)-2-[(2S,3S)-2-[(2R)-2-amino-3-mercaptopropyl]amino]-3-methylpentyl]oxy]-1-oxo-3-phenylpropyl]amino]-4-(methylsulfonyl)-butanoic acid 1-methylethyl ester (L-744382)], Rac inhibitor (NSC23766), and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor [N-(4-pyridyl)-4-(1-aminoethyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide dihydrochloride (Y-27632)] were used. We found that Y-27632 potentiated IL-1beta-induced iNOS expression, p65 nuclear translocation, IkappaB kinase (IKK), and NF-kappaB activation, whereas it had minimal effects on LPS-induced responses. In contrast, farnesyl transferase inhibitors blocked iNOS protein expression induced by LPS and IL-1beta, whereas NSC23766 had no effect. Further studies showed that LPS down-regulated Rho and ROCK activity, whereas IL-1beta increased them, suggesting a negative role of Rho and ROCK signaling, which is regulated in contrary manners by IL-1beta and LPS, in IKK/NF-kappaB activation. Through abrogating this negative signaling, statins differentially regulate iNOS expression induced by LPS and IL-1beta in VSMCs. These differential actions of statins on iNOS gene regulation might provide an additional explanation for the pleiotropic beneficial effects of statins.
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PMID:The role of Rho-associated kinase in differential regulation by statins of interleukin-1beta- and lipopolysaccharide-mediated nuclear factor kappaB activation and inducible nitric-oxide synthase gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. 1631 11

The development of atherosclerotic disease results from the interaction between environment and genetic make up. A key factor in atherogenesis is the oxidative modification of lipids, which is involved in the recruitment of mononuclear leukocytes to the arterial intima--a process regulated by several groups of adhesion molecules and cytokines. Activated leukocytes, as well as endothelial mitochondria, can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are associated with endothelial dysfunction, a cause of reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity and further ROS production. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) and liver X receptors (LXR) are nuclear receptors significantly involved in the control of lipid metabolism, inflammation and insulin sensitivity. Also, an emerging role has been suggested for G protein coupled receptors and for the small Ras and Rho GTPases in the regulation of the expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and of tissue factor, which are involved in thrombus formation and modulation of vascular tone. Further, the interactions among eNOS, cholesterol, oxidated LDL and caveola membranes are probably involved in some molecular changes observed in vascular diseases. Despite the relevance of oxidative processes in atherogenesis, anti-oxidants have failed to significantly improve atherosclerosis (ATS) prevention, while statins have proved to be the most successful drugs.
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PMID:Molecular aspects of atherogenesis: new insights and unsolved questions. 1632 82

The small GTPase Rho and its downstream effector Rho-kinase contribute to agonist-induced vascular contraction via Ca2+ sensitization. Reasonably selective pharmacological inhibitors of these proteins have been developed and are now widely used experimentally to investigate the role of this signaling pathway in vascular function. Rho and Rho-kinase have attracted increasing clinical interest as a result of emerging evidence for their roles in the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular disorders, including hypertension, coronary and cerebral vasospasm, atherosclerosis and diabetes, and are now considered important future therapeutic targets. A major challenge lies in further developing selective inhibitors of this pathway beyond experimental use. Consideration should perhaps also be given to widening the application of existing clinical drugs now known to also interfere with Rho-Rho-kinase signaling.
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PMID:Targeting Rho and Rho-kinase in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. 1637 97


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