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)

Obesity is a multifactorial disease with a marked genetic component. The situation is further complicated by the heterogeneity of obesity demonstrated by the topographical distribution of body fat, e.g. upper body (central) and lower body (gluteal) obesity. Furthermore, the distribution of fat shows a stronger heritable tendency compared with total body fat. Central obesity is characterized by hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance, a feature in common with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, hypertension and atherosclerosis. In order to study the molecular genetics of central obesity we have examined 56 severely obese (mean body mass index 40), unrelated British Caucasoid young non-diabetic women for associations of restriction fragment length polymorphism of candidate genes with anthropometric measurements and indices of insulin secretion and resistance. The candidate genes examined were insulin receptor, insulin sensitive glucose transporter and insulin. An association of the class 3 allele of the hypervariable region in the 5' flanking region of the insulin gene was found with upper segment obesity (P = 0.005). Furthermore, the class 3 allele was also associated with fasting hyperinsulinaemia (P = 0.01), stimulated insulin secretion (P = 0.01) and insulin resistance as calculated from the homeostatic model of assessment (HOMA; P = 0.008). No such associations were found with the other candidate genes studied. This data suggests that polymorphisms in the 5' flanking region of the insulin gene may affect expression of the gene and thereby modulate insulin production in severely obese female subjects.
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PMID:Central obesity and hyperinsulinaemia in women are associated with polymorphism in the 5' flanking region of the human insulin gene. 135 60

Rep68 protein, encoded by adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV), has been previously shown to bind to specific sequences within the viral genome and in human chromosome 19. The effect of AAV Rep protein on human cellular genes is of interest because AAV is being developed as a gene therapy vector. We have identified sequences related to the Rep recognition sequence in the AAV P5 promoter in or near the c-sis proto-oncogene and the genes coding for a hepatocyte glucose transporter, alpha-A-crystallin, and carcinoma marker GA733-1. The ability of Rep68 to bind to these sites was established by gel shift assays, and the effect of Rep68 on the expression of these genes was tested by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Rep68 enhances the expression of the c-sis proto-oncogene, which codes for the B polypeptide of platelet-derived growth factor, a multifunctional growth factor that is involved in embryonic development, tissue regeneration, osteogenesis, fibrosis, atherosclerosis, and neoplasia.
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PMID:The Rep68 protein of adeno-associated virus type 2 stimulates expression of the platelet-derived growth factor B c-sis proto-oncogene. 867 7

The thiazolidinedione analogue troglitazone is an antidiabetic agent that improves insulin resistance in rodents and humans. Although coronary artery disease is common in patients with the insulin resistance syndrome, the effects of troglitazone on smooth muscle cells (SMC) have not been fully elucidated. We therefore examined the effects of troglitazone on cell growth and glucose uptake in human aortic SMC. Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity and glucose transporter (Glut) 1 mRNA levels were also studied. In the absence of troglitazone, insulin (10(-7) M) caused a 2-fold increase of DNA synthesis in SMC and troglitazone suppressed the increase of DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. This growth suppression was accompanied by inhibition of MAP kinase activity. On the other hand, troglitazone significantly increased Glut 1 mRNA and enhanced glucose uptake in SMC. These results suggest that troglitazone affects the insulin signaling pathways in SMC and suppresses growth while promoting glucose uptake. Our findings support the application of troglitazone as an inhibitor of SMC proliferation in patients with insulin resistance.
Atherosclerosis 1998 Jan
PMID:Troglitazone enhances glucose uptake and inhibits mitogen-activated protein kinase in human aortic smooth muscle cells. 954 43

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR), especially the PPARalpha and PPARgamma, are associated with an extraordinary diverse spectrum of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, angiogenesis, cardiac hypertrophy, and atherosclerosis. PGAR (for PPAR gamma angiopoietin-related gene) is a recently identified PPAR target gene which is associated with adipose differentiation, systemic lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, and possibly angiogenesis. We report here that WY-14643, a selective PPARalpha ligand up-regulated PGAR expression in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. In parallel to activating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and glucose transporter-4, hypoxia increased PGAR mRNA levels. PGAR expression was also increased by desferrioxamine and CoCl(2), but not by sodium cyanide, results consistent with the pharmacological features of hypoxia-responsive genes. These studies are the first to demonstrate that hypoxia increases the mRNA levels of a PPAR target gene in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, infection with adenoviral vectors encoding the wild-type or a hybrid form of HIF-1alpha highly increased PGAR mRNA levels. In contrast, neither hypoxia nor overexpression of HIF-1alpha affected the mRNA levels of PPARalpha, PPAR gamma, and muscle carnitine palmitoyltransferase, a known PPARalpha target gene. These results suggest that hypoxic activation of PGAR expression is likely mediated by HIF-1 but not the PPARalpha/RXR pathway.
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PMID:Hypoxia up-regulates expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma angiopoietin-related gene (PGAR) in cardiomyocytes: role of hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha. 1209 11

Thrombin is a mitogen for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and has been implicated in the development in atherosclerosis. However, little is known about the role of thrombin in glucose transport in VSMC. In this study, we examined the effect of thrombin on glucose uptake in rat A10 VSMC. We found that thrombin induced glucose uptake in a dose-dependent manner while hirudin, a potent thrombin inhibitor, prevented glucose uptake in the cells. PP2, a selective inhibitor of Src, prevented the thrombin-induced glucose uptake, but did not affect insulin-induced uptake. We also examined whether mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors influenced thrombin-induced glucose uptake. The p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) inhibited thrombin-induced glucose uptake, but the MEK inhibitor (PD98059) did not. In contrast to thrombin, SB203580 did not affect insulin-induced glucose uptake. Furthermore, thrombin failed to translocate the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter GLUT4. These findings suggest that thrombin stimulates glucose transport via Src and subsequent p38 MAPK activation in VSMC.
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PMID:Thrombin-induced glucose transport via Src-p38 MAPK pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells. 1595 27

Although insulin resistance is recognized as a potent and prevalent risk factor for coronary heart disease, less is known as to whether insulin resistance causes an altered cardiac phenotype independent of coronary atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the relationship between insulin resistance and cardiac contractile dysfunctions by generating a new insulin resistance animal model with rats on high cholesterol-fructose diet. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given high cholesterol-fructose (HCF) diet for 15 wk; the rats developed insulin resistance syndrome characterized by elevated blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance. The results show that HCF induced insulin resistance not only in metabolic-response tissues (i.e., liver and muscle) but also in the heart as well. Insulin-stimulated cardiac glucose uptake was significantly reduced after 15 wk of HCF feeding, and cardiac insulin resistance was associated with blunted Akt-mediated insulin signaling along with glucose transporter GLUT4 translocation. Basal fatty acid transporter FATP1 levels were increased in HCF rat hearts. The cardiac performance of the HCF rats exhibited a marked reduction in cardiac output, ejection fraction, stroke volume, and end-diastolic volume. It also showed decreases in left ventricular end-systolic elasticity, whereas the effective arterial elasticity was increased. In addition, the relaxation time constant of left ventricular pressure was prolonged in the HCF group. Overall, these results indicate that insulin resistance reduction of cardiac glucose uptake is associated with defects in insulin signaling. The cardiac metabolic alterations that impair contractile functions may lead to the development of cardiomyopathy.
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PMID:Impairment of cardiac insulin signaling and myocardial contractile performance in high-cholesterol/fructose-fed rats. 1740 Jul 20

Since inclusion of atherosclerotic tissues from different sources is often indispensable to study the full atherogenic spectrum, we investigated to what extent the expression profiles of advanced, stable atherosclerotic lesions obtained during autopsy and surgery are comparable. The gene expression profiles of human carotids with advanced atherosclerosis obtained at autopsy and at vascular surgery were studied by microarray analysis. Expression analysis was performed both at the single gene (Rosetta, Gene Ontology) and at the pathway level using Ingenuity and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. In addition, mRNA and protein expression levels were validated using quantitative (q) RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry on unrelated advanced carotid lesions from autopsy and surgery. Microarray analysis indicated that the 97.2% of genes showed similar expression levels in advanced atherosclerotic lesions from autopsy and surgery. While the expression data revealed no differences in common atherosclerotic related pathways such as lipid metabolism and inflammation, the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in basal cell metabolism and hypoxia driven pathways. qRT-PCR confirmed the differential expression of hypoxia-driven genes VEGF-A (2.3-fold upward arrow), glucose transporter (GLUT)-1 (2.5-fold upward arrow), GLUT3 (8.3-fold upward arrow), and hexokinase 1 (2.4-fold upward arrow) in autopsy vs. surgical specimens. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the transcriptional differences in these hypoxia-related genes were not reflected at the protein level. The gene expression profiles of advanced atherosclerotic lesions from autopsy and surgery are largely similar. However, >500 genes, mostly involved in basal cell metabolism and hypoxia were differentially expressed at mRNA, but not at the protein level.
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PMID:Dead or alive: gene expression profiles of advanced atherosclerotic plaques from autopsy and surgery. 1751 60

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are characterized by multiple unstable coronary plaques and elevated circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers. The endothelium of internal mammary arteries (IMA), which are atherosclerosis resistant, is exposed to proinflammatory stimuli as vessels that develop atherosclerosis. Our study investigated the IMA endothelial expression of inflammatory molecules in patients with ACS or chronic stable angina (CSA). IMA demonstrated normal morphology, intact endothelial lining, and strong immunoreactivity for glucose transporter 1. E-selectin expression was observed more frequently in IMA of ACS patiention than CSA patients (ACS 61% vs. CSA 14%, P = 0.01). High fluorescence for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) was significantly more frequent on the luminal endothelium (ACS 66.7% vs. CSA 17.6%, P = 0.001 for class I; and ACS 66.7% vs. CSA 6.2%, P = 0.0003 for class II-DR) and on the vasa vasorum (ACS 92.9% vs. CSA 33.3% and 7.7%, P = 0.0007 and P < 0.0001 for class I and class II-DR, respectively) of ACS patients than CSA patients. ICAM-1, VCAM-1, Toll-like receptor 4, tissue factor, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and TNF-alpha expression were not significantly different in ACS and CSA. Circulating C-reactive protein [ACS 4.8 (2.6-7.3) mg/l vs. CSA 1.8 (0.6-3.5) mg/l, P = 0.01] and IL-6 [ACS 4.0 (2.6-5.5) pg/ml vs. CSA 1.7 (1.4-4.0) pg/ml, P = 0.02] were higher in ACS than CSA, without a correlation with IMA inflammation. The higher E-selectin, MHC class I and MHC class II-DR on the endothelium and vasa vasorum of IMA from ACS patients suggests a mild, endothelial inflammatory activation in ACS, which can be unrelated to the presence of atherosclerotic coronary lesions. These findings indicated IMA as active vessels in coronary syndromes.
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PMID:Mild inflammatory activation of mammary arteries in patients with acute coronary syndromes. 1844 Nov 95

Arterial tortuosity syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe tortuosity of greater and systemic arteries in affected individuals. In addition, patients display connective tissue features which include hyperextensible skin, hypermobility of joints and characteristic facial features. This syndrome is caused by mutation in SLC2A10 gene which encodes for the facilitative glucose transporter, GLUT10. We describe seven patients of two unrelated Saudi Arabian families who display tortuosity, dilatation and stenosis of arteries, pulmonary hypertension and other cardiovascular manifestations. These patients exhibit characteristic connective tissue phenotypes and distinctive facial features. In the single patient of Family 1, sequencing of the candidate gene, SLC2A10, identified a novel missense c.313C>T mutation encoding a p.Arg105Cys substitution in the second extracellular domain of GLUT10. The Arg105 in GLUT10 is highly conserved across species and its replacement with cysteine is predicted to be pathogenic. In the second family, all of the six affected individuals carry recurrent c.243C>G missense mutation encoding a p.Ser81Arg change in the third transmembrane domain of GLUT10. The present study suggests that there exists an intra- and inter-familial phenotypic variability in arterial tortuosity patients carrying identical or different mutations in SLC2A10 gene. While skin hyperextensibility, small joint hypermobility, and facial features are similarly expressed in these patients, there is a range of other phenotypes which include arterial tortuosity and associated complications, and abnormalities of other organs.
Atherosclerosis 2009 Apr
PMID:A novel missense and a recurrent mutation in SLC2A10 gene of patients affected with arterial tortuosity syndrome. 1877 32

Obstructive sleep apnea may cause vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis, which has been attributed to intermittent hypoxia (IH). Recent data suggest that IH, but not sustained hypoxia (SH), activates proinflammatory genes in HeLa cells. Effects of IH and SH on the gene expression profile in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) have not been compared. We perfused media with alternating flow of 16% and 0% O2 (IH) or constant flow of 4% O2 (SH-4%), 8% O2 (SH-8%), or 16% O2 (control) for 8 h. Illumina gene microarrays were performed, with subsequent verification by real-time PCR. Proinflammatory cytokines in the media were measured by ELISA. Both IH and SH-4% upregulated proinflammatory genes, including heat shock protein 90-kDa B1, tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 4, and thrombospondin 1. Among all proinflammatory genes, only IL-8 mRNA showed significantly higher levels of expression (1.78-fold) during IH, compared with SH-4%, but both types of hypoxic exposure elicited striking three- to eightfold increases in IL-8 and IL-6 protein levels in the media. IH and SH-4% also upregulated antioxidant genes, including heme oxygenase-1 and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2), whereas classical genes regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), such as endothelin and glucose transporter GLUT1, were not induced. SH-8% induced changes in gene expression and cytokine secretion that were similar to those of IH and SH-4%. In conclusion, short exposures to IH and SH upregulate proinflammatory and antioxidant genes in HAEC and increase secretion of proinflammatory cytokines IL-8 and IL-6 into media in similar fashions.
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PMID:Intermittent and sustained hypoxia induce a similar gene expression profile in human aortic endothelial cells. 2019 21


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