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

To determine whether oxidized LDL enhances atherogenesis by promoting monocyte recruitment into the vascular intima, we investigated whether LDL accumulation and oxidation precede intimal accumulation of monocytes in human fetal aortas (from spontaneous abortions and premature newborns who died within 12 h; fetal age 6.2+/-1.3 mo). For this purpose, a systematic assessment of fatty streak formation was carried out in fetal aortas from normocholesterolemic mothers (n = 22), hypercholesterolemic mothers (n = 33), and mothers who were hypercholesterolemic only during pregnancy (n = 27). Fetal plasma cholesterol levels showed a strong inverse correlation with fetal age (R = -0.88, P < 0.0001). In fetuses younger than 6 mo, fetal plasma cholesterol levels correlated with maternal ones (R = 0.86, P = 0.001), whereas in older fetuses no such correlation existed. Fetal aortas from hypercholesterolemic mothers and mothers with temporary hypercholesterolemia contained significantly more and larger lesions (758,651+/-87,449 and 451,255+/-37,448 micron2 per section, respectively; mean+/-SD) than aortas from normocholesterolemic mothers (61,862+/-9,555 micron2; P < 0.00005). Serial sections of the arch, thoracic, and abdominal aortas were immunostained for recognized markers of atherosclerosis: macrophages, apo B, and two different oxidation-specific epitopes (malondialdehyde- and 4-hydroxynonenal-lysine). Of the atherogenic sites that showed positive immunostaining for at least one of these markers, 58.6% were established lesions containing both macrophage/foam cells and oxidized LDL (OxLDL). 17.3% of all sites contained only native LDL, and 13.3% contained only OxLDL without monocyte/ macrophages. In contrast, only 4.3% of sites contained isolated monocytes in the absence of native or oxidized LDL. In addition, 6.3% of sites contained LDL and macrophages but few oxidation-specific epitopes. These results demonstrate that LDL oxidation and formation of fatty streaks occurs already during fetal development, and that both phenomena are greatly enhanced by maternal hypercholesterolemia. The fact that in very early lesions LDL and OxLDL are frequently found in the absence of monocyte/macrophages, whereas the opposite is rare, suggests that intimal LDL accumulation and oxidation contributes to monocyte recruitment in vivo.
 ...
PMID:Fatty streak formation occurs in human fetal aortas and is greatly enhanced by maternal hypercholesterolemia. Intimal accumulation of low density lipoprotein and its oxidation precede monocyte recruitment into early atherosclerotic lesions. 938 31

The specific interaction of lipoproteins with arterial wall constituents, particularly proteoglycans (APG), is believed to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to examine the interaction of apolipoprotein B (apoB) containing lipoprotein subfractions (VLDL1, Sf 60 to 400; VLDL2, Sf 20 to 60; IDL1, Sf 16 to 20; IDL2, Sf 12 to 16; LDLA, Sf 8 to 12; and LDLB, Sf 0 to 8) prepared by cumulative density gradient centrifugation with chondroitin sulfate-rich APG. Eighteen subjects were studied, and a similar pattern of interaction between the lipoprotein species and APG was found in all. The order of reactivity (as measured by increased turbidity due to insoluble complex formation) was IDL Sf 12 to 16 > or = LDL Sf 8 to 12 > LDL Sf 0 to 8 > IDL Sf 16 to 20 >> VLDL Sf 20 to 60 > VLDL Sf 60 to 400. When the subjects were divided on the basis of their LDL subfraction profile, the extent of insoluble complex formation was highest in the group in which small, dense LDLIII was predominant; intermediate in the group whose LDL was mainly LDLII; and lowest in the group with a high proportion of LDLI (the mean reactivity, AU at 600 nm. of APG with IDL Sf 12 to 16 and LDL Sf 8 to 12 was 0.66; 0.62 and 0.46, 0.43 and 0.20, and 0.21 for the three groups, respectively). Fibrate lipid-lowering treatment decreased the percentage of LDLIII and increased the percentage of LDLI within total LDL and reduced the reactivity of all apoB-containing lipoprotein fractions toward APG. Sialic acid content varied in different lipoprotein subfractions, being the highest in VLDL and lowest in LDL. However, across lipoprotein species, it did not significantly correlate with APG-binding reactivity, suggesting that other factors are important in determining the interaction of lipoproteins with APG. Modification of LDL arginine and lysine residues abolished the ability of the lipoprotein to interact with APG, a finding that supports the hypothesis that the interaction is dependent on key positively charged amino acids on apoB. These findings demonstrate that (1) the overall reactivity of apoB-containing lipoproteins is greatest in individuals with small, dense LDL and (2) within an individual, IDL of Sf 12 to 16 is the most reactive species, and this may in part explain the positive correlation between IDL and risk of coronary heart disease.
 ...
PMID:Interaction of very-low-density, intermediate-density, and low-density lipoproteins with human arterial wall proteoglycans. 940 21

In the aortic intima amyloid deposits are often associated with atherosclerotic plaques. In a recent study of one patient with aortic intimal amyloid the major fibril protein was an N-terminal fragment of apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) consisting of 69 amino acid residues. In the present study, we have screened the apoA1 gene for mutations in autopsy cases with aortic intimal amyloid immunohistochemically positive for apoA1, using single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and DNA sequencing. All cases except one had a normal apoA1 gene sequence. One case of exceptionally severe atherosclerosis combined with extensive intimal amyloid deposits showed an apoA1 deletion corresponding to Lys 107. Thus, wild type apoA1 is amyloidogenic but our findings suggest that the expression of a mutant apoA1-form may be associated with enhanced amyloidogenicity.
 ...
PMID:Extensive intimal apolipoprotein A1-derived amyloid deposits in a patient with an apolipoprotein A1 mutation. 946 51

Oxidative modifications of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) ("oxidation hypothesis") appears to be the pathophysiologic mechanism implicated in early atherogenesis. Oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) may also induce several pro-atherogenic mechanisms, such as the regulation of vascular tone, by interfering with nitric oxide, the stimulation of cytokines and chemotactic factors (MCP-1, M-CSF, VCAM-1, etc.) and transcription factors (AP1 and NFk beta). These phenomena complicate the spectrum of direct and indirect actions of ox-LDL. The immunogenicity of ox-LDL was used to generate monoclonal antibodies against many epitopes of ox-LDL, such as malondialdehyde-lysine (MDA-2) or 4-hydroxynonenal-lysine (NA59). These antibodies showed the occurrence of ox-LDL in vivo. Another issue is the role of the humoral and cellular immune system in atherogenesis, in particular whether the immune response to ox-LDL enhances or reduces early atherogenesis. Moreover, the induction of autoantibodies against ox-LDL and the recognition by "natural" antibodies, and the use of the those antigens to screen human sera may serve as a marker of atherosclerosis. In this review, we have stressed the importance of methodologic approach in the assessment of LDL-oxidation and the fact that lipoprotein (a) may also undergo oxidative modifications. Several clinical conditions are associated with increased rate of LDL-oxidation. Recently, we have observed the presence of LDL oxidation-specific epitopes in human fetal aortas. Antioxidants studies in primary prevention of atherosclerosis have produced contradictory results. This may be explained in part by the selection of patients who had advanced lesions and were often smokers. New trails suggest that antioxidants be administered early in children. Lastly, antioxidant studies in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHAOS, WACS, and HOPE) show clear evidence of the benefits of antioxidants in reducing new cardiovascular events.
 ...
PMID:Low density lipoprotein oxidation and atherogenesis: from experimental models to clinical studies. 947 66

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is the enzyme that facilitates the transfer of cholesteryl ester from high density lipoprotein (HDL) to apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins. However, the exact role of CETP in the development of atherosclerosis has not been determined. In the present study, we examined the effect of the suppression of increased plasma CETP by intravenous injection with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) against CETP targeted to the liver on the development of atherosclerosis in rabbits fed a cholesterol diet. The ODNs against rabbit CETP were coupled to asialoglycoprotein (ASOR) carrier molecules, which serve as an important method to regulate liver gene expression. Twenty-two male Japanese White rabbits were used in the experiment. Eighteen animals were fed a standard rabbit chow supplemented with 0.3% cholesterol throughout the experiment for 16 weeks. At 8 weeks, they were divided into three groups (six animals in each group), among which the plasma total and HDL cholesterol concentrations did not significantly change. The control group received nothing, the sense group were injected with the sense ODNs complex, and the antisense group were injected with the antisense ODNs complex, respectively, for subsequent 8 weeks. ASOR. poly(L-lysine) ODNs complex were injected via the ear veins twice a week. Four animals were fed a standard rabbit diet for 16 weeks. The total cholesterol concentrations and the CETP mass in the animals injected with antisense ODNs were all significantly decreased in 12 and 16 weeks compared with those injected with sense ODNs and the control animals. The HDL cholesterol concentrations measured by the precipitation assay did not significantly change among the groups fed a cholesterol diet, and triglyceride concentrations did not significantly change in the four groups. However, at the end of the study, when the HDL cholesterol concentrations were measured after the isolation by ultracentrifugation and a column chromotography, they were significantly higher in the animals injected with antisense ODNs than in the animals injected with sense ODNs and in the control animals. A reduction of CETP mRNA and an increase of LDL receptor mRNA in the liver were observed in the animals injected with antisense ODNs compared with those injected with sense ODNs and the control animals. Aortic cholesterol contents and the aortic percentage lesion to total surface area were significantly lower in the animals injected with antisense ODNs than in the animals injected with sense ODNs and in the control animals. These findings showed for the first time that suppression of increased plasma CETP by the injection with antisense ODNs against CETP coupled to ASOR carrier molecules targeted to the liver could thus inhibit the atherosclerosis possibly by decreasing the plasma LDL + very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol in cholesterol-fed rabbits.
 ...
PMID:Effect of antisense oligonucleotides against cholesteryl ester transfer protein on the development of atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits. 947 52

Lipoprotein Lp(a) is a major and independent genetic risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. The essential difference between Lp(a) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) is apolipoprotein apo(a), a glycoprotein structurally similar to plasminogen, the precursor of plasmin, the fibrinolytic enzyme. This structural homology endows Lp(a) with the capacity to bind to fibrin and to membrane proteins of endothelial cells and monocytes, and thereby to inhibit plasminogen binding and plasmin generation. The inhibition of plasmin generation and the accumulation of Lp(a) on the surface of fibrin and cell membranes favor fibrin and cholesterol deposition at sites of vascular injury. Moreover, insufficient activation of TGF-beta due to low plasmin activity may result in migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells into the vascular intima. These mechanisms may constitute the basis of the athero-thrombogenic mode of action of Lp(a). It is currently accepted that this effect of Lp(a) is linked to its concentration in plasma. An inverse relationship between Lp(a) concentration and apo(a) isoform size, which is under genetic control, has been documented. Recently, it has been shown that inhibition of plasminogen binding to fibrin by apo(a) is also inversely associated with isoform size. Specific point mutations may also affect the lysine-binding function of apo(a). These results support the existence of functional heterogeneity in apolipoprotein(a) isoforms and suggest that the predictive value of Lp(a) as a risk factor for vascular occlusive disease would depend on the relative concentration of the isoform with the highest affinity for fibrin.
 ...
PMID:Structural basis for the pathophysiology of lipoprotein(a) in the athero-thrombotic process. 953 33

Glycoxidation reactions lead to the formation of permanent, irreversible chemical modifications and cross-links in protein, such as the glycoxidation products carboxymethyllysine (CML) and pentosidine. It has been implicated that CML as well as Amadori products play a role in the formation of superoxidative products, such as H2O2 and advanced glycosylation endproducts in trapping LDL. Therefore, a possible relationship between glycoxidation and lipoperoxidation might exist because oxidized lipoprotein, which has been directly linked to atheroma formation, could be produced by the superoxidative products released from the pathway of CML formation. Using a CML-specific monoclonal antibody (6D12) and a specific antiserum against hexitol-lysine (HL), an Amadori product, we studied the relationship between glycoxidation and lipoperoxidation by determining the aortic CML contents with ELISA and the fluorescence levels of lipoperoxidation side products, malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydroxynonenal (HNE) from STZ-induced diabetic rats and age-matched control rats. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural changes relevant to glycoxidation and lipoperoxidation were also studied. The CML content measured by ELISA in DM rats was significantly higher than that in the control rats at 28 weeks (n = 11, P < 0.01). The levels of MDA-linked and HNE-linked fluorescence in the DM rats increased in a similar way and were significantly higher than the levels in control rats at 28 weeks (n = 11, both P < 0.01 at 28 weeks). The CML contents correlated with the fluorescence levels of both MDA-linked (n = 19, r = 0.638, P < 0.01) and HNE-linked fluorescence (n = 19, r = 0.629, P < 0.01) only in the DM rats, but not in the control rats. Our immunohistochemical study thus demonstrated that CML was initially formed in the aortic media of diabetic rats in the 16th week of diabetes, localized primarily in the extracellular matrix surrounding the aortic smooth muscle cells after HL occurred early in the 2nd week of diabetes. Consequently, a significant increase in the extracellular matrix and decrease in the area of the SMCs were observed in the aortic media in the DM rats by a morphometrical study. The in vivo results of this study provided the first evidence that CML correlated with fluorescence levels of MDA and HNE, and thus suggested the existence of a close relationship between glycoxidation and lipoperoxidation in vivo. This information is thus considered to shed some new light on the etiology of atherogenesis in diabetes.
Atherosclerosis 1998 Feb
PMID:Glycoxidation in aortic collagen from STZ-induced diabetic rats and its relevance to vascular damage. 954 7

Acrolein (CH2==CH---CHO) is known as a ubiquitous pollutant in the environment. Here we show that this notorious aldehyde is not just a pollutant, but also a lipid peroxidation product that could be ubiquitously generated in biological systems. Upon incubation with BSA, acrolein was rapidly incorporated into the protein and generated the protein-linked carbonyl derivative, a putative marker of oxidatively modified proteins under oxidative stress. To verify the presence of protein-bound acrolein in vivo, the mAb (mAb5F6) against the acrolein-modified keyhole limpet hemocyanin was raised. It was found that the acrolein-lysine adduct, Nepsilon-(3-formyl-3, 4-dehydropiperidino)lysine, constitutes an epitope of the antibody. Immunohistochemical analysis of atherosclerotic lesions from a human aorta demonstrated that antigenic materials recognized by mAb5F6 indeed constituted the lesions, in which intense positivity was associated primarily with macrophage-derived foam cells and the thickening neointima of arterial walls. The observations that (i) oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein with Cu2+ generated the acrolein-low-density lipoprotein adducts and (ii) the iron-catalyzed oxidation of arachidonate in the presence of protein resulted in the formation of antigenic materials suggested that polyunsaturated fatty acids are sources of acrolein that cause the production of protein-bound acrolein. These data suggest that the protein-bound acrolein represents potential markers of oxidative stress and long-term damage to protein in aging, atherosclerosis, and diabetes.
 ...
PMID:Protein-bound acrolein: potential markers for oxidative stress. 956 Jan 97

Data from literature indicate that immune processes play an important role in atherogenesis. Modified lipoproteins might be immunogenic and generate autoantibodies in plasma. To determine whether the level of such circulating autoantibodies correlates with the extent of atherosclerosis expressed as cholesterol values in plasma (C), very low density (VLDL-C), low density (LDL-C), and high density lipoproteins (HDL-C), we compared the level of plasma autoantibodies of a group of coronary heart disease patients (CHD-P) with that of normal, age-matched donors, with no history of cardiac disease (N). All CHD-P (even normocholesterolemic) were characterized by an LDL-C/HDL-C ratio > 4, while all N (even hypercholesterolemic) had this ratio < 4. A double level of circulating autoantibodies against VLDL and LDL in CHD-P as compared to N group was detected. The anti-LDL antibodies level correlated well with LDL-C level and was negatively correlated with the age of patients. For tissue localization of native and modified LDL (as well as other possibly modified proteins) we used immunohistochemical techniques, employing antihuman LDL, antihydroxynonenal-lysine (HNE-Lys), and antiadvanced glycation end-products (AGE) proteins. Antibodies were applied on consecutive cryosections of the aortic arch, valves and coronary arteries of CHD-P. The immunodetected antigens were colocalized in focal deposits, in the cap and shoulders of the atheroma. Native LDL and modified proteins (AGE, HNE-Lys) were detected either diffuse-extracellularly or associated with macrophage-derived foam cells and smooth muscle cells of the intima. These data indicate the following: a) the existence of an elevated level of circulating autoantibodies against VLDL and LDL, which correlates negatively with the age of CHD patients; b) the presence of LDL (possibly glycated or oxidized) in detectable amounts in the intima of atherosclerosis-affected arteries; c) the modified lipoproteins are immunoactive components in the atherosclerotic process.
 ...
PMID:Immunodetection of modified lipoproteins in plasma and arterial walls of patients with coronary heart disease. 956 50

Subjects with apoA-I(Lys107-->0) deletion mutation have reduced levels of plasma HDL cholesterol, apoA-I, apoA-II and Lp(AI:AII). In the present study were describe the postprandial responses of apoA-I(Lys107-->0) subjects (n=6) to the ingestion of a fat rich meal compared to the responses of their unaffected family members (n=6). The postprandial plasma triglyceride responses were comparable in the two groups of subjects. Plasma postprandial HDL cholesterol levels fell in both groups; patients (0.89+/-0.05-0.76+/-0.06 mmol/l, P=0.0032) and control subjects (1.32+/-0.25-1.18+/-0.21 mmol/l; P=0.0022). HDL2 cholesterol levels tended to rise, but the changes were not significant. By contrast, in both patients and control subjects, the HDL3 cholesterol levels fell; patients (0.52+/-0.15-0.37+/-0.11 mmol/l, P=0.0068) and control subjects (0.63+/-0.10-0.49+/-0.08 mmol/l, P=0.0078), respectively. In both patients and control subjects the plasma HDL2 mass increased in response to the fat meal; patients (94.7+/-37.3-114.3+/-28.8 mg/dl, P=0.0397) and control subjects (142.1+/-32.8-168.1+/-29.8 mg/dl, P=0.0298), whereas HDL3 mass decreased; patients (162.3+/-36.8-131.4+/-28.9 mg/dl, P=0.0251) and control subjects (185.5+/-34.1-161.1+/-29.0 mg/dl, P=0.0021), respectively. In control subjects the triglyceride levels increased in both HDL2 (0.10+/-0.06-0.17+/-0.06 mmol/l; P=0.0005) and to a lesser extent in HDL3 (0.10+/-0.03-0.12+/-0.02 mmol/l, P=0.0017). In patients, triglyceride levels in both HDL subclasses remained unchanged. Changes in the concentration of Lp(AI) in HDL2 and HDL3 were comparable in the two groups of subjects. The Lp(AI:AII) concentration in HDL2 remained unchanged in the patients, but increased in control subjects (change+27%. P=0.0026). Consequently, the 20% difference at baseline in the concentration of Lp(AI:AII) in HDL2 between the patients and control subjects increased postprandially to 45% (P=0.0240). The Lp(AI:AII) concentration in HDL3 decreased in both groups, but the changes were non-significant. Our findings show that in postprandial state, no accumulation of triglycerides in HDL subclasses occurs in patients with apoA-I(Lys[107]-->0) and that these patients appear to lack the ability to respond to fat feeding by increasing the Lp(AI:AII) concentration in HDL2.
Atherosclerosis 1998 Mar
PMID:Postprandial responses of plasma lipids and lipoproteins in subjects with apoA-I(Lys107-->0). 956 35


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>