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)

Cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) are organelles in which cells store neutral lipids for use as an energy source in times of need, but they also play important roles in the regulation of key metabolic processes. Although LDs are essential for normal cell function, excess accumulation of intracellular lipid is associated with several metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. The function of LDs is regulated by their associated proteins, including the members of the PAT family: perilipin, adipophilin/adipose differentiation-related protein, tail-interacting protein 47, S3-12, and OXPAT/myocardial LD protein/lipid-storage droplet protein 5. In this review we discuss the PAT proteins in two cardiovascular contexts: 1) in the atherosclerotic vessel wall, where LDs within macrophage foam cells store cholesteryl esters derived from modified lipoproteins, and 2) in the myocardium, where LDs store fatty acids, the major energy substrate for normal heart function, as triglyceride.
 ...
PMID:The PAT family of lipid droplet proteins in heart and vascular cells. 1895 32

A large number of macrophage-derived foam cells stores excessive neutral lipids in intracellular droplets, and plays a major role during the development of atherosclerosis. The formation and catabolism of intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) are regulated by LD-associated proteins, a group of proteins which are located on the surface of LDs and regulate the formation, morphology and lipolysis of LDs. In order to illustrate the function of LD-associated proteins during the process of atherosclerosis, the foam cell model is induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in macrophages originated from the THP-1 cell line, and cDNA microarrays are used to monitor the gene expression profiles of LD-associated proteins. Gene expression data show that 2% of changed genes are lipid binding genes during the transformation of foam cells. The major candidate genes, the cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector (CIDE) family and Perilipin, Adipophilin, and TIP47 (PAT) family, have different alterations during the formation of foam cells. CIDEB, CIDEC, Adipophilin, S3-12 and LSDP5 were up-regulated, while TIP47 was down-regulated. There was no significant change in CIDEA and Perilipin. These results were confirmed by real-time PCR and immunoblotting. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the gene expression of LD-associated proteins during the differentiation of human foam cells, which may play an important role in the process of atherosclerosis.
 ...
PMID:Identification of lipid droplet-associated proteins in the formation of macrophage-derived foam cells using microarrays. 2059 3

Coronary heart disease and stroke, caused by rupture of atherosclerotic plaques in the arterial wall, are the major causes of death in industrialized countries. A key event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is the transformation of smooth muscle cells and in particular of macrophages into foam cells, a result of massive accumulation of lipid droplets. It is well known that the formation of these lipid droplets is a result of the uninhibited uptake of modified lipoproteins by scavenger receptors. However, only more recently has it become apparent that a special set of lipid droplet associated proteins - the PAT protein family (perilipin, adipophilin, TIP47, S3-12 and OXPAT) - is fundamental to the formation, growth, stabilization and functions of lipid droplets. Here we review recent findings and assess the current state of knowledge on lipid droplets and their PAT proteins in atherogenesis.
 ...
PMID:Lipid droplet associated proteins: an emerging role in atherogenesis. 2143 79