Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology
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Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. · May 2014
Circulating osteoglycin and NGAL/MMP9 complex concentrations predict 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events after coronary angiography.
Previous proteomics experiments have demonstrated that several proteins are differentially expressed in vulnerable human carotid plaques compared with stable plaques. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of 13 such circulating biomarkers in patients with coronary artery disease. ⋯ Circulating OGN and NGAL/MMP9 complex are promising biomarkers that are expressed in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques and may have incremental value for prediction of MACE within 1 year after coronary angiography.
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Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. · May 2014
Differential association of plasma angiopoietin-like proteins 3 and 4 with lipid and metabolic traits.
Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) and 4 (ANGPTL4) are secreted proteins that inhibit lipoprotein lipase in vitro. Genetic variants at the ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 gene loci are significantly associated with plasma lipid traits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of plasma ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 concentrations with lipid and metabolic traits in a large community-based sample. ⋯ Despite having similar biochemical effects in vitro, plasma ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 concentrations have nearly opposite relationships with plasma lipids. ANGPTL4 is strongly negatively associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and positively with multiple features of the metabolic syndrome including triglycerides, whereas ANGPTL3 is positively associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and not with metabolic syndrome traits including triglycerides. Although ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 both inhibit lipoprotein lipase in vitro and influence lipoprotein metabolism in vivo, the physiology of these related proteins and their effects on lipoproteins is clearly divergent and complex.
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Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. · May 2014
Overexpression of c1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 promotes phosphate-induced vascular smooth muscle cell calcification both in vivo and in vitro.
Vascular calcification is highly correlated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) is a newly identified adipokine that plays important roles in cardiovascular system. Here, we investigated the role of CTRP3 in vascular calcification and its underlying mechanism. ⋯ CTRP3 promotes vascular calcification by enhancing phosphate-induced osteogenic transition of VSMC through reactive oxygen species-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2-Runx2 pathway.
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Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. · Apr 2014
Metformin protects endothelial function in diet-induced obese mice by inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress through 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ pathway.
5' Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) interacts with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) to induce gene expression synergistically, whereas the activation of AMPK inhibits endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Whether the vascular benefits of antidiabetic drug metformin (AMPK activator) in diabetes mellitus and obesity is mediated by PPARδ remains unknown. We aim to investigate whether PPARδ is crucial for metformin in ameliorating ER stress and endothelial dysfunction induced by high-fat diet. ⋯ Metformin restores endothelial function through inhibiting ER stress and oxidative stress and increasing NO bioavailability on activation of AMPK/PPARδ pathway in obese diabetic mice.
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Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. · Mar 2014
Functional analysis of two haplotypes of the human endothelial protein C receptor gene.
To confirm the effect of the endothelial protein receptor gene (PROCR) haplotypes H1 and H3 on venous thromboembolism (VTE), to study their effect on endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and to investigate the functionality of H1 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms in an in vitro model. ⋯ These results support a protective role of PROCR H1 against VTE and an increased risk of VTE associated with the H3 haplotype.