The effects of the interaction of vascular endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells on PCSK9 and NF-kB protein expression in vascular smooth muscle cells
Öz
Introduction:
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease which causes significant structural and functional changes in vascular wall cells. It is known that the main cells of the vascular wall, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells communicate during atherosclerosis, but the mechanisms of this communication are not fully understood. PCSK9, on the other hand, is a molecule involved in the etiology of hyperlipidemia, and its levels increase in vascular wall cells during atherosclerosis, exerting direct atherosclerotic effects. In our study, we investigated the changes induced by endothelial cells exposed to atherogenic factors in smooth muscle cells and their effects on NF-kB expression, the most important molecule in inflammation, and on PCSK9 protein expression, which has recently been discovered to have direct atherosclerotic effects.
Methods:
Cells isolated from human umbilical veins (HUVEC) were incubated for 24 hours with 300 µM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or 40 µg/ml oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) or 5% cigarette smoke extract (CSE). Following 24 hours, human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were incubated with the supernatants of HUVECs which were treated with these substances after appropriate processing. After 48 hours, protein extraction was performed from smooth muscle cells and analyzed using the Western Blot method.
Results:
We observed no changes in the viability of HUVECs exposed to atherogenic substances. There was significant morphological changes in HASMCs incubated with endothelial cell supernatants exposed to 5% CSE and 300 µM H2O2. Increased expression of NF-kB (p=0.024, p=0.043) and PCSK9 protein (p=0.034, p=0.0137) was found in HASMCs incubated with supernatants exposed to 5% CSE and 300 µM H2O2, respectively. In HASMCs incubated with endothelial cell supernatant exposed to Ox-LDL, an increase in PCSK9 expression was observed (p=0.037), while no significant increase in NF-kB expression was observed (p=0.89).
Conclusion:
In our study, it was observed that endothelial cells exposed to atherogenic factors induced changes in vascular smooth muscle cells and increased PCSK9 and NF-kB expression in these cells.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Atherosclerosis, Vascular smooth muscle cell, Vascular endothelial cell, Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB)
Destekleyen Kurum
İstanbul Ünivertsitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Birimi
Proje Numarası
36268
Teşekkür
I would like to thank the Istanbul University Institute of Health Sciences and Istanbul University for providing me with the opportunity to conduct this study. This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University. Project no: 36268
Kaynakça
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