Critical role of mast cell chymase in mouse abdominal aortic aneurysm formation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mast cell chymase may participate in the pathogenesis of human abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), yet a direct contribution of this serine protease to AAA formation remains unknown.

Methods and results

Human AAA lesions had high numbers of chymase-immunoreactive mast cells. Serum chymase level correlated with AAA growth rate (P=0.009) in a prospective clinical study. In experimental AAA produced by aortic elastase perfusion in wild-type (WT) mice or those deficient in the chymase ortholog mouse mast cell protease-4 (mMCP-4) or deficient in mMCP-5 (Mcpt4(-/-), Mcpt5(-/-)), Mcpt4(-/-) but not Mcpt5(-/-) had reduced AAA formation 14 days after elastase perfusion. Even 8 weeks after perfusion, aortic expansion in Mcpt4(-/-) mice fell by 50% compared with that of the WT

SUBMITTER: Sun J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2757146 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature