Thrombospondin-4 regulates vascular inflammation and atherogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Thrombospondin (TSP)-4 is an extracellular protein that has been linked to several cardiovascular pathologies. However, a role for TSP-4 in vascular wall biology remains unknown.

Objective

We have examined the effects of TSP-4 gene (Thbs4) knockout on the development of atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE(-/-) mice.

Methods and results

Deficiency in TSP-4 reduced atherosclerotic lesions: at 20 weeks of age, the size of the aortic root lesions in Thbs4(-/-)/ApoE(-/-) mice was decreased by 48% in females and by 39% in males on chow diets; in mice on Western diets, lesions in the descending aorta were reduced by 30% in females and 33% in males. In ApoE(-/-) mice, TSP-4 was abundant in vessel areas prone to lesion development and in the matrix of the lesions themsel

SUBMITTER: Frolova EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2993182 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature