Myocardin regulates vascular smooth muscle cell inflammatory activation and disease.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Atherosclerosis, the cause of 50% of deaths in westernized societies, is widely regarded as a chronic vascular inflammatory disease. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) inflammatory activation in response to local proinflammatory stimuli contributes to disease progression and is a pervasive feature in developing atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, it is of considerable therapeutic importance to identify mechanisms that regulate the VSMC inflammatory response.

Approach and results

We report that myocardin, a powerful myogenic transcriptional coactivator, negatively regulates VSMC inflammatory activation and vascular disease. Myocardin levels are reduced during atherosclerosis, in association with phenotypic switching of smooth muscle cells. Myocardin deficiency accel

SUBMITTER: Ackers-Johnson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4390125 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature