Metalloproteinase-9 contributes to endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis via protease activated receptor-1.

ABSTRACT: The atherosclerotic process begins when vascular endothelial cells undergo pro-inflammatory changes such as aberrant activation to dysfunctional phenotypes and apoptosis, leading to loss of vascular integrity. Our laboratory has demonstrated that exposure of mice to second hand smoke triggers an increase in expression of metalloproteinase-9. Further, metalloproteinase-9 released by second hand smoke-activated leukocytes may propagate pro-atherogenic alterations in endothelial cells. We have shown that levels of metalloproteinase-9 were increased in the plasma from apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE-/-) mice exposed to second hand smoke relative to non-exposed controls. Moreover, we have collected data from two different, but complementary, treatments of second hand smoke exposed atherosclero

SUBMITTER: Florence JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5293219 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature