BACKGROUND: Reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide (O(2)(-)), are involved in the abnormal growth of various cell types. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is one of the most potent inducers of oxidative stress in the vasculature. The molecular events involved in Ang II-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are ... More
Regulation of cortical dendrite development by Slit-Robo interactions.
Slit proteins have previously been shown to regulate axon guidance, branching, and neural migration. Here we report that, in addition to acting as a chemorepellant for cortical axons, Slit1 regulates dendritic development. Slit1 is expressed in the developing cortex, and exposure to Slit1 leads to increased dendritic growth and branching. ... More
Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the promoter of the human squalene synthase gene.
Authors: Guan G; Jiang G; Koch R L; Shechter I;
Journal:J Biol Chem
PubMed ID:7665618
'We have cloned and characterized the 5''-flanking region of the gene encoding human squalene synthase. We report here the promoter activity of successively 5''-truncated sections of a 1 kilobase of this region by fusing it to the coding region of a luciferase reporter gene. DNA segments of 200 base pairs ... More
Progression of coronary atherosclerosis is associated with a common genetic variant of the human stromelysin-1 promoter which results in reduced gene expression.
Authors: Ye S; Eriksson P; Hamsten A; Kurkinen M; Humphries S E; Henney A M;
Journal:J Biol Chem
PubMed ID:8662692
'There is a common polymorphism in the promoter sequence of the human stromelysin-1 gene, with one allele having a run of six adenosines (6A) and the other five adenosines (5A). We have previously reported, in a 3-year follow-up study of patients with coronary atherosclerosis, that those patients who are homozygous ... More
Foam cell formation inhibits growth of Chlamydia pneumoniae but does not attenuate Chlamydia pneumoniae-induced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines.
Authors: Blessing Erwin; Kuo Cho-Chou; Lin Tsun-Mei; Campbell Lee Ann; Bea Florian; Chesebro Brian; Rosenfeld Michael E;
Journal:Circulation
PubMed ID:11997286
'BACKGROUND: It has not yet been determined whether lipid-loaded macrophages (foam cells), a major cellular component of atherosclerotic lesions, have the capacity to support growth of Chlamydia pneumoniae and be activated to secrete proinflammatory cytokines in response to C pneumoniae infection. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lipid loading of RAW 264.7 cells ... More