Alterations in endothelial F-actin microfilaments in rabbit aorta in hypercholesterolemia
Abstract
The current study tests whether hypercholesterolemia influences the distribution of endothelial cell microfilaments during the initiation and growth of fatty streak-type lesions. We classified the lesions occurring over a 20-week period into four types based on the location and extent of macrophage infiltration observed microscopically. The earliest lesion was characterized by leukocytes adherent to the endothelial surface. Minimal lesions were characterized by a few cells in the subendothelium. Intermediate lesions consisted of numerous subendothelial leukocytes in a minimally raised lesion. Advanced fatty streak lesions were elevated, with several layers of leukocytes. The organization of peripheral junctional actin (the dense peripheral band) and of central endothelial cell actin microfilament bundles was studied in each of these lesions by using fluorescent microscopy. We found that in the aorta away from branch sites and in areas away from lesions, the central microfilament distribution was unaffected by hypercholesterolemia. The macrophages entered the wall without any identifiable reorganization in the microfilaments. During the accumulation of subendothelial macrophages in minimal and intermediate lesions, stress fibers...Continue Reading
References
In vivo modulation of endothelial F-actin microfilaments by experimental alterations in shear stress
Endothelial cell monolayer integrity. I. Characterization of dense peripheral band of microfilaments
PDGF stimulation induces phosphorylation of talin and cytoskeletal reorganization in skeletal muscle
Citations
Molecular imaging of atherosclerotic plaques with technetium-99m-labelled antisense oligonucleotides
Intracellular-free calcium dynamics and F-actin alteration in the formation of macrophage foam cells
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