| First Author | Yamada S | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol | Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 1555-64 |
| PubMed ID | 21527753 | Mgi Jnum | J:191468 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5461792 | Doi | 10.1161/ATVBAHA.111.227140 |
| Citation | Yamada S, et al. (2011) Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 deficiency accelerates hyperlipidemia-induced atheromatous plaques via suppression of macrophage apoptosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 31(7):1555-64 |
| abstractText | OBJECTIVE: The pathogenic role of macrophage apoptosis in atherosclerosis is still debatable, but it is considered to be a suppressor of plaque progression in early stages but a promoter of plaque necrosis in advanced stages. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase that plays a pivotal role in stress-induced apoptosis. In the current study, we investigated the functions of ASK1 in hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated ASK1 and apolipoprotein E (apoE) double-knockout mice (ASK1(-/-)/apoE(-/-)) and analyzed atherosclerosis in ASK1(-/-)/apoE(-/-) mice fed a high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks. ASK1(-/-)/apoE(-/-) mice had accelerated hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis, which was characterized by less apoptosis of macrophages and fewer necrotic areas, and more macrophages and elastolysis compared with apoE(-/-) mice. Bone marrow transplantation from ASK1(-/-) or wild-type to apoE(-/-) mice confirmed the above observation that the recipient mice of ASK1(-/-) donors had more pronounced hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis than recipient mice of wild-type donors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ASK1 suppresses hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis via increased macrophage apoptosis and that ASK1 may cause pronounced plaque vulnerability via necrotic core development. |
