EXPRESSION OF UROKINASE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR, ITS RECEPTOR AND PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR
INHIBITOR TYPE 1 IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC LESION IN HUMAN AORTA
M. A. Solomatina, O. S. Plekhanova, 1 O. P. Ilyinskaya, N. I. Kalinina,
E. V. Mikhailova, Z. I. Tsokolaeva, E. M. Tararak, V. G. Naumov, Ye. V. Parfyonova
Cardiology Research Center, Ministry of Public Health of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia;
1 e-mail: plekhanova@mail.ru
The role of plasminogen activators in the regulation of key processes of atherosclerosis progression stays unclear.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), its receptor (uPAR) and the plasminogen
activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in human aorta, and to balance them with the stage of atherosclerotic lesion. We have shown that uPA and
uPAR in normal aorta are mostly expressed by intimal smooth muscle cells. The expression of these proteins was up-regulated in diseased
aorta compared to normal artery. The most part of cells in both fatty streak and fibro-fatty lesion were monocytes/macrophages, and about
60 % of these cells expressed uPA and its receptor. PAI-1 was mostly localized on the lumonal part of the aorta and in the extracellular
matrix of the intima. We observed a moderate increase of PAI-1 expression in atherosclerotic lesion. Thus, our data indicate participation
of plasminogen system in atherogenesis.
Key words: urokinase, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1, macrophages, atherosclerosis
Back
Contents
Main
|
