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Publications (2)12.43 Total impact

  • Article: Dietary cholesterol plays a role in CD36-mediated atherogenesis in LDLR-knockout mice.
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    ABSTRACT: CD36 has been shown to play a role in atherosclerosis in the apolipoprotein E-knockout (apoE(o)) mouse. We observed no difference in aortic lesion area between Western diet (WD)-fed LDLR(o) and LDLR(o)/CD36(o) mice. The objective was to understand the mechanism of CD36-dependent atherogenesis. ApoE(o) mice transplanted with bone marrow from LDLR(o)/CD36(o) mice had significantly less aortic lesion compared with those transplanted with LDLR(o) marrow. Reciprocal macrophage transfer into hyperlipidemic apoE(o) and LDLR(o) animals showed that foam cell formation induced by in vivo modified lipoproteins was dependent on the lipoprotein, not macrophage type. LDLR(o) and LDLR(o)/CD36(o) mice were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (HC), and we observed significant lesion inhibition in LDLR(o)/CD36(o) mice. LDL/plasma isolated from HC-fed LDLR(o) mice induced significantly greater jnk phosphorylation, cytokine release, and reactive oxygen species secretion than LDL/plasma from WD-fed LDLR(o) mice, and this was CD36-dependent. HC-fed LDLR(o) mice had higher circulating levels of cytokines than WD-fed mice. These data support the hypothesis that CD36-dependent atherogenesis is contingent on a proinflammatory milieu that promotes the creation of specific CD36 ligands, not solely hypercholesterolemia, and may explain the greater degree/accelerated rate of atherosclerosis observed in syndromes associated with inflammatory risk.
    Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 08/2009; 29(10):1481-7. · 6.37 Impact Factor
  • Article: Absence of CD36 protects against atherosclerosis in ApoE knock-out mice with no additional protection provided by absence of scavenger receptor A I/II.
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    ABSTRACT: The role of scavenger receptors in atherogenesis is controversial as a result of conflicting reports and a recent hypothesis suggesting that scavenger receptor absence would enhance the pro-inflammatory, pro-atherogenic milieu. This study addresses the effect of combined absence of scavenger receptors CD36 and SRA I/II on atherosclerosis lesion development in the apolipoprotein E knock-out (apoE degrees ) model. We created background-related strains of apoE degrees , scavenger receptor A I/II knock-out (SRA degrees )/apoE degrees , CD36 knock-out (CD36 degrees )/apoE degrees , and CD36 degrees /SRA degrees /apoE degrees mice that were >99% C57Bl/6. Four-week-old mice were fed a Western diet for 12 weeks and were assessed for lesion burden/morphology, risk factors for atherosclerosis, inflammatory mediators, and macrophage function. There was a 61 and 74% decrease in total aortic lesion area in CD36 degrees /apoE degrees males and females, respectively, compared with apoE degrees controls. The absence of SRA was protective (32% decrease in lesion) in female mice. The combined absence of CD36 and SRA provided no further protection in either gender. Macrophages from mice lacking CD36 had decreased pro-inflammatory characteristics and less migration to a pro-inflammatory stimulus. Plasma levels of cytokines/chemokines showed that CD36 degrees /apoE degrees and CD36 degrees /SRA degrees /apoE degrees mice had a less pro-inflammatory phenotype compared with apoE degrees and SRA degrees /apoE degrees mice. Oblivious mice in the apoE degrees background ruled out potential 'passenger gene' effects in the case of CD36. These results provide new insights into the pro-atherogenic mechanisms of CD36 by implicating processes other than modified lipoprotein uptake.
    Cardiovascular Research 04/2008; 78(1):185-96. · 6.06 Impact Factor