[Lox-1--an actor in cardiovascular disease?].
BACKGROUND
Among risk factors such as smoking, hypertension and LDL cholesterol, oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) has emerged as a new and interesting factor. Scavenger receptors are a group of cell-surface receptors located on various cell types within the vessel wall with special affinity for ox-LDL. Of all the scavenger receptors involved in coronary heart disease, the lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor (LOX-1) is probably the most important.


METHODS
This article provides a general overview of the scavenger receptors, with special emphasis on LOX-1 and its role in hypertension, heart failure, atherosclerotic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, based on the literature and our own published data.


CONCLUSIONS
LOX-1 is located in various cell types within atherosclerotic plaque, in humans as well in animals, and it accumulates during the progression of the plaque. The receptor is highly expressed in hypertension, hyperhomocysteinaemia and diabetes mellitus. Data indicate that there is a complex interaction between LOX-1 and a number of different processes, such as inflammation, lipid accumulation and oxidative stress. In addition, LOX-1 seems to have therapeutic potential, and a prospective treatment aiming to reduce the level of LOX-1 may be important in the development of atherosclerotic disease, such as coronary heart disease.
Ranheim
Trine
T
Avdeling for medisinsk genetikk, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet, 0027 Oslo.
Halvorsen
Bente
B
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051131:Receptors, Oxidized LDL / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D051127:Scavenger Receptors, Class E / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D051131:Receptors, Oxidized LDL; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger; D051127:Scavenger Receptors, Class E