title: The expression of maxiK channel alpha--subunit during human macrophages differentiating into foam cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of MaxiK channel alpha-subunit during human monocyte-derived macrophages differentiating into foam cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from male healthy volunteers by density gradient centrifugation, which, by culture, differentiated further into macrophages as a homogeneous monocyte population. The foam cell model originated from human macrophage was established by incubating macrophages with oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL). The expression of MaxiK channel alpha-subunit was investigated by RT-PCR techniques, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After incubating macrophages with 30 mg/L OxLDL for 60 hours, the cellular contents of total cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC) and cholesterol ester (CE) were markedly increased and the ratio of CE/TC was further raised from (14.437 +/- 6.781) % to (57.946 +/- 3.507) %. Although the expression of MaxiK channel alpha-subunit was downregulated during human monocyte-derived macrophages differentiating into foam cells, there was no significant difference between macrophages and foam cells (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  That 30 mg/L OxLDL can lead the monocyte-derived macrophage cultured for 60 hours to differentiate into foam cell, but the expression of MaxiK channel alpha-subunit does not change obviously.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Ai-Quna
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yu-Tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ting-Zhong
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D002784:Cholesterol