Evaluation of TERT mRNA alternative spliced variants in aortic endothelial cells of the rabbit, in the fatty streaks stage of atherosclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
There are some lines of evidence about the role of telomeres in atherosclerotic plaque formation and development. Despite the role of telomerase in telomere elongation and protection, its role in atherosclerosis is not fully understood. The present study was designed to evaluate the importance of alternative splicing variants ofTERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) in the atherosclerosis process.


RESULTS
Six Dutch-Polish rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet, and six control animals a normal diet. Alternative splicing was assessed by RT-PCR in aortic endothelial cells of these rabbits. Fatty streaks formation was assessed by H & E staining of aortic tissues. There were no significant differences in variants of TERT in control and test animals; neither in endothelial cells nor in aortic vessel wall.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that a decrease in telomerase activity in atherosclerosis formation is not due to TERT gene alternative splicing.
Behjati
Mohadeseh
M
Dept. of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. behjati@med.mui.ac.ir
Salehi
Mansoor
M
Moghim
Sharareh
S
Dashti
Gholam Reza
GR
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011817:Rabbits; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D016615:Telomere
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019098:Telomerase