title: Defective mer receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in bone marrow cells promotes apoptotic cell accumulation and accelerates atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (mertk) in atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We irradiated and reconstituted atherosclerosis-susceptible C57Bl/6 low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient female mice (ldlr(-/-)) with either a mertk(+/+) or mertk(-/-) (tyrosine kinase-defective mertk) bone marrow. The mice were put on high-fat diet for either 8 or 15 weeks. Mertk deficiency led to increased accumulation of apoptotic cells within the lesions, promoted a proinflammatory immune response, and accelerated lesion development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mertk expression by bone marrow-derived cells is required for the disposal of apoptotic cells and controls lesion development and inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Inserm U689, Hôpital Lariboisière, 41, Bd de la Chapelle, 75010 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Hafid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ait-Oufella
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pouresmail
authors.forename: Tabassome
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blanc-Brude
authors.forename: Kiyoka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kinugawa
authors.forename: Régine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merval
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Offenstadt
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lesèche
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tedgui
authors.forename: Ziad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mallat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000172:deficiency; D000076202:c-Mer Tyrosine Kinase
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011973:Receptors, LDL; C490767:Mertk protein, mouse; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000076202:c-Mer Tyrosine Kinase