A study of the expression and interaction of Destrin, cofilin, and LIMK in Debakey I type thoracic aortic dissection tissue.
OBJECTIVE
Our previous proteomic research has indicated that some cytoskeleton proteins show differential expression between thoracic aortic dissection and normal control groups, which suggests a possible mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of the vascular remodeling of this disease. This study was to investigate the expression of these cytoskeleton proteins and their possible molecular pathway in the remodeling process of thoracic aortic dissection.


METHODS
Ascending aortic segments were obtained from thoracic aortic dissection patients (Debakey type I, n = 13) and age-matched normal donors (n = 8). Quantitative differences of Destrin, cofilin, and LIM protein kinases (LIMK) were investigated using RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. The relationships between the expression of these proteins and clinical parameters such as age, hypertension and maximal aortic diameter of the patients were analysed statistically.


RESULTS
Western blotting showed that the protein expression of cofilin and LIMK was significantly decreased in thoracic aortic dissection tissue compared with normal control, (p = 0.004 for cofilin, p < 0.001 for LIMK). The mRNA levels of cofilin and LIMK were lower in thoracic aortic dissection than normal control and were coincident with the protein expression (p = 0.0039 for cofilin, p = 0.017 for LIMK). A significant correlation (Spearman's rho = -0.521, p = 0.019) was found between LIMK protein expression and maximal aortic diameter; lower levels of LIMK expression were associated with larger aortic diameters.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in the expression of cytoskeletal regulatory proteins such as LIMK and cofilin may play a role in weakening thoracic aortic medial tissue, as a precondition to thoracic aortic dissection.
Tian
Lei
L
Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Liao
Ming-Fang
MF
Zhang
Lei
L
Lu
Qing-Sheng
QS
Jing
Zai-Ping
ZP
D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003710:Demography; D051345:Destrin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D054461:Lim Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors; D051345:Destrin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054461:Lim Kinases