title: Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 at the early stages of atherosclerosis in a rat model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Members of the immunoglobulin superfamily of endothelial adhesion molecules, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), participate in leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium and play an important role in all stages of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to examine the expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in the aorta of rats at the early stages of atherosclerosis and the correlation with their plasma concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male rats (n=44), 10 weeks of age, were divided in 4 groups. Groups A and C (n=12) were fed with rich cholesterol diet for 12 and 16 weeks, respectively. Group B (regression group, n=12) was fed for the first 12 weeks with rich cholesterol diet and for another 4 weeks with normal diet. Group D (control group, n=8) was fed with normal diet for 12 weeks. We measured the serum lipid profile, the concentration of soluble ICAM-1 and the immunohistochemical expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in the endothelium, media and vasa vasorum of the aorta.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the expression of ICAM-1 between group C (maximum time of rich cholesterol diet) and all other groups in the 3 groups of the aorta studied. There was regression of the expression of ICAM-1 in group B and significant differences (p<0.05) between group B and all the other groups, except group D in the expression of ICAM-1. There were no significant differences in the expression of VCAM-1 between any groups. The serum concentration of soluble ICAM-1 positively correlated with the expression of the molecule in the vasa vasorum (r=0.35, p<0.05) and fibroblasts/smooth muscular cells (r=0.34, p<0.05) of the aorta.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A cholesterol diet plays a role in the expression of ICAM-1 but not in that of VCAM-1 in the rat aorta. The expression of ICAM-1 in the aorta regresses after the withdrawal of a cholesterol-rich diet. Soluble ICAM-1 is a reliable measure of ICAM-1 expression in the aorta, vasa vasorum and fibroblasts/smooth muscle cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research N.S. Christeas, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Lampros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fotis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agrogiannis
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Vlachos
authors.forename: Alkistis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pantopoulou
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margoni
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kostaki
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verikokos
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tzivras
authors.forename: Dimitri P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mikhailidis
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrea
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012995:Solubility; D014651:Vasa Vasorum / Q000378:metabolism; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008055:Lipids; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1