title: Effects of chemokine-like factor 1 on vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation in vascular inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and proliferation are key components of vascular inflammation that may lead to atherosclerosis and restenosis, in which cytokines are considered as pivotal factors regarding recruitment of VSMC. A member of recently described family of chemokines, chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1), displays a wide spectrum of chemotaxis. This study investigated the role of CKLF1 in VSMC migration and proliferation during the process of vascular inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : The effects of CKLF1 on migration, proliferation and neointimal formation were investigated in cultured VSMCs, rat balloon injured arteries and human atherosclerotic plaques. CKLF1 overexpression greatly enhanced, whereas shRNA knockdown markedly retarded, VSMC migration and proliferation in vitro. In addition, CKLF1 protein accumulated preferentially in neointima of the injured rat arteries in vivo. CKLF1 overexpression resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in intimal thickness. In contrast, shRNA-mediated CKLF1 knockdown significantly suppressed neointima formation by 70% compared that in control group. Intriguingly, besides animal model, higher level of CKLF1 was observed in human atherosclerotic plaques than that in normal arteries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CKLF1 plays an essential role in migration and proliferation of VSMCs, which in turn facilitated neointimal hyperplasia and atherosclerosis. Inhibition of CKLF1 activity provides a potential target for the prevention of atherosclerosis and restenosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, West District, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qingle
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Peiying
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Chenyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D062792:MARVEL Domain-Containing Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; C486623:Cklf protein, rat; D062792:MARVEL Domain-Containing Proteins