title: Ethanol promotes rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation via increase of homocysteine and oxidized-low-density lipoprotein.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased levels of homocysteine and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) are considered independent risk factors for atherosclerosis. However, no previous study has examined the effects of ethanol-induced increase of homocysteine and Ox-LD on aortic vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ethanol consumption, increase in homocysteine, Ox-LDL, and aortic VSMC proliferation in rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To address this issue, 24 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, sham, and ethanol-treated. Homocysteine, Ox-LDL, lipid profile, and aortic VSMC proliferation were assessed after 42 days. The results revealed a concurrent, significant increase in homocysteine and Ox-LDL levels, lipid profile levels, and aortic VSMC proliferation in the ethanol-treated group compared with the control and sham groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, we conclude that ethanol apparently exerts aortic VSMC proliferation through increase in homocysteine and Ox-LDL-mediated oxidative stress, which in turn trigger proatherogenic changes in the aortic wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Science, Urmia, 5756115111, Iran. Electronic address: ashirpoor@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirpoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 5756115111, Iran.
authors.forename: Siamak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salami
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Science, Urmia, 5756115111, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Hasan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Khadem Ansari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Science, Urmia, 5756115111, Iran.
authors.forename: Behrouz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ilkhanizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Science, Urmia, 5756115111, Iran.
authors.forename: Naseh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abdollahzadeh
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D006710:Homocysteine; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Ethanol; Homocysteine; Oxidized-low-density lipoprotein; Rat; Vascular smooth muscle cell