title: Endoglin is not expressed with cell adhesion molecules in aorta during atherogenesis in apoE-deficient mice.
abstract: Endoglin (TGF-β receptor III), has been demonstrated to affect vascular endothelium and atherosclerosis. Moreover, it was also demonstrated that endoglin is involved in inflammation and plays a role in leukocyte adhesion and transmigration in vitro and in vivo but not in atherosclerosis related vessels. In this study, we wanted to evaluate endoglin expression in two different parts of the aorta (heart aortic sinus and ascending aorta) and assess its potential simultaneous expression with cell adhesion molecules in non-atherosclerotic and atherosclerotic aortas of apoE-deficient mice. Ten-week-old female apolipoprotein E-deficient mice on a C57BL/6J background (n=24) were randomly subdivided into three groups and were fed either chow diet (for another two months) or Western type diet (for another two or four months). Immunohistochemical staining of endoglin, VCAM-1 and P-selectin in aortic sinus and ascending aorta was performed. Endoglin expression was detected only in endothelial cells and varied during atherogenic process in aorta but not in aortic sinus. Moreover, its expression seemed to be weaker in aorta when compared to aortic sinus and the positivity was detected only in endothelium covering atherosclerotic lesions but not in non-atherosclerotic endothelium regardless of the plaque size. Endoglin was not expressed with P selectin and VCAM-1 in aortic endothelium in any studied group. This study shows that endothelial expression of endoglin is related to the atherogenic process predominantly in aorta outside the heart. Moreover, endoglin is not localized with cell adhesion molecules involved in atherosclerosis, suggesting it might not participate in leukocyte accumulation in aorta of apoE-deficient mice during atherogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Jana.Rathouska@faf.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rathouska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Katerina.Jezkova@faf.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jezkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Ivana.Nemeckova@faf.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nemeckova
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Lenka.Zemankova@faf.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Lennka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zemankova
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. varem7aa@faf.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Michala
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varejckova
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Petr.Nachtigal@faf.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nachtigal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000071063:Endoglin; C502004:Eng protein, mouse; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D019007:P-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1