title: The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on inflammatory and angiogenic factors in hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) can be activated during hyperlipidemia. Angiotensin II increases the migration of monocytes, cytokine levels, and gene expressions of VEGF and VCAM-1. With this in mind, the present work attempted to investigate the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on VEGF, VCAM-1, and nitric oxide (NO) serum levels in hypercholesterolemic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups including normal diet+saline injection (control), hypercholesterol diet+saline injection, normal diet+captopril injection, and hypercholesterol diet+captopril injection. Before and after the beginning of the diet and after the treatment, the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, and NO were measured. Finally, gene expressions of VCAM-1 and VEGF in the vascular cells from aorta were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypercholesterolemic diet increased the serum levels of cholesterol, LDL (p<0.001), triglycerides (p<0.01) and decreased HDL (p<0.001). Captopril caused a reduction in the serum levels of cholesterol, LDL (p<0.001), and triglycerides (p<0.05) as well as an increase in HDL levels (p<0.01). Although the serum levels of NO decreased after hypercholesterolemic diet (p<0.001), no significant change was observed after the treatment. Increased gene expressions of VEGF (p<0.05) and VCAM-1 (p<0.01) in hypercholesterolemia were regressed in captopril treated rats (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Captopril, an ACE inhibitor, improves hyperlipidemia and prevents from overexpression of genes for VEGF and VCAM-1, that are implicated in the inflammation and angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Neurogenic Inflammation Research Centre and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: mahmoudabadym@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoudabady
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: KazemiN891@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.affiliation: Neurogenic Inflammation Research Centre and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: NiazmandS@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niazmand
authors.affiliation: Immunology Research Centre, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: RezaeeR@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Seyyed Abdolrahim
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rezaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: SoukhtanlooM@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soukhtanloo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: HosseiniM@mums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
mesh_terms: D042501:Angiogenic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D042501:Angiogenic Proteins; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D016207:Cytokines; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002216:Captopril
keywords: Hypercholesterolemia; Nitric oxide; Renin–angiotensin system; VCAM-1; VEGF