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Distinctive peri-luminal presence of agrin in murine and human carotid atherosclerotic plaques

Rauch, Uwe LU ; Bengtsson, Eva LU orcid ; Gonçalves, Isabel LU orcid and Hultgårdh-Nilsson, Anna LU (2018) In Histology and Histopathology 33(7). p.717-726
Abstract

The clinical consequences of arterial atherosclerotic lesions depend, apart from their size, on their composition of cellular and extracellular components. While an intact endothelium at the interface of atherosclerotic plaques towards the blood can prevent its erosion, underlying smooth muscle cells within the plaque can reduce the risk of plaque ruptures, due to the deposition of stabilizing extracellular matrix. Basement membranes underlay and support the function of endothelial cells, and embed smooth muscle cells in the media, the source of most smooth muscle cells within atherosclerotic plaques. In the present study mouse atherosclerotic plaques were comparatively analyzed for the basement membrane components laminin, type IV... (More)

The clinical consequences of arterial atherosclerotic lesions depend, apart from their size, on their composition of cellular and extracellular components. While an intact endothelium at the interface of atherosclerotic plaques towards the blood can prevent its erosion, underlying smooth muscle cells within the plaque can reduce the risk of plaque ruptures, due to the deposition of stabilizing extracellular matrix. Basement membranes underlay and support the function of endothelial cells, and embed smooth muscle cells in the media, the source of most smooth muscle cells within atherosclerotic plaques. In the present study mouse atherosclerotic plaques were comparatively analyzed for the basement membrane components laminin, type IV collagen, perlecan, and agrin. Distinct agrin immunofluorescence was found in the peri-luminal area in mouse carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Agrin was also clearly present in the media, with a significant increase in regions directly associated with plaque tissue. In addition, ten human endarterectomy specimens were investigated for this heparan sulfate proteoglycan. No statistically significant differences in agrin immunofluorescence were noticed between five specimens from symptomatic and five from asymptomatic patients. In all these plaques agrin was present in a distinctive manner in a narrow zone partially or almost completely surrounding the lumen. Additionally it was also present around the small lumina of the CD31-positive neovessels. The presence of agrin at locations with particular importance for the growth and stability of atherosclerotic plaques renders this molecule strategically positioned to influence plaque development and vulnerability.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Agrin, Atherosclerotic plaque, Basement membrane molecule, Endarterectomy specimen
in
Histology and Histopathology
volume
33
issue
7
pages
10 pages
publisher
Histology and Histopathology
external identifiers
  • pmid:29405249
  • scopus:85047440549
ISSN
0213-3911
DOI
10.14670/HH-11-970
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8381da84-8a4e-4ec6-858d-54f791976a3a
date added to LUP
2018-06-05 09:30:37
date last changed
2024-03-18 10:34:56
@article{8381da84-8a4e-4ec6-858d-54f791976a3a,
  abstract     = {{<p>The clinical consequences of arterial atherosclerotic lesions depend, apart from their size, on their composition of cellular and extracellular components. While an intact endothelium at the interface of atherosclerotic plaques towards the blood can prevent its erosion, underlying smooth muscle cells within the plaque can reduce the risk of plaque ruptures, due to the deposition of stabilizing extracellular matrix. Basement membranes underlay and support the function of endothelial cells, and embed smooth muscle cells in the media, the source of most smooth muscle cells within atherosclerotic plaques. In the present study mouse atherosclerotic plaques were comparatively analyzed for the basement membrane components laminin, type IV collagen, perlecan, and agrin. Distinct agrin immunofluorescence was found in the peri-luminal area in mouse carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Agrin was also clearly present in the media, with a significant increase in regions directly associated with plaque tissue. In addition, ten human endarterectomy specimens were investigated for this heparan sulfate proteoglycan. No statistically significant differences in agrin immunofluorescence were noticed between five specimens from symptomatic and five from asymptomatic patients. In all these plaques agrin was present in a distinctive manner in a narrow zone partially or almost completely surrounding the lumen. Additionally it was also present around the small lumina of the CD31-positive neovessels. The presence of agrin at locations with particular importance for the growth and stability of atherosclerotic plaques renders this molecule strategically positioned to influence plaque development and vulnerability.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rauch, Uwe and Bengtsson, Eva and Gonçalves, Isabel and Hultgårdh-Nilsson, Anna}},
  issn         = {{0213-3911}},
  keywords     = {{Agrin; Atherosclerotic plaque; Basement membrane molecule; Endarterectomy specimen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{717--726}},
  publisher    = {{Histology and Histopathology}},
  series       = {{Histology and Histopathology}},
  title        = {{Distinctive peri-luminal presence of agrin in murine and human carotid atherosclerotic plaques}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.14670/HH-11-970}},
  doi          = {{10.14670/HH-11-970}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}