After exposure to low density lipoprotein (LDL) that had been minimally modified by oxidation (MM-LDL), human endothelial cells (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) cultured separately or together produced 2-to 3-fold more monocyte chemotactic activity than did control cells or cells exposed to freshly isolated LDL. This increase in monocyte chemotactic activity was paralleled by increases in mRNA levels for a monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) that is constitutively produced by the human glioma U-105MG cell line. Antibody that had been prepared against cultured baboon smooth muscle cell chemotactic factor (anti-SMCF) did not inhibit monocyte migration induced by the potent bacterial chemotactic factor f-Met-Leu-Phe. However, anti-SMCF completely inhibited the monocyte chemotactic activity found in the media of U-1O5MG cells, EC, and SMC before and after exposure to MM-LDL. Moreover, monocyte migration into the subendothelial space of a coculture of EC and SMC that had been exposed to MM-LDL was completely inhibited by anti-SMCF. Anti-SMCF specifically immunoprecipitated 10-kDa and 12.5-kDa proteins from EC. Incorporation of [35Slmethi-onine into the immunoprecipitated proteins paralleled the monocyte chemotactic activity found in the medium of MM-LDL stimulated EC and the levels of MCP-1 mRNA found in the EC. We conclude that (g) SMCF is in fact MCP-1 and (it) MCP-1 is induced by MM-LDL.An important early event in atherogenesis is an increased recruitment of monocytes into the arterial subendothelium (1)(2)(3)(4). Previous studies have shown that endothelial cells (EC) (5, 6) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) (7,8) in culture constitutively produce a chemotactic factor that acts on monocytes but not neutrophils. Graves and colleagues (9) demonstrated that the monocyte chemotactic activity in the supernatants from a number of tumor cell lines was inhibited by an antibody made against baboon smooth muscle cell chemotactic factor (anti-SMCF) (10). Additionally they demonstrated a strong concordance with immunoprecipitation of a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 14.4 kDa. A human glioma cell line, U-1OSMG, constitutively expresses monocyte chemotactic activity. The protein responsible for this activity has been purified, sequenced, and named monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) (11, 12). Graves and colleagues did not test their antibody against the chemotactic activity secreted by the U-1O5MG cell line, but based on limited primary sequence data from the baboon smooth muscle chemotactic protein, they concluded that their protein was homologous to MCP-1.We have recently demonstrated that low density lipoprotein (LDL) that has been minimally modified (MM-LDL) is indistinguishable from native LDL by the LDL receptor, is not recognized by the scavenger receptor, and induces EC to secrete high levels of monocyte chemotactic activity, whereas native LDL does not (13). We have also shown that MM-LDL induces EC to produce colony-stimulating factors, including monocyte colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), w...
Atherosclerosis is considered to be a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by enhanced expression of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules (1-3). The cross-talk between cytokines, chemokines, and infiltrating immune cells amplifies the inflammatory cascade in the vessel wall, resulting in atherogenesis (1-3).Interleukin-18 (IL-18) 3 is a proinflammatory and proatherogenic cytokine that induces the expression of other proinflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules (4). IL-18 has been localized to human atherosclerotic lesions (5, 6), and circulating IL-18, which is increased in acute coronary syndromes (7), has been shown to predict future cardiovascular events (7). A positive correlation between serum IL-18 levels and carotid intima-media thickness has been demonstrated (8). Administration of IL-18 aggravates atherosclerosis in mice (9). Moreover, atherogenesis is reduced in IL-18-deficient apoE knock-out mice (10), suggesting a causal role for IL-18 in the development and progression of atherosclerosis.Recently, we demonstrated that IL-18 induces human aortic smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation (11). However, it is not known whether IL-18 induces SMC migration. Both migration and proliferation play a role in normal and diseased vessels (1-3). SMC migration contributes to normal angiogenesis. However, SMC migration also plays a causal role in pathological remodeling of the vessel walls during atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, and restenosis following angioplasty (1-3).Vessel wall remodeling is characterized by a disruption in the delicate balance between extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and degradation, with matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs)) playing a prominent role. MMPs are zinc-dependent proteases and are classified as collagenases, stromelysins, elastases, and gelatinases based on substrate specificity. Their expression is regulated at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. They are synthesized as proenzymes and are activated following proteolytic cleavage. SMCs express MMP2 (gelatinase A) and MMP9 (gelatinase B), the two gelatinases described so far (12). Excess activation of MMP2 and MMP9, without alteration of TIMP expression and activation, results in destruction of the ECM and can lead to pathological remodeling and vascular restenosis (12-15). Because increased matrix degradation promotes SMC migration (15), we hypothesized that IL-18 induces SMC migration via induction of MMP9. Our novel findings demonstrate that IL-18 promotes SMC
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