The human gene (PTGS2) encoding an inducible isozyme of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2) that is distinct from the well-characterized and constitutive isozyme (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase l), was isolated using a polymerase-chain reaction-generated cDNA fragment probe for human prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the entire human prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2 gene demonstrated that it is more than 8.3 kb in size and consists of ten exons; this gene is very similar to the murine and chicken prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2 genes. The structures of exons in the human prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2 gene were also similar 'to those of the human prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-1 gene (PTGS1). However, the sizes of introns in the human prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2 gene were generally smaller than those of the human prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-1 gene. Primer-extension analysis indicated that the transcriptional-start site is 134 bases upstream of the translational-initiation site. The sequence of the 1.69-kb region of nucleotides preceding the transcriptional-start site and the first 0.8-kb intron contained a canonical TATA box and various transcriptional-regulatory elements (CArG box, NF-IL6, PEA-1, myb, GATA-1, xenobiotic-response element, CAMP-response element, NF-KB, PEA-3, Sp-1 and 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate-response element). The nucleotide sequence of the 5'-flanking region (275 bp) of the human prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2 gene showed 63 % similarity to the sequence of murine prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2/TISIO gene, but essentially no homology to the chicken prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2 gene, and human and murine prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-1 genes. A fluorescence in situ hybridization study showed that the human genes coding for prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 (PTGSI) and prostaglandinendoperoxidase synthase 2 (PTGS2) were mapped to distinct chromosomes 9q32-q33.3 and 1q25.2-q25.3, respectively, indicating that these genes are not genetically linked.Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase catalyzes the first committed step of the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, thromboxanes and prostacyclin [ 1, 21. Recent studies indicated that at least two distinct isozymes exist for prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2) [3 -61. The constitutive isozyme prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 was

Objective-Plasma platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase (AH) is an enzyme bound with lipoproteins that degrades not only PAF but also PAF-like oxidized phospholipids that are proposed to promote atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the distribution of PAF-AH protein among lipoprotein classes by using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in mice, and we examined its effects on lipoprotein oxidation and foam cell formation of macrophages. Methods and Results-Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of PAF-AH in mice resulted in a 76-to 140-fold increase in plasma PAF-AH activity. Contrary to the previous report, overexpressed human PAF-AH protein was bound to very low density lipoprotein, intermediate density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, and high density lipoprotein (HDL). All the lipoproteins with overexpressed human PAF-AH revealed more resistance against oxidative stress, which was associated with lower levels in autoantibody against oxidized low density lipoprotein in the plasma. In addition, HDL with human PAF-AH inhibited foam cell formation and facilitated cholesterol efflux in macrophages. Key Words: platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase Ⅲ oxidative stress Ⅲ adenovirus Ⅲ foam cell formation Ⅲ cholesterol efflux P latelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase (AH) is a calcium-independent enzyme that degrades PAF, a bioactive phospholipid mediator for allergic and inflammatory processes, to a biologically inactive lyso-PAF. Plasma PAF-AH, 1 of the 3 PAF-AH isoforms identified so far, is produced from macrophages and exists in the plasma in the form bound with lipoproteins; the other 2 isoforms are found only in tissues. Seventy percent to 83% of the plasma PAF-AH protein exists on LDL, and 11% to 30% exists on HDL in human plasma. 1,2 An interchange between the 2 lipoproteins has been reported in plasma PAF-AH. 1 In mice, it has been recognized that PAF-AH is associated primarily with HDL and minimally with VLDL 3,4 and that neither murine PAF-AH nor human PAF-AH has been proposed to bind to murine LDL. 5 An observational study has shown that plasma PAF-AH activity is altered in atherosclerotic diseases. 6 Oxidation of LDL, in which PAF-like oxidized phospholipids are produced on the LDL surface, is one of the key factors in the early stages of atherosclerosis. 7 Besides catalyzing PAF, plasma PAF-AH protein hydrolyzes PAF-like oxidized phospholipids, thereby most likely inactivating the biologically active mediator. However, the products of this reaction include oxidized fatty acids and lysophosphatidylcholine, 8 which are potentially inflammatory mediators that could amplify atherogenesis. Therefore, it is not fully clear whether PAF-AH is antiatherogenic or proatherogenic in humans. There was one report documenting that high PAF-AH activity is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease in humans. 6 However, it is not conclusive whether PAF-AH is a causative agent of coronary artery disease or just a marker. A recent animal study demonstrated that overexpressi...

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