Abstract
Objectives:
the preventive effect of acetylsalicylic acid in cardiovascular disease may be due to inhibition of platelet aggregation mediated by COX-1, but may in addition be due to anti-inflammatory effects by inhibition of COX-2. The objective of this study was to analyse the expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in atherosclerotic and healthy vascular walls.
Design:
the expression COX-1 and COX-2 was analysed in biopsies from human atherosclerotic carotid arteries and from healthy mammary arteries and saphenous veins.
Materials:
vascular biopsies were obtained from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy or coronary bypass surgery.
Methods:
RT-PCR was used for mRNA analysis and for localization of proteins we used immunohistochemistry.
Results:
COX-2 was found in atherosclerotic plaques: in macrophages, in some smooth muscle cells and in endothelial cells of small vessels in the lesions. In non-atherosclerotic blood vessels, COX-2 was detected in the endothelium of the vasa vasorum in the adventitia. COX-1 was found in the endothelium in healthy and in atherosclerotic vessels.
Conclusions:
the expression of COX-2 by inflammatory and vascular cells in atherosclerotic arteries suggests that products of this enzyme may be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Arteriosclerosis / drug therapy
-
Arteriosclerosis / enzymology*
-
Arteriosclerosis / immunology
-
Arteriosclerosis / pathology*
-
Aspirin / pharmacology
-
Biopsy
-
Carotid Artery Diseases / drug therapy
-
Carotid Artery Diseases / enzymology*
-
Carotid Artery Diseases / immunology
-
Carotid Artery Diseases / pathology*
-
Case-Control Studies
-
Cyclooxygenase 1
-
Cyclooxygenase 2
-
Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
-
Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / pharmacology
-
Endothelium, Vascular / enzymology
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic* / genetics
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic* / immunology
-
Humans
-
Immunohistochemistry
-
Inflammation
-
Isoenzymes / analysis*
-
Isoenzymes / drug effects
-
Isoenzymes / genetics
-
Isoenzymes / immunology
-
Macrophages / enzymology
-
Membrane Proteins
-
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / enzymology
-
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / pharmacology
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / analysis*
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / drug effects
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / genetics
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / immunology
-
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Substances
-
Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
-
Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors
-
Isoenzymes
-
Membrane Proteins
-
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
-
Cyclooxygenase 1
-
Cyclooxygenase 2
-
PTGS1 protein, human
-
PTGS2 protein, human
-
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases
-
Aspirin