The effect of oxLDL on aortic valve calcification via the Wnt/ β-catenin signaling pathway: an important molecular mechanism.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a commonly acquired valvular disease. Although previous studies have shown valve calcification to be mediated by a chronic inflammatory disease process, with many similarities to atherosclerosis that included inflammatory cell infiltrates, lipoproteins, lipids, extracellular bone-matrix proteins, and bone minerals, little is known of the mechanisms of the cellular and molecular components and processes. It has recently been hypothesized that the calcific aortic valve is a product of active inflammation, similar to the atherosclerosis pathological process.

C-reactive protein promotes atherosclerosis by increasing LDL transcytosis across endothelial cells.

Background And Purpose: The retention of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles in subendothelial space following transcytosis across the endothelium is the initial step of atherosclerosis. Whether or not C-reactive protein (CRP) can directly affect the transcytosis of LDL is not clear. Here we have examined the effect of CRP on transcytosis of LDL across endothelial cells and have explored the underlying mechanisms.

Microvesicles secreted from human multiple myeloma cells promote angiogenesis.

Aim: To investigate whether human multiple myeloma (MM) cells secrete microvesicles (MVs) and whether the MVs secreted from MM cells (MM-MVs) promote angiogenesis.

Methods: RPMI8226 human MM cells and EA.hy926 human umbilical vein cells were used.

Serum deprivation elevates the levels of microvesicles with different size distributions and selectively enriched proteins in human myeloma cells in vitro.

Aim: To investigate the effects of serum deprivation (SD) on microvesicles (MVs) secreted from human myeloma cells and the implications for disease progression.

Methods: RPMI 8226, U266, and KM3 human myeloma cells were incubated in medium containing 10% (non-SD) or 1% fetal bovine serum (SD) and MVs were isolated. The levels and size distribution of MVs were analyzed with flow cytometry.