Development and Validation of a Shared Secure Biochemistry Test Bank for Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy Schools.

A shared secure biochemistry test bank (abeQbank) was developed by 61 members of the Association of Biochemistry Educators (ABE) who are from medical, pharmacy, and dental schools. The initial abeQbank contained 305 questions, which were almost all clinical vignettes, and were classified into 9 biochemistry megaThemes with subthemes as determined by ABE workshops 2009-2011. Three medical schools selected 163 board-style abeQbank questions approved by ABE and administered a proctored formative exam using ExamSoft to 97 second-year medical students prior to their USMLE or COMLEX 1 board exam followed by a review session in which students examined their answers and read the rationale for each question.

AKT/protein kinase B regulation of BCL family members during oxysterol-induced apoptosis.

Cells of the vasculature, including macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells, exhibit apoptosis in culture upon treatment with oxidized low density lipoprotein, as do vascular cells of atherosclerotic plaque. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that the apoptotic component of oxidized low density lipoprotein is one or more oxysterols, which have been shown to induce apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Activation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis is regulated by members of the BCL family of proteins.

Arachidonate metabolism and the signaling pathway of induction of apoptosis by oxidized LDL/oxysterol.

Owing at least in part to oxysterol components that can induce apoptosis, oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is cytotoxic to mammalian cells with receptors that can internalize it. Vascular cells possess such receptors, and it appears that the apoptotic response of vascular cells to the oxysterols borne by oxLDL is an important part of the atherogenic effects of oxLDL. Thus, an analysis of the signaling pathway of apoptotic induction by oxysterols is of value in understanding the development of atherosclerotic plaque.

Mechanisms of oxysterol-induced apoptosis.

The rationale for the present review is that oxysterols found in oxidized LDL (oxLDL) play a role in atherogenesis. This perspective is based on studies that show that induction of apoptosis in vascular cells is an important process in atherogenesis, that apoptosis can be induced by oxLDL, and that the oxysterol component of oxLDL is responsible for its proapoptotic activity. The evidence for these concepts is reviewed, as are studies on the mechanisms by which oxysterols can induce apoptosis.

Isolation of a somatic cell mutant resistant to the induction of apoptosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein.

Oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) induces apoptosis in macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of oxLDL-induced cytotoxicity and determine its tissue specificity, we have used Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells expressing human CD36 (CHO/CD36). Expression of CD36 rendered these cells susceptible to killing by oxLDL.