0000000000749576
AUTHOR
Astrid Hubert
Lysed Erythrocyte Membranes Promote Vascular Calcification
Background: Intraplaque hemorrhage promotes atherosclerosis progression, and erythrocytes may contribute to this process. In this study we examined the effects of red blood cells on smooth muscle cell mineralization and vascular calcification and the possible mechanisms involved. Methods: Erythrocytes were isolated from human and murine whole blood. Intact and lysed erythrocytes and their membrane fraction or specific erythrocyte components were examined in vitro using diverse calcification assays, ex vivo by using the murine aortic ring calcification model, and in vivo after murine erythrocyte membrane injection into neointimal lesions of hypercholesterolemic apolipoprotein E–deficient mi…
Endothelial Leptin Receptor Deletion Promotes Cardiac Autophagy and Angiogenesis Following Pressure Overload by Suppressing Akt/mTOR Signaling.
Background: Cardiac remodeling is modulated by overnutrition or starvation. The adipokine leptin mediates energy balance between adipose tissue and brain. Leptin and its receptors are expressed in the heart. Methods and Results: To examine the importance of endothelial leptin signaling in cardiac hypertrophy, transverse aortic constriction was used in mice with inducible endothelium-specific deletion of leptin receptors (End.LepR-KO) or littermate controls (End.LepR-WT). End.LepR-KO was associated with improved left ventricular function (fractional shortening, 28.4% versus 18.8%; P =0.0114), reduced left ventricular dilation (end-systolic inner left ventricular diameter, 3.59 versus 4.08 m…