Caveolin-3 Promotes a Vascular Smooth Muscle Contractile Phenotype.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated the importance of cardiovascular diseases in Western countries. Among the cell types associated with a dysfunctional vasculature, smooth muscle (SM) cells are believed to play an essential role in the development of these illnesses. Vascular SM cells are key regulators of the vascular tone and also have an important function in the development of atherosclerosis and restenosis. While in the normal vasculature, contractile SM cells are predominant, in atherosclerotic vascular lesions, synthetic cells migrate toward the neointima, proliferate, and synthetize extracellular matrix proteins. In the present study, we have examined the role of caveolin-3 in the regulation of SM cell phenotype. Caveolin-3 is expressed in vivo in normal arterial SM cells, but its expression appears to be lost in cultured SM cells. Our data show that caveolin-3 expression in the A7r5 SM cell line is associated with increased expression of contractility markers such as SM α-actin, SM myosin heavy chain but decreased expression of the synthetic phenotype markers such as p-Elk and Klf4. Moreover, we also show that caveolin-3 expression can reduce proliferation upon treatment with LDL or PDGF. Finally, we show that caveolin-3-expressing SM cells are less sensitive to apoptosis than control cells upon treatment with oxidized LDL. Taken together, our data suggest that caveolin-3 can regulate the phenotypic switch between contractile and synthetic SM cells. A better understanding of the factors regulating caveolin-3 expression and function in this cell type will permit the development of a better comprehension of the factors regulating SM function in atherosclerosis and restenosis.

Endothelial caveolin-1 plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis.

Clinical studies have established the important impact of atherosclerotic disease in Western societies. This disease is characterized by the accumulation of lipids and the migration of various cell types in the sub-endothelial space of blood vessels. As demonstrated by many studies, endothelial cells play an essential role in the development of this disease. The endothelium acts as a gatekeeper of blood vessel integrity and cardiovascular health status. For instance, the transfer of lipids via the transport of lipoproteins in the arterial intima is believed to be mediated by endothelial cells through a process termed transcytosis. In addition, lipoproteins that accumulate in the sub-endothelial space may also be modified, in a process that can direct the activation of endothelial cells. These steps are essential for the initiation of an atherosclerotic plaque and may be mediated, at least in part, by caveolae and their associated protein caveolin-1. In the present study, we evaluate the role of caveolin-1/caveolae in the regulation of these two steps in endothelial cells. Our data clearly demonstrate that caveolin-1 is involved in the regulation of lipoprotein transcytosis across endothelial cells and in the regulation of vascular inflammation.

Relationship among metabolizing genes, smoking and alcohol used as modifier factors on prostate cancer risk: exploring some gene-gene and gene-environment interactions.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common male cancers, but the burden of this disease shows remarkable worldwide variation. The role of susceptibility low penetrance genes and environmental factors in the etiology of (PCa) is unclear, but may involve, in some cases, multiple alleles at multiple loci and environmental factors. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess whether CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTT1 susceptibility genotypes, smoking status and alcohol consumption factors contribute to PCa risk, gene-gene and gene-environment interactions were analyzed. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We explored interactions on a multiplicative scale conducting a population-based case-control and a case-only study on 103 incident PCa patients and 132 unrelated controls. MAIN RESULTS: The interaction odds ratios (IOR) for PCa risk were increased in men who had both susceptibility genotypes GST (M1; T1) null and CYP1A1-M1* in a case-control and case-only design (IOR(cc): 1.11; 95% CI: 0.12-10.02; IOR(cc): 6.23; 95%, CI: 0.51-75.89; IOR(co): 2.80; 95% CI: 0.44-17.45 and IORco: 2.65; 95%, CI: 0.30-25.40). No clear evidence for interaction on a multiplicative scale between smoking status, alcohol consumption and genetic polymorphisms in PCa risk was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the interaction between genetic polymorphisms in GST (T1; M1) and CYP1A1-M1* would play a significant role as a modifying factor on PCa risk in Chilean people. However, these preliminary exploratory results should be confirmed in a larger study.

[Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions as modifier factors of prostatic cancer risk: "a case-only" design study]. / Interacciones genéticas y genético-ambientales como efecto modificador del riesgo de cáncer de próstata: un diseño "case-only".

BACKGROUND: The role of susceptibility low penetrance genes and environmental factors in the etiology of prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear, but may involve in some cases multiple alleles at multiple loci. AIM: To evaluate the association of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions with PCa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred three subjects with biopsy proven PCa were studied, using a case-only design. All were interrogated about smoking habits. Polymorphisms for Glutathione-S-transferase (GS7) and Cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1), were measured in DNA extracted from peripheral lymphocytes, using a restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that gene-gene interactions between GSTT1 and CYP1A1 high risk genotypes were positive modifiers and had a high predictive value for the presence of PCa, compared with non-susceptibility genotypes. The interaction between susceptibility genotypes and smoking did not modify the risk for PCa. CONCLUSIONS: Gene-gene interactions may play a role modulating the susceptibility to PCa in a proportion of affected individuals.

Positive correlation between single or combined genotypes of CYP1A1 and GSTM1 in relation to prostate cancer in Chilean people.

BACKGROUND: The prostate cancer is a slowly progressing disease that begins decades prior to diagnosis. It has been suggested that there might be differences in susceptibility due to genetic polymorphisms in biotransformation enzyme genes. In the present work, associations between CYP1A1(Msp1), GSTM1(-/-) polymorphisms, and prostate cancer were analyzed in a case-control study. METHODS: Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples, collected on EDTA. PCR-RFLP was used to determine simultaneously Msp1 and GSTM1(-/-) polymorphisms. RESULTS: In cancer patients, frequency of m2 variant allele (0.377) and GSTM1(-/-) (0.362) showed statistically significant increases compared to the control group (0.262 and 0.227, respectively). The estimate relative risks (OR) were higher for individuals carrying combined CYP1A1 and GSTM1 rare genotypes, in relation to individuals carrying CYP1A1 or GSTM1 alone. Multivariate logistic regression analysis including confounding factors (age, digital examination, and PSA antigen) showed even higher risk for individuals carrying m2m2 genotype (OR = 3.99; 95% CI, 1.27-12.54), GST(-/-) genotype (OR = 2.75; 95% CI, 1.31-5.79), and m2m2/GST(-) genotype (OR = 16.63; 95% CI, 1.67-165.48). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings suggest that Chilean people carrying single or combined GSTM1 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms are more susceptible to prostate cancer.