BACKGROUND: The fibrous cap of the atherosclerotic lesion is believed to be critical to stability because disruption of the cap is the final event leading to plaque rupture. We have, therefore, used expression arrays to define the phenotype of the cap and other plaque components. METHODS AND RESULTS: To identify unique expression programs able to distinguish the smooth muscle of the cap from other plaque smooth muscle cells, RNA profiles were determined in human carotid artery media, nonatherosclerotic adjacent intima, fibrous cap of advanced atherosclerotic plaques, and whole advanced plaque with cDNA arrays covering 21,000 or 26,000 Unigene clusters. The molecular signature of each tissue was dominated by a core gene-set with differential expression of <1% of clusters assayed. CONCLUSIONS: Both intima and cap expressed novel genes not previously associated with SMC pathology. If the cap is derived from a unique subpopulation, this pattern is the signature of that particular set of cells. The loss of RGS5 in the fibrous cap is of particular interest because of its role in vessel development and physiology.
BACKGROUND: The fibrous cap of the atherosclerotic lesion is believed to be critical to stability because disruption of the cap is the final event leading to plaque rupture. We have, therefore, used expression arrays to define the phenotype of the cap and other plaque components. METHODS AND RESULTS: To identify unique expression programs able to distinguish the smooth muscle of the cap from other plaque smooth muscle cells, RNA profiles were determined in human carotid artery media, nonatherosclerotic adjacent intima, fibrous cap of advanced atherosclerotic plaques, and whole advanced plaque with cDNA arrays covering 21,000 or 26,000 Unigene clusters. The molecular signature of each tissue was dominated by a core gene-set with differential expression of <1% of clusters assayed. CONCLUSIONS: Both intima and cap expressed novel genes not previously associated with SMC pathology. If the cap is derived from a unique subpopulation, this pattern is the signature of that particular set of cells. The loss of RGS5 in the fibrous cap is of particular interest because of its role in vessel development and physiology.
Authors: Katherine E Squires; Carolina Montañez-Miranda; Rushika R Pandya; Matthew P Torres; John R Hepler Journal: Pharmacol Rev Date: 2018-07 Impact factor: 25.468
Authors: Yanqing Chen; Jun Zhu; Pek Yee Lum; Xia Yang; Shirly Pinto; Douglas J MacNeil; Chunsheng Zhang; John Lamb; Stephen Edwards; Solveig K Sieberts; Amy Leonardson; Lawrence W Castellini; Susanna Wang; Marie-France Champy; Bin Zhang; Valur Emilsson; Sudheer Doss; Anatole Ghazalpour; Steve Horvath; Thomas A Drake; Aldons J Lusis; Eric E Schadt Journal: Nature Date: 2008-03-16 Impact factor: 49.962
Authors: Grant D Barish; Annette R Atkins; Michael Downes; Peter Olson; Ling-Wa Chong; Mike Nelson; Yuhua Zou; Hoosang Hwang; Heonjoong Kang; Linda Curtiss; Ronald M Evans; Chih-Hao Lee Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2008-03-12 Impact factor: 11.205