| Literature DB >> 1632849 |
U Ikeda1, M Ikeda, Y Seino, M Takahashi, S Kano, K Shimada.
Abstract
We have investigated the involvement of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a growth-regulatory molecule for vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC), in the development of atherosclerotic lesions of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. In in situ hybridization analysis, quite low levels of IL-6 mRNA were expressed in 'quiescent' SMC cultured from WHHL rabbits; however, high levels of IL-6 mRNA were induced in SMC exposed to 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), suggesting that growth-stimulated SMC themselves can synthesize IL-6. In in vivo WHHL aortae, transcripts for the IL-6 gene were clearly observed in the fibrous plaques. These findings support the premise that IL-6 is an important autocrine and/or paracrine regulator of SMC proliferation and of pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in this animal model.Entities:
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Year: 1992 PMID: 1632849 DOI: 10.1016/0021-9150(92)90280-t
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Atherosclerosis ISSN: 0021-9150 Impact factor: 5.162