Atherosclerosis Flashcards
risk factors for coronary heart disease modifiable vs non
- Smoking
- Lipids intake
- Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Sedentary Lifestyle
non modifaible - Age
- Sex
- Genetic background (e.g. ethnicity)
smoking high cholesterol and hypertension increase risk by 16X
plaques
occur exactly at locations of vortex in blood flow
change in flow activates endothelial cells
where do plaques commonly form
Bifurcation of carotid artery
Bifurcation of abdominal aorta into iliac arteries
Origins of the subclavians and the carotids
Renal arteries
main cell types invollved
- Vascular endothelial cells
Functions: - Barrier function (e.g. to lipoproteins)
- Leukocyte recruitment
- Platelets
Functions: - Thrombus generation
- Cytokine and growth factor release
- Monocyte-macrophages
Functions: - Foam cell formation
- Cytokine and growth factor release
- Major source of free radicals
- Metalloproteinases
- Vascular smooth muscle cells
- Migration and proliferation
- Collagen synthesis
- Remodeling and fibrous cap formation
- T lymphocytes
- Macrophage activation - CD4 Th1
- Macrophage deactivation - CD4 Treg
- VSMC death - CD8 CTL
- B cell / Antibody help - CD4 Th2
CANTOS trial
showed that atherosclerosis has an inflammatory basis
Patients at high risk of atherosclerosis complications were injected with antibodies to IL-1 (Canakinumab)
This resulted in fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)
Cholesterol crystal formation connecting lipids drives IL-1 secretion leading to inflammation implicated in atherosclerosis
macrophages
main inflammatory cell in atherosclerosis
derived from blood monocytes
can injure host tissue if excessively activated
subtypes regulated by combinations of transcription factors binding to regulatory sequences on dna
2 main types and functions of macrophages
- Inflammatory Macrophages
- Adapted to kill microorganisms - Non-inflammatory and Resident Macrophages
- Normal homeostatic function - may be parenchymal
- Alveolar resident macrophages have a function in surfactant lipid homeostasis
- Macrophages in spleen have a role in iron homeostasis
LDL
made in liver
carries cholesterol from liver to the rest of the body including arteries
J curve-no ldl worse risk for cardiovascular accidents than small amount of LDL
bad cholesterol
HDL
carries cholesterol from peripheral tissue including arteries back to liver
reverses cholsterol transport
oxidised/modifier ldl
Chemical and physical modification of LDL by: free radicals, enzymes, aggregation
- Families of highly inflammatory and toxic forms of LDL found in vessel walls
LDL structure
lipid monolayer
docking molecule addresses for fat delivery and may interact with clotting or clot lysis
cargo fat for fuel
modificationn of subendothelial trapped LDL
- LDLs leak through endothelial barrier, likely due to endothelial activation in areas of vortex
- LDL is bound to sticky matrix carbohydrates (proteoglycans) in the sub-endothelial layer and becomes susceptible to modification
- Best studied modification is oxidation ⇒ due to free radical attack from activated macrophages
- Oxidised LDL is phagocytosed by macrophages and stimulates chronic inflammation
- Macrophages which have phagocytosed macrophages are known as “foam cells”
familial hyperlipidaemia
Autosomal Genetic Disease
Caused massively elevated cholesterol (20mmol/L, as opposed to the normal range of ~1-5mmol/L)
Result of failure to clear LDL from blood
Causes xanthomas and early atherosclerosis, if untreated causes fatal MI before age 20
what is cholesterol synthesis negatively regulated by
cellular cholesterol which led to discovery of HMG-COA reductase (statins) to lower plasma cholesterol
what accumulaes cholesterol in LDL-R negative patients
macrophages