Blood flow –sensing protein protects against atherosclerosis in mice

FINDINGSUCLA scientists have found that a protein known as NOTCH1 helps ward off inflammation in the walls of blood vessels, preventing atherosclerosis — the narrowing and hardening of arteries that can cause heart attacks and strokes.The new finding, from research conducted on mice, also explains why areas of smooth, fast blood flow are less prone to inflammation: levels of NOTCH1 are higher in these vessels.BACKGROUNDNOTCH1 was already known to be a key player in the development of blood vessels in embryos, but researchers weren ’t sure whether it was also critical to adults’ health. In a 2015 study, Luisa Iruela-Arispe, a UCLA professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology showed that mice on a high-fat diet had reduced levels of NOTCH1.Researchers also have long known that sections of blood vessels in some areas of the body — where blood flow is slow and disturbed — are more likely to develop inflammation and the fatty plaques associated with atherosclerosis but weren’t sure why.METHODIn the new work, Iruela-Arispe and her colleagues mimicked blood flow conditions on a small scale in the lab. Using MRI and high-resolution microscopy, as well as molecular experiments, they observed how NOTCH1 changed under different flow conditions. When the flow was smooth and fast, they found, levels of NOTCH1 were elevated and the protein aligned itself on the end of each cell facing the direction of blood flow.Using mice that had been genetically modified to lack NO...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news