Global ETD Search

1	In Vitro Investigation of the Effect of Exogenous Ubiquitin on Processes Associated with Atherosclerosis Mussard, Chase W 01 May 2016 (has links) Atherosclerosis, characterized by the build-up of cholesterol, immune cells and cellular debris within arterial walls, is accelerated following myocardial infarction by poorly understood mechanisms. Ubiquitin, a small, well-studied intracellular protein involved in protein turnover via the proteasome pathway, has recently been shown to exert extracellular effects on cardiac myocytes, in vitro, and in mice undergoing myocardial remodeling. This study investigates the potential role of extracellular ubiquitin in atherosclerosis by determining its effects on two critical atherosclerotic processes: the migration of vascular smooth muscles cells and the uptake of modified LDL by monocyte/macrophages in foam cell formation. In the presence of ubiquitin, smooth muscle cell migration was accelerated and foam cell formation was enhanced, suggesting that ubiquitin has an active role in atherosclerosis. atherosclerosis ubiquitin foam cell formation smooth muscle cell migration macrophage plaque buildup Biochemistry Cardiovascular System Cell Biology Cells Circulatory and Respiratory Physiology Medical Cell Biology Molecular Biology