Babaev V R, Dergunov A D, Chenchik A A, Tararak E M, Yanushevskaya E V, Trakht I N, Sorg C, Smirnov V N
Cardiology Research Center, Academy of Medical Science of the USSR, Moscow.
Atherosclerosis. 1990 Dec;85(2-3):239-47. doi: 10.1016/0021-9150(90)90116-z.
To elucidate the role of apolipoprotein E (apo E) in atherogenesis, we have investigated the localization of apo E in normal and atherosclerotic aortas as well as in other tissues of 32 post-mortem individuals. Using double immunofluorescence it has been found that normal intima of individuals older than 20 years and some adolescents contained immunoreactive material that reacted with poly- and monoclonal antibodies to apo E. A staining pattern of apo E differed from that of apolipoprotein B, the latter being seen in normal intima of each child older than 7 years. Apo E was present extracellularly in lipid streaks and atheromatous plaques, where its staining was particularly intensive around the necrotic zone of plaques. Some macrophages in the plaques of 4 aortas exhibited apo E-positive staining, while aortic endothelial and smooth muscle cells never contained apo E. Apo E-positive staining was not found in the majority of vessel cells, it was always, however, observed in other types of cells including hepatocytes. Kupffer cells, spleen macrophages and cerebral astrocytes. Our findings indicate that only some macrophages in human aorta may be responsible for the production of apo E that can participate in reverse cholesterol transport. At the same time, apo E accumulation in the aortic wall may promote the development of atherosclerosis.
为阐明载脂蛋白E（apo E）在动脉粥样硬化形成中的作用，我们研究了32例尸检个体的正常和动脉粥样硬化主动脉以及其他组织中apo E的定位。采用双重免疫荧光法发现，20岁以上个体的正常内膜以及一些青少年的内膜含有与apo E的多克隆和单克隆抗体发生反应的免疫反应性物质。apo E的染色模式与载脂蛋白B不同，后者在7岁以上每个儿童的正常内膜中可见。apo E存在于脂质条纹和动脉粥样斑块的细胞外，其在斑块坏死区周围的染色尤为强烈。4例主动脉斑块中的一些巨噬细胞呈现apo E阳性染色，而主动脉内皮细胞和平滑肌细胞从未含有apo E。在大多数血管细胞中未发现apo E阳性染色，但在包括肝细胞、库普弗细胞、脾巨噬细胞和脑星形胶质细胞在内的其他类型细胞中总是能观察到。我们的研究结果表明，人主动脉中只有一些巨噬细胞可能负责产生可参与逆向胆固醇转运的apo E。同时，apo E在主动脉壁中的积聚可能促进动脉粥样硬化的发展。
