Qin Zhenyu
Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
Peptides. 2015 May;67:64-73. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2015.03.006. Epub 2015 Mar 17.
Elastin peptides, also known as elastin-derived peptides or elastokines, are soluble polypeptides in blood and tissue. The blood levels of elastin peptides are usually low but can increase during cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm and diabetes with vascular complications. Generally, elastin peptides are derived from the degradation of insoluble elastic polymers. The biological activities of elastin peptides are bidirectional, e.g., a pro-inflammatory effect on monocyte migration induction vs. a protective effect on vasodilation promotion. However, recent in vivo studies have demonstrated that elastin peptides promote the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in hypercholesterolemic mice and induce hyperglycemia and elevations in plasma lipid levels in fasted mice. More important, the detrimental effects induced by elastin peptides can be largely inhibited by genetic or pharmacological blockade of the elastin receptor complex or by neutralization of an antibody against elastin peptides. These studies indicate new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases by targeting elastin peptide metabolism. Therefore, the goal of this review is to summarize current knowledge about elastin peptides relevant to cardiovascular pathologies to further delineate their potential application in cardiovascular disease.
弹性蛋白肽，也被称为弹性蛋白衍生肽或弹性因子，是血液和组织中的可溶性多肽。弹性蛋白肽的血液水平通常较低，但在心血管疾病（如动脉粥样硬化、主动脉瘤和伴有血管并发症的糖尿病）期间会升高。一般来说，弹性蛋白肽来源于不溶性弹性聚合物的降解。弹性蛋白肽的生物活性是双向的，例如，对单核细胞迁移诱导具有促炎作用，而对血管舒张促进具有保护作用。然而，最近的体内研究表明，弹性蛋白肽会促进高胆固醇血症小鼠动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成，并在禁食小鼠中诱导高血糖和血浆脂质水平升高。更重要的是，弹性蛋白肽诱导的有害作用可通过弹性蛋白受体复合物的基因或药理学阻断，或通过中和抗弹性蛋白肽抗体在很大程度上得到抑制。这些研究表明了通过靶向弹性蛋白肽代谢来治疗心血管疾病的新策略。因此，本综述的目的是总结目前关于与心血管病理相关的弹性蛋白肽的知识，以进一步阐明它们在心血管疾病中的潜在应用。
