Hirota S, Imakita M, Kohri K, Ito A, Morii E, Adachi S, Kim H M, Kitamura Y, Yutani C, Nomura S
Department of Pathology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Am J Pathol. 1993 Oct;143(4):1003-8.
Calcification is a common complication in atherosclerosis. As osteopontin (OPN) and osteonectin (ON) are not only involved in the physiological but also the pathological calcification of tissues, we examined the expression of OPN and ON messenger (m)RNAs in normal and atherosclerotic human aortas. By Northern blotting, the OPN mRNA expression was related to the severity of the atherosclerosis. However, ON mRNA expression decreased with the development of atherosclerosis. By a combination of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry of serial sections, the macrophages surrounding the atheromatous plaques were identified as the OPN mRNA-expressing cells. The ON mRNA-expressing cells in aortas of a newborn baby and a 3-year-old boy were medial smooth muscle cells, but in aortas of adults, smooth muscle cells that had invaded the intima were found to express ON mRNA. As OPN mRNA-expressing macrophages surrounded the atheromatous plaques, and as the level of OPN mRNA expression increased as atherosclerosis advanced, it is possible that OPN plays a role in the calcification of atheromatous plaques.
钙化是动脉粥样硬化的常见并发症。由于骨桥蛋白（OPN）和骨粘连蛋白（ON）不仅参与组织的生理性钙化，还参与病理性钙化，我们检测了正常和动脉粥样硬化的人类主动脉中OPN和ON信使核糖核酸（mRNA）的表达。通过Northern印迹法，OPN mRNA表达与动脉粥样硬化的严重程度相关。然而，ON mRNA表达随着动脉粥样硬化的发展而降低。通过对连续切片进行原位杂交和免疫组织化学相结合的方法，发现动脉粥样斑块周围的巨噬细胞是表达OPN mRNA的细胞。新生儿和3岁男孩主动脉中表达ON mRNA的细胞是中层平滑肌细胞，但在成年人的主动脉中，发现侵入内膜的平滑肌细胞表达ON mRNA。由于表达OPN mRNA的巨噬细胞围绕着动脉粥样斑块，并且随着动脉粥样硬化的进展OPN mRNA表达水平升高，因此OPN可能在动脉粥样斑块的钙化中起作用。
