Person:
YILMAZ, BETÜL

Loading...
Profile Picture

Email Address

Birth Date

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Organizational Unit

Job Title

Last Name

YILMAZ

First Name

BETÜL

Name

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • PublicationOpen Access
    Potential role of proteasome on c-jun related signaling in hypercholesterolemia induced atherosclerosis
    (ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2014) SÖZEN, AHMET ERDİ; Sozen, Erdi; Karademir, Betul; Yazgan, Burak; Bozaykut, Perinur; Ozer, Nesrin Kartal
    Atherosclerosis and its complications are major causes of death all over the world. One of the major risks of atherosclerosis is hypercholesterolemia. During atherosclerosis, oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) regulates CD36-mediated activation of c-jun amino terminal kinase-1 (JNK1) and modulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) induction which stimulates inflammation with an invasion of monocytes. Additionally, inhibition of proteasome leads to an accumulation of c-jun and phosphorylated c-jun and activation of activator protein-1 (AP-1) related increase of MMP expression. We have previously reported a significant increase in cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) mRNA levels in hypercholesterolemic rabbits and shown that vitamin E treatment prevented the cholesterol induced increase in CD36 mRNA expression. In the present study, our aim is to identify the signaling molecules/transcription factors involved in the progression of atherosclerosis following CD36 activation in an in vivo model of hypercholesterolemic (induced by 2% cholesterol containing diet) rabbits. In this direction, proteasomal activities by fluorometry and c-jun, phospo c-jun, JNK1, MMP-9 expressions by quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting were tested in aortic tissues. The effects of vitamin E on these changes were also investigated in this model. As a result, c-jun was phosphorylated following decreased proteasomal degradation in hypercholesterolemic group. MMP-9 expression was also increased in cholesterol group rabbits contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, vitamin E showed its effect by decreasing MMP-9 levels and phosphorylation of c-jun. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
  • Publication
    Effects of vitamin E on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 in hypercholesterolemia-induced atherosclerosis
    (ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 2014) SÖZEN, AHMET ERDİ; Bozaykut, Perinur; Karademir, Betul; Yazgan, Burak; Sozen, Erdi; Siow, Richard C. M.; Mann, Giovanni E.; Ozer, Nesrin Kartal
    Atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular complications such as stroke and myocardial infarction are major causes of morbidity and mortality. We have previously reported a significant increase in mRNA levels of the scavenger receptor CD36 in aortae of cholesterol-fed rabbits and shown that vitamin E treatment attenuated increased CD36 mRNA expression. In the present study, we further investigated the redox signaling pathways associated with protection against atherogenesis induced by high dietary cholesterol and correlated these with CD36 expression and the effects of vitamin E supplementation in a rabbit model. Male albino rabbits were assigned to either a control group fed with a low vitamin E diet alone or a test group fed with a low vitamin E diet containing 2% cholesterol in the absence or presence of daily intramuscular injections of vitamin E (50 mg/kg). To elucidate the mechanisms by which vitamin E supplementation alters the effects of hypercholesterolemia in rabbit aortae, we measured peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma), ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) mRNA levels by quantitative RT-PCR and the expression of MMP-1, nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and glutathione S-transferase alpha (GST alpha) protein by immunoblotting. The increased MMP-1 and decreased GSTa expression observed suggests that a cholesterol-rich diet contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, whereas vitamin E supplementation affords protection by decreasing MMP-1 and increasing PPAR gamma, GSTa, and ABCA1 levels in aortae of rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet. Notably, protein expression of Nrf2, the antioxidant transcription factor, was increased in both the cholesterol-fed and the vitamin E-supplemented groups. Although Nrf2 activation can promote CD36-mediated cholesterol uptake by macrophages, the increased induction of Nrf2-mediated antioxidant genes is likely to contribute to decreased lesion progression. Thus, our study demonstrates that Nrf2 can mediate both pro- and antiatherosclerotic effects. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.