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YILMAZ, BETÜL

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YILMAZ

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BETÜL

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Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Publication
    CD36 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells reflects the onset of atherosclerosis
    (WILEY, 2018) SÖZEN, AHMET ERDİ; Yazgan, Burak; Sozen, Erdi; Karademir, Betul; Ustunsoy, Seyfettin; Ince, Umit; Zarkovic, Neven; Ozer, Nesrin Kartal
    Together with complex genetic and environmental factors, increased serum cholesterol and ox-LDL levels are considered as major triggering factors of atherosclerosis. Mononuclear cell infiltration to the arterial wall and uptake of ox-LDL, which is facilitated by CD36 receptor through an uncontrolled manner, play a key role in foam cell formation followed by atherogenesis development. The aim of this study was to analyze if CD36 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells reflect its aortic tissue level in hypercholesterolemia. In this study, CD36 protein expression was evaluated in aortic specimens of cholesterol or cholesterol plus Vitamin E treated animals in relation to the immunohistochemical analyses for the HNE-protein adducts, as well as for smooth muscle actin and vimentin. The CD36 mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR in PBMC of hypercholesterolemic rabbits and hypercholesterolemic versus normocholesterolemic individuals. Immunohistochemistry findings revealed that smooth muscle actin, smooth muscle vimentin, HNE-protein conjugates, and CD36 protein expressions were significantly increased in aorta of hypercholesterolemic group where foam cells were present. High cholesterol diet significantly induced CD36 mRNA expression in both rabbit aorta and PBMCs, while positive correlation between aortic and PBMC CD36 expression has been found. In addition, consistent with the rabbit model, CD36 mRNA expression levels in human PBMCs were significantly higher in hypercholesterolemic patients than in normocholesterolemic individuals. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the CD36 mRNA levels of PBMCs could reflect the CD36 mRNA levels in aorta and could be used as a biomarker for diagnosis of atherosclerotic burden. (c) 2018 BioFactors, 44(6):588-596, 2018
  • 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.