Objective: Lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), the endothelial receptor for OxLDL, is believed to be responsible for a number of OxLDL-induced effects in the endothelium.
Methods and results: In the present study we showed that LDL modified by 15-lipoxygenase (15LO-LDL), a form of minimally modified lipoprotein, beside its ability to induce pro-inflammatory responses such as oxidative stress and the expression of adhesion molecules, significantly increases LOX-1 expression in endothelial cells, both at transcriptional and at protein level. Such effect is likely to be mediated by p38 MAPK and NF-kB pathways. We then permanently overexpressed LOX-1 in an endothelial cell line and showed that 15LO-LDL were a ligand for LOX-1, and that the interaction LOX-1/15LO-LDL upregulated ICAM-1 surface expression.
Conclusion: Altogether these results indicate minimally modified LDL as a new inducer for LOX-1 expression and as a new ligand for LOX-1.
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