The internal clock controls all vital functions in the body. Body temperature as well as blood pressure or the releases of certain enzymes are subject to oscillations throughout the day, the so-called circadian rhythm. For the first time, a research team has now shown the influence of circadian rhythms on atherosclerosis - a vascular disease that ultimately can lead to heart attacks and strokes. The study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, could be crucial for the improvement of therapeutic approaches.
During atherosclerosis, lipid deposits can form on the inner vascular wall of large arteries. Cells of the immune system travel from the blood to the damaged location and attract more and more cells via signaling substances until the immune reaction finally derails. Atherosclerotic inflammation develops over years; however, the recruitment of cells is subject to circadian rhythms as researchers have proven in mouse models of atherosclerosis. "At certain times of the day, three times as many leukocytes travel to the center of arterial inflammation as it is the case for other times," says the author. This rhythmic migration pattern is about 12 hours phase shifted with the recruitment pattern observed in the microcirculation in small veins.
Precisely this shift between the two vascular systems is interesting from a therapeutic aspect. "The recruitment of white blood cells in the micro-circulation is important for acute infections such as for example a lung or bladder infection," explains the author. Ideally, the recruitment of immune cells is to be stopped for the atherosclerotic inflammation but not in the micro-circulation.
The researchers achieved just that with their work in an early stage of atherosclerosis: On the one hand, they identified the molecular mechanism how rhythmic arterial leukocyte migration is controlled. On the other hand, timed inhibition of this pathway centered on the chemokine CCL2, they were able to stop the recruitment only into atherosclerotic areas but did not affect microvascular leukocyte migration. "Our study shows how circadian patterns can be used for timed therapeutic intervention possibly with lower side effects and higher efficacy," says the author.
In further studies the researchers want to examine to which extent circadian rhythms contribute to destabilization for advanced atherosclerosis. In addition, they want to focus on studying the circadian regulation of processes in the atherosclerotic deposits themselves, for example the question whether cell death is controlled in a circadian fashion.
http://www.uni-muenchen.de/forschung/news/2018/soehnlein_atherosklerose.html
https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(18)30309-7
Circadian rhythm influences atherosclerosis
- 1,947 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Thalidomide derivatives kil…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Genetic link between Parki…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Mitigation of TDP-43 toxic…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Novel cell type that contro…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Paternal dietary macronutri…
By newseditor
Posted 14 May
Other Top Stories
Transcription to translation mismatch in cancers!
Read more
Autophagic cell death prevents cancer!
Read more
Signaling pathway in symmetric cell division of cancer stem cells i…
Read more
New 3D imaging technique reveals how pancreatic cancers start
Read more
Role of myosin II in hijacking the immune system and spread of skin…
Read more
Protocols
Methods for making and obse…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Mime-seq 2.0: a method to s…
By newseditor
Posted 13 May
Improved detection of DNA r…
By newseditor
Posted 09 May
Single-cell adhesive profil…
By newseditor
Posted 07 May
Parasympathetic neurons der…
By newseditor
Posted 07 May
Publications
Thalidomide derivatives deg…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
The landscape of rare genet…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Trans-omic profiling uncove…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Pig models for translationa…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
NETscape or NEThance: tailo…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar