Regular Research Articles
Cannabinoid type 1 receptor inverse agonism attenuates dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis in APOE∗3-Leiden.CETP mice
Pharmacological blockade of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor expressed in the central nervous system and various peripheral tissues, reverses diet-induced obesity and dyslipidemia through the reduction of food intake and altered nutrient partitioning. This strategy is being explored for a number of therapeutic applications; however, its potency for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease via improvements in lipid metabolism remains unclear. Therefore, here, we aimed to investigate whether inhibition of the endocannabinoid system can attenuate atherosclerosis development through improvement of dyslipidemia.Angiopoietin-like 3 inhibition of endothelial lipase is not modulated by angiopoietin-like 8
High plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and low HDL-C levels are risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Both plasma TG and HDL-C levels are regulated in part by the circulating inhibitor, angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3). ANGPTL3 inhibits the phospholipase, endothelial lipase (EL), which hydrolyzes the phospholipids of HDL, thus decreasing plasma HDL levels. ANGPTL3 also inhibits LPL, the lipase primarily responsible for the clearance of TGs from the circulation. Previous studies have shown that ANGPTL3 requires complex formation with the related ANGPTL protein, angiopoietin-like 8 (ANGPTL8), to efficiently inhibit LPL, but the role of ANGPTL8 in EL inhibition is not known.Gene networks and pathways for plasma lipid traits via multitissue multiomics systems analysis
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have implicated ∼380 genetic loci for plasma lipid regulation. However, these loci only explain 17–27% of the trait variance, and a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms has not been achieved. In this study, we utilized an integrative genomics approach leveraging diverse genomic data from human populations to investigate whether genetic variants associated with various plasma lipid traits, namely, total cholesterol, high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL and LDL), and triglycerides, from GWASs were concentrated on specific parts of tissue-specific gene regulatory networks.Distinct patterns of apolipoprotein C-I, C-II, and C-III isoforms are associated with markers of Alzheimer’s disease
Apolipoproteins C-I, C-II, and C-III interact with ApoE to regulate lipoprotein metabolism and contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology. In plasma, apoC-I and C-II exist as truncated isoforms, while apoC-III exhibits multiple glycoforms. This study aimed to 1) delineate apoC-I, C-II, and C-III isoform profiles in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma in a cohort of nondemented older individuals (n = 61), and 2) examine the effect of APOE4 on these isoforms and their correlation with CSF Aβ42, a surrogate of brain amyloid accumulation.
