In other studies, these kinds of humoral changes have previously been linked to atherosclerosis. the maximum and minimum range. The solid diamonds are the mean values. P-values less than 0.05 are regarded as statistically significant (nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test). * p 0.05, ** p 0.01, *** p 0.001.(TIF) pone.0191216.s002.tif (225K) GUID:?408FA4AC-2607-4963-AA74-0C31DF2E96D9 S3 Fig: Quantification of atherosclerosis in LDLR-/- mice immunized with saline, Rgp44, and heat-inactivated analysis of the aortas. Sudan IV-stained aortic plaque areas were measured. Lesion sizes at the aortas are expressed as percentage of plaque area per total area of aorta. The aortic plaque areas as box-whisker plots represent 25%, 50% and 75% of the distribution, where the whiskers represent 10% and 90% distribution of the values and the cross represents the maximum and minimum range. The solid diamonds are the mean values. P-values less than 0.05 are regarded Preladenant as statistically SIX3 significant (nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test). ns: not significant. B) Representative pictures of the stained aortas are shown for each group.(TIF) pone.0191216.s003.tif (1.9M) GUID:?60AE0442-5EE0-4523-A4D2-312CB3BE6090 S4 Fig: Association of mouse plasma IL-2, IL-6, IL-13, IL-21, IL-27, INF-, and TNF- cytokine levels with atherosclerotic plaque area in LDLR-/- mice immunized with saline, Rgp44, and heat-inactivated immunizations, implying that Rgp44/and MAA adducts may share cross-reactive epitopes that prompt IgM antibody production and consequently confer atheroprotection. A significant unfavorable association was observed between atherosclerotic lesion and plasma IgA to Rgp44 in Rgp44 immunized mice, supporting further the anti-atherogenic effect of Rgp44 immunization. Plasma IgA levels to Rgp44 and to in both Rgp44- and lipopolysaccharides (immunizations, indicating that different immunogenic components between Rpg44 and may behave differently in Preladenant regard of their functions in the development of atherosclerosis. Immunization with Rgp44 also displayed atheroprotective features in modulation of plaque size through association Preladenant with plasma levels of IL-1 whereas whole bacteria achieved through regulation of anti-inflammatory cytokine levels of IL-5 and IL-10. The present study may contribute to refining therapeutic approaches aiming to modulate immune responses and inflammatory/anti-inflammatory processes in atherosclerosis. Introduction Atherosclerosis plays a major role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is the leading cause of death worldwide [1]. It is considered a chronic inflammatory disease [2] whose acknowledged risk factors include environmental, genetic, and inflammatory elements [1]. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles circulate in the blood and can Preladenant accumulate in the arterial intima leading to the formation of arterial plaques [3]. Oxidative modification of LDL, which creates oxidized LDL particles (OxLDL) and formation of malondialdehyde-modified LDL (MDA-LDL), is the first step in the development of atherosclerosis. MDA is usually unstable and can further react with acetaldehyde to form malondialdehyde acetaldehyde-modified LDL (MAA-LDL) [4C6]. MAA adduct has been proposed to be one of the main epitopes for the immune system after MDA modification of proteins or lipids in atherosclerosis [4,5,7]. Phosphocholine (PCho) is usually another common epitope of oxidized phospholipids in OxLDL. It is also uncovered on some microorganisms, e.g. is one of the most important bacterial species in chronic periodontitis [12]. can be detected in arterial plaques [13] and can also invade endothelial cells in human coronary arteries [14]. lipopolysaccharide (has also been show to act through TLR2 engagement, and TLR2-mediated effects are reported to be important in alveolar bone loss in periodontal disease and atherosclerosis [16,17]. Although the exact mechanisms linking periodontitis to atherosclerosis are still not defined, the association between the two conditions is usually partially explained by previous studies [10]. Compelling evidence links inflammation and immune response to all phases of atherosclerotic lesion development [18]. It has been suggested that IgM autoantibodies are atheroprotective whereas IgG autoantibodies are much more heterogeneous, but in general, they directly correlate with CVD manifestations in univariate analyses [5,18C20]. Little information is usually available about the role of IgA in atherosclerosis. There appears to be an association between high serum IgA titers and advanced vascular disease and myocardial infarction [18]. A mouse monoclonal IgM antibody (MDmAb) against MDA-LDL has previously Preladenant been cloned in our lab [21]. The antibody acknowledged gingipain protease produced by and bound to recombinant gingipain including a hemagglutinin/adhesin domain name (Rgp44 domain, amino acids 717C1135) [21]. We have also previously immunized mice with bacteria, which led to production of IgM antibodies to MDA-LDL and diminished atherosclerosis [22]..