Cholesterol's Link to Artery Damage Uncovered

Reported September 20, 2007

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers from Saint Louis University have uncovered how cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis -- a condition that significantly raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

It's no secret high cholesterol can equal bad news for the heart by damaging arteries as they become narrower and narrower. Yet, why cholesterol causes atherosclerosis has not been understood ... until now.

In an animal study, researchers discovered cholesterol leads to damaged arteries by inhibiting the action of a vital protective protein. The protein is called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and one of its jobs is to protect the aorta and other heart vessels from damage caused by high cholesterol and high blood pressure, among other things.
 

Researchers found cholesterol stifles heart cells' sensitivity to TGF-beta, creating a prime environment for atherosclerosis to develop. Researchers also found statins -- cholesterol-lowering drugs -- actually enhance the sensitivity to TGF-beta's protective activity.

Jung San Huang, Ph.D., the lead researcher on the study, was quoted as saying, "We believe these findings represent a significant and novel breakthrough in cardiovascular research. This study gives us new insight into how cholesterol promotes atherosclerosis, and in turn, how it leads to heart attack and stroke. This could give us important new tools in the fight against heart disease."

Dr. Huang reports the findings are far-reaching and also provide clues to other diseases associated with high cholesterol levels.

SOURCE: Journal of Cell Science, published online Sept. 18, 2007; doi:10.1242/jcs/006916