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Expression of the leptin receptor in different types of vascular lesions

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Abstract

Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that the adipokine leptin may be important for the development of cardiovascular complications associated with obesity, possibly through interaction with its receptor on vascular cells. In the present study, we systematically analysed expression of the leptin receptor in normal and diseased vascular specimens using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and quantitative real time-PCR. In particular, human atherosclerotic plaques as well as experimental vascular lesions induced in hypercholesterolemic mice and minipigs, respectively, were examined. Our results demonstrate the presence of the leptin receptor in normal vessel wall segments as well as neointimal or atherosclerotic lesions. In the latter, ObR expressing cells were predominantly localised on the luminal border and within the subintima, and coexpression of von Willebrand factor, VEGF receptor-2 or VE cadherin identified them as endothelial cells. Moreover, CD14-positive monocytes/macrophages were strongly positive for the leptin receptor. In contrast, only few ObR-expressing smooth muscle cells could be detected in human atherosclerotic plaques. The findings of the present study thus support a possible action of leptin on the cardiovascular system by demonstrating expression of the leptin receptor in different types of vascular lesions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Sarah Henkel and Stephanie Minne for expert technical assistance. The present work was supported in part by a grant from the “Novartis Stiftung für therapeutische Forschung” (to K.S.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology and Pulmonary Medicine, Georg August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Marco R. Schroeter, Bettina Schumann, Roland Glückermann, Petros Grimmas, Stavros V. Konstantinides & Katrin Schäfer

  2. Department of Vascular Surgery and the Gottesdiener Vascular Biology Laboratory, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Jacob Schneiderman

  3. Städtisches Krankenhaus Kiel, I. Medizinische Klinik, Kiel, Germany

    Arnd B. Buchwald

  4. Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Theodor Tirilomis & Friedrich A. Schöndube

  5. Department of Cardiology and Pulmonary Medicine, University of Göttingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, 37099, Göttingen, Germany

    Katrin Schäfer

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  1. Marco R. Schroeter
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  2. Jacob Schneiderman
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  9. Stavros V. Konstantinides
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  10. Katrin Schäfer
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Correspondence to Katrin Schäfer.

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Schroeter, M.R., Schneiderman, J., Schumann, B. et al. Expression of the leptin receptor in different types of vascular lesions. Histochem Cell Biol 128, 323–333 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-007-0319-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-007-0319-1

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