Person: Pastor Vargas, Carlos
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First Name
Carlos
Last Name
Pastor Vargas
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Ciencias Químicas
Department
Bioquímica y Biología Molecular
Area
Bioquímica y Biología Molecular
Identifiers
4 results
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Item Lipocalin-2 deficiency or blockade protects against aortic abdominal aneurysm development in mice(Cardiovasc Research, 2016) Carlos Tarín; Carlos Ernesto Fernandez-Garcia; Elena Burillo; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Patricia Llamas-Granda; Borja Castejón; Priscila Ramos-Mozo; Mónica M. Torres-Fonseca; Thorsten Berger; Tak W. Mak; Jesús Egido; Luis M. Blanco-Colio; Jose L. Martín-VenturaAims: To study the role of lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) and the effect of Lcn2 blockade via anti-Lcn2 antibody in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Methods and results: Expression mRNA and protein levels of Lcn2 and its human orthologue neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in aortic wall samples from experimental mouse and human AAA samples, respectively, were analysed by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Experimental AAA was induced by aortic elastase perfusion in wild-type mice (WT) and Lcn2-deficient mice (Lcn2-/-). NGAL/Lcn2 mRNA and protein levels in human and murine AAA samples were increased compared with healthy aortas. Decreased AAA incidence and reduced aortic expansion were observed in Lcn2-/- mice or mice preoperative treated with a polyclonal anti-Lcn2 antibody compared with WT mice or mice treated with control IgG, respectively, at Day 14 after elastase perfusion. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis of AAA tissues from Lcn2-/- or anti-Lcn2-treated mice showed diminished elastin damage, reduced microvessels and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration, and enhanced preservation of vascular smooth muscle cells compared with WT aortas. Fluorescent molecular tomography revealed decreased MMP activity in AAA of Lcn2-/- mice compared with WT controls. Therapeutic administration of anti-Lcn2 antibody to WT mice 3 days after elastase perfusion decreased aortic dilatation and PMN infiltration compared with WT mice treated with control IgG. Conclusion: Either Lcn2 deficiency or anti-Lcn2 antibody blockade limits AAA expansion in mice by decreasing PMN infiltration in the aorta. Lcn2 modulation may therefore be a viable new therapeutic option for the treatment of AAA.Item Genetic deletion or TWEAK blocking antibody administration reduce atherosclerosis and enhance plaque stability in mice(Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 2014) Cristina Sastre; Valvanera Fernández‐Laso; Julio Madrigal‐Matute; Begoña Muñoz‐García; Juan A. Moreno; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Patricia Llamas‐Granda; Linda C. Burkly; Jesús Egido; Jose L. Martín‐Ventura; Luis M. Blanco‐ColioClinical complications associated with atherosclerotic plaques arise from luminal obstruction due to plaque growth or destabilization leading to rupture. Tumour necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 12 (TNFSF12) also known as TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) is a proinflammatory cytokine that participates in atherosclerotic plaque development, but its role in plaque stability remains unclear. Using two different approaches, genetic deletion of TNFSF12 and treatment with a TWEAK blocking mAb in atherosclerosis-prone mice, we have analysed the effect of TWEAK inhibition on atherosclerotic plaques progression and stability. Mice lacking both TNFSF12 and Apolipoprotein E (TNFSF12(-/-) ApoE(-/-) ) exhibited a diminished atherosclerotic burden and lesion size in their aorta. Advanced atherosclerotic plaques of TNFSF12(-/-) ApoE(-/-) or anti-TWEAK treated mice exhibited an increase collagen/lipid and vascular smooth muscle cell/macrophage ratios compared with TNFSF12(+/+) ApoE(-/-) control mice, reflecting a more stable plaque phenotype. These changes are related with two different mechanisms, reduction of the inflammatory response (chemokines expression and secretion and nuclear factor kappa B activation) and decrease of metalloproteinase activity in atherosclerotic plaques of TNFSF12(-/-) ApoE(-/-) . A similar phenotype was observed with anti-TWEAK mAb treatment in TNFSF12(+/+) ApoE(-/-) mice. Brachiocephalic arteries were also examined since they exhibit additional features akin to human atherosclerotic plaques associated with instability and rupture. Features of greater plaque stability including augmented collagen/lipid ratio, reduced macrophage content, and less presence of lateral xanthomas, buried caps, medial erosion, intraplaque haemorrhage and calcium content were present in TNFSF12(-/-) ApoE(-/-) or anti-TWEAK treatment in TNFSF12(+/+) ApoE(-/-) mice. Overall, our data indicate that anti-TWEAK treatment has the capacity to diminish proinflamatory response associated with atherosclerotic plaque progression and to alter plaque morphology towards a stable phenotype.Item Plasma profiling by a protein array approach identifies IGFBP-1 as a novel biomarker of abdominal aortic aneurysm(Atherosclerosis, 2012) Ramos-Mozo, P.; Rodriguez, C.; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Blanco-Colio, L.M.; Martinez-Gonzalez, J.; Meilhac, O.; Michel, J-B; Vega de Ceniga, M.; Egido, J.; Martin-Ventura, J.L.Objective: Cytokines are important mediators of immune-inflammatory responses implicated in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) pathogenesis. Our objective was to investigate the cytokine expression profile in plasma of AAA patients. Methods: Cytokine protein expression was measured in plasma of 5 large AAA patients (aortic size >50mm) and 5 controls (aortic size <30 mm) using a 20-cytokine antibody-based protein array. IGFBP-1 plasma concentrations were analyzed by ELISA. IGFBP-1 protein levels were analyzed in AAA thrombus by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Platelet aggregation was assessed by conventional optical aggregometry. Results: Several proteins including MIP-3 alpha (CCL20), Eotaxin-2 and IGFBP-1 were increased in AAA patients compared to controls. Among them, IGFBP-1 concentrations were significantly higher in large AAA patients vs control subjects. These data were validated in plasma of patients with large AAA (n = 30) compared to matched controls (n = 30) [834(469-1628) vs 497(204-893) pg/ml, p<0.01]. Furthermore, the potential association of IGFBP-1 with AAA size was analyzed in a second independent group of subjects [large AAA (n = 59), small AAA patients (aortic size = 30-50mm, n = 54) and controls (n = 30)]. Interestingly, IGFBP-1 levels correlated with AAA size (r = 0.4, p<0.001), which remained significant after adjusting for traditional risk factors. IGFBP-1 was localized in the luminal part of AAA thrombus and IGFBP-1 levels were increased in AAA thrombus conditioned media compared to media layer and healthy media. Interestingly, IGFBP-1 abrogated the potentiation of ADP-induced platelet aggregation triggered by IGF-1. Conclusions: IGFBP-1 has been identified by a protein array approach as a potential novel biomarker of AAA. The biological role of IGFBP-1 in AAA pathogenesis could be related to the modulation on the effect of IGF-1 on platelet aggregation.Item Metabolomic study of plasma of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm(Anal Bioanal Chem, 2012) Rupérez, Francisco J.; Ramos-Mozo, Priscila; Teul, Joanna; Martinez-Pinna, Roxana; Garcia, Antonia; Malet-Martino, Myriam; Camafeita, Emilio; Lopez, Juan Antonio; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Egido, Jesús; Balayssac, Stéphane; Gilard, Véronique; Barbas, Coral; Martin-Ventura, Jose LuisAbdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an important health problem, both because of AAA rupture and death and because of increased cardiovascular mortality. Identification of new biomarkers of AAA may suggest novel pathological mechanisms and targets for new medical treatments to slow AAA progression. Metabolic changes in AAA patients were mainly related to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and many of these changes can be associated with a situation of insulin resistance (which can be related to metabolic syndrome) together with altered amino acid metabolism. For the first time, metabolites that can be associated with differential metabolism by the gut microflora of AAA patients have also been found. Moreover, aminomalonic acid in plasma has been shown to be the metabolite with the biggest difference between patients suffering from large aneurysm (>5 cm) and controls.