Taiwanese researchers reveals link between obesity, arterial stiffness
TAIPEI, Taiwan – A National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) research team has discovered that obesity leads to a reduction in the protein lysyl oxidase (LOX), which accelerates aortic aging and stiffness, causing arteriosclerosis, and is a major threat to health, according to a NCKU press release yesterday.
Yau-Sheng Tsai of the NCKU Institute of Clinical Medicine led the team to investigate the pathophysiological link between arteriosclerosis and obesity. The study was published in a 2013 edition of the renowned journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, said the school.
Obesity is harmful to health, and increased aortic stiffness is a major cause of sudden death in many of patients suffering from cardiovascular disease, according to Tsai.
Blood vessel elasticity requires cross-linking between elastin, of which LOX is a key, he said.
Through experimentation, the team found that obesity leads to a decrease in LOX expression, which subsequently reduces elastin fiber strength and the level of cross-linkages. Consequently, it increases elastin fragmentation and elastolytic activity, said Tsai.
It was also noted that the aortas of obese mice were surrounded by a significant amount of pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative perivascular adipose tissue. In vitro studies revealed that the conditioned medium from differentiated adipocytes or the perivascular adipose tissue of obese mice decreases LOX activity, according to Tsai.
Source: The China Post
Published: 26 Dec 2014
