TY - JFULL AU - M. Maimunah and G.A. Froemming and H. Nawawi and M.I. Nafeeza and O. Effat and M.R. Rohayu Izanwati and M.S. Mohamed Saifulaman PY - 2012/7/ TI - Gene Expressions Associated with Ultrastructural Changes in Vascular Endothelium of Atherosclerotic Lesion T2 - International Journal of Biomedical and Biological Engineering SP - 201 EP - 207 VL - 6 SN - 1307-6892 UR - https://publications.waset.org/pdf/1614 PU - World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology NX - Open Science Index 66, 2012 N2 - Attachment of the circulating monocytes to the endothelium is the earliest detectable events during formation of atherosclerosis. The adhesion molecules, chemokines and matrix proteases genes were identified to be expressed in atherogenesis. Expressions of these genes may influence structural integrity of the luminal endothelium. The aim of this study is to relate changes in the ultrastructural morphology of the aortic luminal surface and gene expressions of the endothelial surface, chemokine and MMP-12 in normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Luminal endothelial surface from rabbit aortic tissue was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using low vacuum mode to ascertain ultrastructural changes in development of atherosclerotic lesion. Gene expression of adhesion molecules, MCP-1 and MMP-12 were studied by Real-time PCR. Ultrastructural observations of the aortic luminal surface exhibited changes from normal regular smooth intact endothelium to irregular luminal surface including marked globular appearance and ruptures of the membrane layer. Real-time PCR demonstrated differentially expressed of studied genes in atherosclerotic tissues. The appearance of ultrastructural changes in aortic tissue of hypercholesterolemic rabbits is suggested to have relation with underlying changes of endothelial surface molecules, chemokine and MMP-12 gene expressions. ER -