Impairment of vascular function following BCG immunisation is associated with immune responses to HSP-60 in the cholesterol-fed rabbit

An immune response to heat shock protein (HSP)-60/65 has recently been implicated in atherogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine whether this effect may be mediated by impairment of endothelial function. Rabbits were injected with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine ( n=12) or saline (...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atherosclerosis 2004, Vol.172 (1), p.13-20
Main Authors: Lamb, David J., Tickner, Michelle L., Dreux, Alys C., El-Sankary, Wafaa, Hourani, Susanna M.O., Eales-Reynolds, Lesley-Jane, Ferns, Gordon A.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal model
Animals
Antibodies, Bacterial - blood
Aorta - immunology
Arteriosclerosis - immunology
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research)
BCG vaccine
BCG Vaccine - immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Blood and lymphatic vessels
Cardiology. Vascular system
Chaperonin 60 - immunology
Cholesterol - blood
Endothelial function
Endothelium, Vascular - immunology
Endothelium, Vascular - physiology
Heat shock proteins
Hypercholesterolemia - immunology
Immunization
Immunohistochemistry
Medical sciences
Rabbits
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Summary:An immune response to heat shock protein (HSP)-60/65 has recently been implicated in atherogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine whether this effect may be mediated by impairment of endothelial function. Rabbits were injected with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine ( n=12) or saline ( n=12). A further injection of BCG or saline was administered after 2 weeks. After a further 2 weeks, animals were fed either a 0.25–1% cholesterol diet or a chow diet for 16 weeks. Blood cholesterol levels were maintained at 10–12 mmol/l by altering the dietary cholesterol content. Plasma levels of anti-mycobacterial antibodies rose following BCG immunisation, but anti-HSP antibodies developed only in the BCG-immunised, cholesterol-fed rabbits. Aortic endothelium from cholesterol-fed, but not chow-fed, rabbits stained positively for HSP-60, independently of the immunisation protocol. Endothelial function was impaired in the BCG immunised, cholesterol-fed rabbits as measured by acetylcholine-mediated relaxation of isolated non-atherosclerotic carotid artery rings ( P
ISSN:0021-9150
1879-1484
DOI:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2003.08.031