Recent insights into atherosclerotic plaque cell autophagy |
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| Authors: | Dan Ni Zhongcheng Mo Guanghui Yi |
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| Institution: | 1.Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Lab for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China; 2.Guangxi Key Laboratory of Diabetic Systems Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541000, China |
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| Abstract: | Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease and stroke, caused by atherosclerosis have become the “number one killer”, seriously endangering human health in developing and developed countries. Atherosclerosis mainly occurs in large and medium-sized arteries and involves intimal thickening, accumulation of foam cells, and formation of atheromatous plaques. Autophagy is a cellular catabolic process that has evolved to defend cells from the turnover of intracellular molecules. Autophagy is thought to play an important role in the development of plaques. This review focuses on studies on autophagy in cells involved in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, such as monocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells, dendritic cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells, indicating that autophagy plays an important role in plaque development. We mainly discuss the roles of autophagy in these cells in maintaining the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, providing a reference for the next steps to unravel the mechanisms of atherogenesis. |
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| Keywords: | Cell autophagy cell autophagy atherosclerosis atherosclerotic plaque stability |
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