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Natural antibodies provide safe protection against arteriosclerosis and liver inflammation
High cholesterol levels are generally considered unhealthy. In particular, the so-called "bad" LDL cholesterol many health-damaging effects are attributed. "Too much LDL cholesterol in the blood is dangerous (...) it penetrates into vessel walls, triggers chronic inflammation and leads to atherosclerosis," according to the Communication of the Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna). However, a special group of antibodies counteract these inflammations and the sequelae.
The research team led by Christoph Binder, group leader at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and Professor of Atherosclerosis Research at the Medical University of Vienna, has shown in a recent study that "a body of antibodies that occurs in the body from birth" on the inflammation , which is caused by LDL cholesterol, counteracts. This opens up a promising approach for new therapies, reports the MedUni Vienna. The results of the study were published in the journal "Cell".
Special natural antibodies counteract the harmful effects of high LDL cholesterol levels. (Image: crevis / fotolia.com) Arterial calcification Cause of heart attacks and strokes
Many potentially fatal cardiovascular problems such as a heart attack or stroke are associated with atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis). "Heart attack and stroke - the two most common causes of death worldwide are largely caused by atherosclerosis, popularly known as vascular calcification," according to the MedUni Vienna. This is a chronic inflammation of the arterial walls and an increased storage of cholesterol. However, the body does not remain defenseless, because "certain immune cells produce antibodies that bind and neutralize cholesterol," reports MedUni Vienna.
Too much LDL cholesterol causes inflammation in the vessel walls
In collaboration with Lars Nitschke from the University of Erlangen and Ronit Shiri-Sverdlov from the University of Maastricht, the research group led by Christoph Binder has been protecting the special natural antibodies against hardening of the arteries, but also against inflammation of the liver. At the same time, they were able to "provide an approach that could strengthen that body's own protective effect," according to the MedUni Vienna. According to the researchers, cholesterol is basically an important component of every cell. In addition, it is transported along with certain proteins in the form of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) through the vessels. However, if the LDL cholesterol stores in the vessel wall, according to the researchers can quickly chemical reactions with oxygen radicals occur. This would make cholesterol "not only unusable, but also harmful: it triggers inflammation that leads to the infiltration of phagocytes, called macrophages, into the arterial walls, which remove the oxidized LDL."
Life-threatening damage to the vessels
With permanently increased concentrations of oxidized LDL threaten according to the experts fatal consequences. The macrophages are storing more and more of them and are finally bloating into so-called "foam cells", according to MedUni Vienna. These emit additional inflammatory messenger substances, which immigrate more phagocytes and prolong the inflammatory response. The result is life-threatening damage to the vessels, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. In their research, however, the researchers found that a particular group of white blood cells (the B-1 cells) counteracted the inflammatory response.
These B-1 cells "produce naturally occurring, natural antibodies that bind and neutralize oxidized LDL, thereby interrupting the inflammatory process," reports MedUni Vienna. According to first author Sabrina Gruber, the immune cells also carry a molecular regulator that restricts their activity. "We were able to show that switching off this regulator, the so-called 'Siglec-G' protein, causes the B1 cells to proliferate more and produce more antibodies, protecting vessels and liver from inflammation," explains the expert.
Natural antibodies provide new approaches to therapy
Using specific laboratory mice lacking the Siglec-G gene, researchers were able to show that, despite extremely high-fat foods and permanently elevated cholesterol levels, the development of atherosclerosis and its associated hepatic inflammation was massively reduced. "The researchers came to the same conclusion when they removed Siglec-G exclusively in B cells, which prevented the involvement of other cells in the effect," according to the MedUni Vienna. As a result of the intervention, the production of very specific natural antibodies has been increased beyond the normal level, which has counteracted the consequences of the inflammatory oxidative LDL. "Our study clearly shows that elevated levels of these naturally occurring antibodies protect against atherosclerosis and hepatitis," says Christoph Binder.
The researchers hope that the discovered mechanisms can also be used for therapy, "such as by blocking Siglec-G with a drug." This would form a completely new and promising approach to strengthening the body's protective mechanisms and could be the deadliest consequences of high fat diets , namely cardiovascular diseases, counteract, so the conclusion of the scientists. (Fp)