A proteomic study of the aortic media in human thoracic aortic dissection: Implication for oxidative stress

Liao, Mingfang; Liu, Zhaoyang; Bao, Junmin; Zhao, Zhiqing; Hu, Jianwen; Feng, Xiang; Feng, Rui; Lu, Qingsheng; Mei, Zhijun; Liu, Yanling; Wu, Qingyu; Jing, Zaiping

doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2007.11.017

« Previous Next »The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Volume 136, Issue 1 , Pages 65-72.e3, July 2008

A proteomic study of the aortic media in human thoracic aortic dissection: Implication for oxidative stress

Mingfang Liao, MD, PhD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Zhaoyang Liu, PhD
- Research Center for Proteome Analysis, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
Junmin Bao, MD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Zhiqing Zhao, MD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Jianwen Hu, PhD
- Research Center for Proteome Analysis, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
Xiang Feng, MD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Rui Feng, MD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Qingsheng Lu, MD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Zhijun Mei, MD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Yanling Liu, MS
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Qingyu Wu, MD, PhD
- Departments of Molecular Cardiology and Nephrology, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
Zaiping Jing, MD
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Address for reprints: Zaiping Jing, MD, Department of Vascular Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 174 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200433 China.

Received 24 April 2007; received in revised form 29 October 2007; accepted 15 November 2007. published online 12 May 2008.

Objective

The aortic media lesion is a key pathologic feature in thoracic aortic dissection. To identify key proteins in aortic media lesions that may contribute to its pathogenesis, we performed proteomic studies to find differentially expressed proteins in the media from diseased and normal thoracic aorta.

Methods

Ascending aortic segments were obtained from patients with thoracic aortic dissection (n = 8) and age-matched normal donors (n = 6). The differentially expressed proteins of their media tissues were analyzed by 2-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, and verified by Western blotting. Oxidative stress was measured by functional assays in a larger sample size (15 patients and 10 controls).

Results

Image analysis of the protein profiles from 2-dimensional gels revealed 126 differentially expressed proteins, of which 26 were identified by mass spectrometry. Among them, extracellular superoxide dismutase, an enzyme involved in oxidative stress, was selected for further studies. Western blotting showed that extracellular superoxide dismutase expression was more than 50% lower in patient samples than in controls (P < .001). Superoxide dismutase activity was consistently decreased (P < .001) and lipid peroxidation was increased (P = .019) in patient media homogenates compared with that in controls.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that protein expression profiles in the aortic media from thoracic aortic dissection differ significantly from that of controls, which may provide important insights into the disease mechanisms. This study also suggests that increased oxidative stress may play an important role in the disease.

Abbreviations and Acronyms: 2-DE, 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, EC-SOD, extracellular superoxide dismutase, HSP, heat shock protein, MDA, malondialdehyde, MS, mass spectrometry, NA, normal thoracic aorta, SMC, smooth muscle cell, SOD, superoxide dismutase, TAD, thoracic aortic dissection