Given that interferon-γ (IFNγ) and hyperglycaemia play key roles in atherosclerosis, we determined if MD-2 is involved in IFN-γ and high-glucose-regulated gene expression in mononuclear cells.
Using a nontargeted metabolomics approach of 447 fasting plasma metabolites, we searched for novel molecular markers that arise before and after hyperglycemia in a large population-based cohort of 2,204 females (115 type 2 diabetic [T2D] case subjects, 192 individuals with impaired fasting glucose [IFG], and 1,897 control subjects) from TwinsUK.
We determined the associations between esophagectomy-induced stress hyperglycemia (> or =30 mg/dl increases in blood glucose during surgery) and genetic polymorphisms for C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, -beta, interferon-gamma, transforming growth factor-beta1, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-6 receptors, IL-10, IL-12beta, adiponectin, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma.
To test our hypothesis that hyperglycemia interplays with interferon gamma (IFN gamma), a key factor involved in atherosclerosis, to up-regulate the expression of genes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and cytokines that are involved in plaque destabilization, U937 macrophages cultured in medium containing either normal or high glucose were challenged with IFN gamma and the expression of MMPs and cytokines were then quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).