Abstract 14270: Medin Amyloid, but Not β-amyloid, Induces Pro-Inflammatory Signaling in Endothelial Cells That is Synergistic With Palmitic Acid

Medin is the most common human amyloid protein and accumulates in vessels with aging yet little is known about the pathophysiology of medin and its role in vascular aging. We previously showed that medin, β-amyloid (Aβ42) and saturated fatty acid palmitic acid (PA) induce profound endothelial dysfunction in ex-vivo human adipose and leptomeningeal arterioles, suggesting potential interactions that could provide the missing link between cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and amyloid proteins in inducing vascular dysfunction leading to atherosclerosis and cognitive dysfunction. Aim: To test the hypothesis that medin or Aβ42 induce pro-inflammatory/pro-thrombotic signaling in endothelial cells and when combined with palmitic acid, produce synergistic pro-inflammatory effects. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC) were exposed for 20 hours to physiologic doses of medin (5 μM), Aβ42 (2 μM), PA (150 μM) or combination of these agents. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine ...