Association between plasma CD36 levels and incident risk of coronary heart disease among Danish men and women

Scavenger Receptors as Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Cardiovascular Disease

The process of atherosclerosis leads to the formation of plaques in the arterial wall, resulting in a decreased blood supply to tissues and organs and its sequelae: morbidity and mortality. A class of membrane-bound proteins termed scavenger receptors (SRs) are closely linked to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Increasing interest in understanding SR structure and function has led to the idea that these proteins could provide new routes for cardiovascular disease diagnosis, management, and treatment. In this review, we consider the main classes of SRs that are implicated in arterial disease. We consider how our understanding of SR-mediated recognition of diverse ligands, including modified lipid particles, lipids, and carbohydrates, has enabled us to better target SR-linked functionality in disease. We also link clinical studies on vascular disease to our current understanding of SR biology and highlight potential areas that are relevant to cardiovascular disease management and therapy.

In silico Prediction of miRNA Interactions With Candidate Atherosclerosis Gene mRNAs

The involvement of genes and miRNAs in the development of atherosclerosis is a challenging problem discussed in recent publications. It is necessary to establish which miRNAs affect the expression of candidate genes. We used known candidate atherosclerosis genes to predict associations. The quantitative characteristics of interactions of miRNAs with mRNA candidate genes were determined using the program, which identifies the localization of miRNA binding sites in mRNA, the free energy interaction of miRNA with mRNA. In mRNAs of GAS6 and NFE2L2 candidate genes, binding sites of 21 miRNAs and of 15 miRNAs, respectively, were identified. In IRS2 mRNA binding sites of 25 miRNAs were located in a cluster of 41 nt. In ADRB3, CD36, FASLG, FLT1, PLA2G7, and PPARGC1A mRNAs, clusters of miR-466, ID00436.3p-miR, and ID01030.3p-miR BS were identified. The organization of overlapping miRNA binding sites in clusters led to their compaction and caused competition among the miRNAs. The binding of 53 miRNAs to the mRNAs of 14 candidate genes with free energy interactions greater than -130 kJ/mole was determined. The miR-619-5p was fully complementary to ADAM17 and CD36 mRNAs, ID01593.5p-miR to ANGPTL4 mRNA, ID01935.5p-miR to NFE2L2, and miR-5096 to IL18 mRNA. Associations of miRNAs and candidate atherosclerosis genes are proposed for the early diagnosis of this disease.

The Circulating Fatty Acid Transporter Soluble CD36 Is Not Associated with Carotid Atherosclerosis in Subjects with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

This study aimed to determine the association of fatty acid transporter plasma soluble cluster of differentiation 36 (sCD36) with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (SCA). A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1023 subjects, 225 with type 1 diabetes (T1D), 276 with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 522 who were nondiabetic. Carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) presence was determined using B-mode carotid ultrasound imaging. sCD36 were analysed by ELISA, and CD36 surface receptor and mRNA expression were measured by flow cytometry and real-time PCR. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate sCD36 as a biomarker of SCA. Up to 376 (36.75%) participants had at least one CAP, 76 T1D, 164 T2D and 136 without diabetes, while the remaining 647 (63.25%) did not have any CAP. There were no differences in sCD36 between patients with and without CAP in T1D (p = 0.287) or T2D (p = 0.513). Although nondiabetic subjects with plaques had lower sCD36 levels than those without (p = 0.023), the multivariate models revealed no association of sCD36 with CAP in any of the three study groups. No differences were found in surface CD36 or CD36 mRNA expression between the patients with and without CAP. sCD36 is not associated with SCA in type 1 or type 2 diabetic or in nondiabetic subjects.

The Role of CD36 in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: β-Cell Dysfunction and Beyond

Impaired β-cell function is the key pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic exposure of nutrient excess could lead to this tragedy. For preserving β-cell function, it is essential to understand the cause and mechanisms about the progression of β-cells failure. Glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity, and glucolipotoxicity have been suggested to be a major cause of β-cell dysfunction for decades, but not yet fully understood. Fatty acid translocase cluster determinant 36 (CD36), which is part of the free fatty acid (FFA) transporter system, has been identified in several tissues such as muscle, liver, and insulin-producing cells. Several studies have reported that induction of CD36 increases uptake of FFA in several cells, suggesting the functional interplay between glucose and FFA in terms of insulin secretion and oxidative metabolism. However, we do not currently know the regulating mechanism and physiological role of CD36 on glucolipotoxicity in pancreatic β-cells. Also, the downstream and upstream targets of CD36 related signaling have not been defined. In the present review, we will focus on the expression and function of CD36 related signaling in the pancreatic β-cells in response to hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia (ceramide) along with the clinical studies on the association between CD36 and metabolic disorders.