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Background: Rho kinases (ROCKs) are serine-threonine protein kinases that regulate various cellular functions. There is increasing evidence that the RhoA/ROCK pathway plays an important pathophysiological role in cardiovascular diseases. However, direct evidence of which ROCK isoforms or target tissues are involved in the atherogenic process is still lacking.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ROCK1 deficiency on atherogenesis and how ROCK1 affects key atherosclerosis-related macrophage function such as lipid uptake and chemotaxis.

Methods: We utilized ROCK1^−/− mice and the atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE^−/−) mice or low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLR^−/−) mice to investigate the role of ROCK1 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Bone marrow-derived macrophages from ROCK1^−/− and ROCK1^+/+ mice …