Expression of Wnt5a and its effect on oxLDL uptake in THP-1 cells

Objective: To study Wnt5a expression and determine its effect on oxLDL uptake and foam cell development. Introduction: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease involving plaque buildup in the arteries. This disease can lead to a heart attack and stroke, which are two of the biggest causes of death in this country. A key step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is oxLDL uptake by macrophages and foam cell formation in the intima of the artery. Our group has been investigating the role of Wnt5a signaling in atherosclerosis. Previous results in the lab have shown that oxLDL up-regulated Wnt5a mRNA expression in human monocyte-derived macrophages and THP-1 cells (an acute monocytic leukemia cell line). It was also found that Frizzled 5 (Fz5), a Wnt5a receptor, is highly expressed in foam cells present in human atherosclerotic plaques. Our hypothesis is that Wnt5a stimulates oxLDL uptake in macrophages. Methods: THP-1 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 with 10% FBS. The cells were differentiated with...