Nelin, The New Gene's Expression And Roles In Varicose Veins

Objective:Previous studies found that nelin, as a new gene, specifically expressed in cardiac and vascular smooth muscle. In this study, we testified the alteration of nelin expressing style at gene transcription and translation levels, to explore the expression of nelin in varicose veins and presume its roles.Methods:The reverse transcription (RT-PCR) and Immunohistochemical techniques were applied to investigate the expression level of nelin RNA and protin in normal and abnormal veins and to observe the morphological changes.Results:In the abnormal veins isolated from the patients with varicose veins, the expression of nelin was significantly down-regulated, compared with that in control group. RT-PCR:the target band intensity of control group is more lighter than that of patients with varicose veins; Immunohistochemical study revealed that signals of nelin protein existed extensively and strongly in the cytoplasm of smooth muscle cells in the normal veins, but scarcely and weakly in the study group, Percentage of positive cells:80.67%±10.20% vs 18.39%±7.78%, P<0.01,95% CI (56.00,68.55). The expression of nelin in saphenous vein tissue of the patients with varicose veins had no correlation with age and sex. In morphology, the veins from the patients with varicose veins had their characteristic pathological changes:the elastic contraction of smooth muscle cells decrease, the expansion of the vein, vascular smooth muscle cell disorders, loss of normal morphology.Conclusion:1. The expression of nelin in saphenous vein tissue of the patients with varicose veins had no correlation with age and sex.2. Nelin expresses in human veins, and the expression of nelin gene is greatly down - regulated in veins of the patients with varicose veins, compared with that in control group. 3. In morphology, the veins from the patients with varicose veins had their characteristic pathological changes:the elastic contraction of smooth muscle cells decrease, the expansion of the vein, vascular smooth muscle cell disorders, loss of normal morphology.4. Nelin existed in the cytoplasm of vascular smooth muscle cells of saphenous vein, and also showed low expression in protein levels of patients with varicose veins.5. In the abnormal veins isolated from the patients with varicose veins, the expression of nelin was significantly down-regulated both in gene level and in protein level, compared with that in control group. Because of the low expression of nelin, the role of maintaining the stability of vascular smooth muscle cells is weakened.Accepting too much stimuli will lead to disturbance of vascular smooth muscle cell, vascular remodeling, and varicose veins.