端粒、端粒酶在动脉粥样硬化中的研究进展

Research progress of telomere and telomerase in atherosclerosis

端粒是真核生物线性染色体末端的DNA重复序列,维持染色体的稳定性和DNA复制的完整性。DNA复制过程中,端粒逐渐缩短达到临界值时,染色体DNA被破坏而发生复制型衰老。端粒酶是催化端粒合成的酶,但在正常体细胞中活性很低。动脉粥样硬化是一种衰老相关性疾病,为冠心病、脑梗死、外周血管病发生发展的病理基础。新近研究发现,在动脉粥样硬化患者体内存在较短的端粒,并且较短的端粒更容易导致动脉粥样硬化。本文主要综述了参与动脉粥样硬化形成过程中细胞端粒长度和端粒酶活性的变化,以及这些变化对动脉粥样硬化形成的影响,并概括了动脉粥样硬化的危险因素与端粒和端粒酶的关系。

Telomeres, DNA repeats of the ends of linear chromosomes of eukaryotes, maintain chromosomal stability and DNA replication integrity. Telomeres are progressively shortened during DNA replication, and chromosomal DNA is destroyed and replicative senescence occurs when the threshold is reached. Telomerase is an enzyme that catalyzes telomere synthesis but has very low activity in normal somatic cells. Atherosclerosis is an aging-related disease, which is the pathological basis for the development of coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and peripheral vascular disease. Recent studies have found that there are shorter telomeres in patients with atherosclerosis, and shorter telomeres are more likely to cause atherosclerosis. This review summarizes the changes of telomere length and telomerase activity in cells involved in the formation of atherosclerosis and the effects of these changes on the development of atherosclerosis and generalizes the association of risk factors for atherosclerosis with telomere and telomerase.