FIGURE 3.

LOX-1 scavenger receptor is responsible for the internalization of oxLDL and mediates their effect. A, RT-PCR analysis of scavenger receptors LOX-1, SR-PSOX, SR-AI, CD36, and LRP1 and of housekeeping gene β-actin in untreated AoSMC and after exposure to 20 μg of nLDL or oxLDL. B, quantification of corrected total cell fluorescence (CTCF) in AoSMC treated with 20 μg of nLDL-DiI and oxLDL-DiI in the absence (−) or presence (+) of anti-LOX-1 antibody. Results are expressed as corrected total cell fluorescence and represented as mean ± S.E., *, p < 0.05. C, quantification by HPLC analysis of ΔHA disaccharides of hyaluronidase digests of HA secreted in culture medium of AoSMC untreated (CNT) or treated with 20 μg of nLDL or oxLDL. Cells were subjected (+) or not (−) to the simultaneous treatment with anti-LOX-1 antibody. D, quantitative RT-PCR analysis of HAS2 and HAS3 expression of CNT- and oxLDL-treated AoSMC from C. Results are expressed as relative expression of the HAS3 and HAS2 genes in the treatments with respect to the untreated AoSMC (CNT) (− anti-LOX-1). Values are mean ± S.E. of triplicates of two independent experiments, **, p < 0.01, ***, p < 0.001.