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. 2019 Jan 7;9:1520. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01520

FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 4

Rapamycin inhibits the formation of foam cells derived from endothelial cell, macrophage and VSMC. Rapamycin suppresses the foam cells by inhibiting the activation of mTOR, SR-BI in endothelial cells. It decreases macrophage-derived foam cells by inhibiting LOX-1, SR-A, SR-BII, CD36, TLR4 and enhancing the expression of LXR, SIRT1, and ABCA1. In addition, it decreases VSMC-derived foam cells by elevating the decreased ABCA1 induced by IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1, and downregulating the increased LDLR and VLDLR. And rapamycin can also decrease cholesterol synthesis. The solid lines with arrow indicate increase or activation, and lines without arrows indicate decrease or suppression. OX-LDL, oxidized low-density lipoprotein; LOX-1, lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein-1; SR-A, scavenger receptor, class A; SR-BI, scavenger receptor, class B, type I; SR-BII, scavenger receptor, class B, type II; CD36, cluster of differentiation 36; RAPA, rapamycin; ABCA1, ATP-binding cassette transporter A1; TLR4, toll-like receptor 4; VLDLR, very low-density lipoprotein receptor; LDLR, low-density lipoprotein receptor; mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin; SIRT1, sirtuin 1; CCR7, C-C chemokine receptor type 7; LXR, liver-X-receptor; HMGR, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase; SREBPs, sterol regulatory element-binding proteins; SCAP, SREBP cleavage-activating protein; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; MCP-1, monocyte chemotactic protein-1.