Targeting Phosphatidylcholine-Specific Phospholipase C for Atherogenesis Therapy

Atherosclerosis, a dynamic and progressive vascular disease arising from the combination of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, is becoming a major killer in the 21st century. Accumulating evidence implicates phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) in endothelial dysfunction and several inflammation processes. In addition, in a recent study, we demonstrated that PC-PLC contributed to the progression of atherosclerosis. Considering the important roles of PC-PLC in vascular endothelial cell dysfunction and its proinflammatory properties, we propose that a pharmacological blockade of PC-PLC represents a rational approach to atherosclerosis therapy (Trends Cardiovasc Med 2010;20:172-176) (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.