ANTI-ATHEROSCLEROTIC PEPTIDES AND A TRANSGENIC MOUSE MODEL OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

摘要

The present invention provides an anti-atherosclerotic peptide, said peptide being an amphipathic helical peptide compared with human apoA-I, characterized by having at least 4 of the following 8 properties: a tandem repeating class A amphipathic helix linked by a proline which forms an optimal arrangement for lipid association, has bilayer membrane stabilizing properties, stimulates HIV-I Gp41-induced cell fusion, stimulates neutrophil activation, stimulates BSA-induced lysis of fatty acid-containing vesicles, stimulates human placental lactogen synthesis, effluxes phospholipid and cellular cholesterol from cholesterol-loaded cells, and competes with HDL for binding to cells. The present invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions, transgenic animals expressing a protein disclosed herein, vectors expressing such proteins.