The regulator of calcineurin (RCAN1) an important factor involved in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases development

Atherosclerosis, one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases, is a complex process that involves manifold factors. Besides the vascular lipids accumulation, inflammatory factors could be considered as a proatherogenic factor – RCAN1. RCAN1 is a regulator of calcineurin, both of them being calcium dependent proteins. Recent studies have shown that RCAN1 has an important role in heart valve development. In the same time researchers found that, the atherosclerotic plaques have an up-regulated RCAN1 gene expression. In the near future, it is desirable to elucidate the RCAN1 function and classify it as a possible biochemical marker to diagnose infancy atherosclerosis. Abbreviations: RCAN1 = regulator of calcineurin, LDL = low density lipoproteins, HMG-CoA – 3 = hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A, VSMCs = vascular smooth muscle cells, PDGF = platelet-derived growth factor, FGF = fibroblast growth factor, EGF = epidermal growth factor, IGF = insulin-like growth factor, VEGF = vascular endothelial growth factor, NFAT = nuclear factor of activated T cells, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 = interleukin type 2, 6, 10, 12, AP-1 = activator protein 1, Mef-2 = myocyte enhancer factor-2, GATA-4 = transcription factor, CK1 = casein kinase 1, GSK3 = glycogen synthase kinase 3, DYRK = dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase, DSCR1 = Down Syndrome Critical Region 1, MCIP1 = myocyte-enriched calcineurin-interacting protein, MLP = muscle lim protein, cAMP = cyclic adenosine monophosphate, PC12 = pheochromocytoma, NMR = nuclear magnetic resonance, SOD = superoxide dismutase, APP = amyloid precursor protein, eNOS = nitric oxide endothelial synthase, Cygb = cytoglobin, HUVEC = human umbilical vein endothelial cells, VDR = vitamin D receptor