{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T02:10:16Z","timestamp":1785809416706,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":80,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,25]],"date-time":"2026-05-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779667200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003093","name":"Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["FRGS\/1\/2021\/SKK0\/UKM\/03\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FRGS\/1\/2021\/SKK0\/UKM\/03\/1"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003093","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["FRGS\/1\/2021\/SKK0\/UKM\/03\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FRGS\/1\/2021\/SKK0\/UKM\/03\/1"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05mcs2t73","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00bw8d226","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is a severe manifestation of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) caused by the rupture of unstable atherosclerotic plaques, resulting in reduced myocardial blood flow. Smoking is a major risk factor for ACS and has been associated with increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, which contributes to the degradation of the plaque fibrous cap. However, the molecular alterations associated with smoking in ACS remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate the expression of \u03b11nAChR, ERK1\/2, and c-FOS genes, together with MMP protein levels in atherosclerotic plaque tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of CAD patients. A total of 41 atherosclerotic plaque samples (26 smokers, 15 non-smokers) and 180 clinical subjects [n = 30 per group: ACS, chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), and controls; smokers and non-smokers] were included. Gene expression of \u237a1nAChR, ERK 1\/2, and c-FOS was analyzed by RT-qPCR, while protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP 3 were measured using ELISA. The expression of ERK 1\/2 and c-FOS were significantly higher in plaque tissues of smokers compared with non-smokers (1.671- and 1.327-fold; p &lt; 0.05). In PBMCs, \u03b11nAChR expression was higher in CCS smokers (1.383-fold), while ERK 1\/2 expression was higher in ACS smokers (1.355-fold). MMP-9 levels were significantly elevated in ACS and CCS compared with controls (p &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, smoking CAD patients demonstrated increased expression of \u03b11nAChR, ERK and MMP-9, indicating smoking-associated alterations in \u237a1nAChR-ERK signaling-related biomarkers in ACS.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27114757","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,25]],"date-time":"2026-05-25T14:10:22Z","timestamp":1779718222000},"page":"4757","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Expression Profiles of \u03b11nAChR, ERK1\/2, c-FOS and Matrix Metalloproteinases Among Male Smokers with Acute Coronary Syndrome"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-0295-2009","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nazirah","family":"Samah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Faridah","family":"Mohd Nor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0736-0784","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wan Mohammad Hafiz","family":"Wan Razali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"},{"name":"Department of Forensic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Sungai Buloh Campus, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh 47000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shawal Faizal","family":"Mohamad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cardiology Unit, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-1547-5660","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beh Boon","family":"Cong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cardiology Unit, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adila","family":"A. Hamid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8268-3316","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Azizah","family":"Ugusman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1329-0444","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amilia","family":"Aminuddin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2372","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacc.2022.11.001","article-title":"Global burden of cardiovascular diseases and risks collaboration, 1990\u20132021","volume":"80","author":"Lindstrom","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. 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