Enzyme Triggers Plaque Rupture In Hardened Arteries, Causing Heart Attack And Stroke

... University of Washington researchers show that, in mice with atherosclerosis, it is the expression of an active form of the enzyme MMP-9, by macrophages located within plaque buildup in narrowed coronary arteries, that triggers plaque rupture. Rupture can block blood flow to the heart and brain, causing a heart attack or stroke. The results appear online on December 22 in advance of print publication in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. ...