Abstract
Vascular changes in diabetes are characterized by reduced vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling. Previously, we demonstrated that TGF-β1 impairs Ang II-induced contraction through reduced calcium mobilization. However, the effect of TGF-β1 on Ang II-induced vascular remodeling is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effect of TGF-β1 on Ang II-induced activation of the MAPK p44/42 pathway in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC). Activation of MAPK p44/42 was determined with a phospho-specific antibody. Angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1) and AT1 mRNA levels were measured by [3H]candesartan-binding and real-time PCR, respectively. AT1 gene transcription activity was assessed using AT1 promoter-reporter constructs and by a nuclear runoff assay. In TGF-β1-pretreated cells, Ang II-induced phosphorylation of MAPK p44/42 was inhibited by 29 and 46% for p42 and p44, respectively, and AT1 density was reduced by 31%. Furthermore, pretreatment with TGF-β1 resulted in a 64% reduction in AT1 mRNA levels and decreased AT1 mRNA transcription rate by 42%. Pretreatment with TGF-β1 blocked Ang II-induced proliferation of RASMC, while stimulating Ang II-induced upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. In conclusion, TGF-β1 attenuates Ang II-mediated MAPK p44/42 kinase signaling in RASMC through downregulation of AT1 levels, which is mainly caused by the inhibition of transcription of the AT1 gene.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 459-468 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Vascular Research |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Angiotensin II
- ERK
- MAPK
- TGF-β1
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
- Physiology