• BMB Reports
• /
• 제47권1호
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2014

Atherosclerosis is a pathologic process occurring within the artery, in which many cell types, including T cell, macrophages, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells, interact, and cause chronic inflammation, in response to various inner- or outer-cellular stimuli. Atherosclerosis is characterized by a complex interaction of inflammation, lipid deposition, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, endothelial dysfunction, and extracellular matrix remodeling, which will result in the formation of an intimal plaque. Although the regulation and function of vascular smooth muscle cells are important in the progression of atherosclerosis, the roles of smooth muscle cells in regulating vascular inflammation are rarely focused upon, compared to those of endothelial cells or inflammatory cells. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss here how smooth muscle cells contribute or regulate the inflammatory reaction in the progression of atherosclerosis, especially in the context of the activation of various membrane receptors, and how they may regulate vascular inflammation.

• 약학회지
• /
• 제57권4호
• /
• pp.265-271
• /
• 2013

Treatments of vascular disease via modulating the expression of specific proteins by gene transfer have been attempted in various studies over the past few years. Among several methods to deliver genes, adenovirus currently has been used because of a number of positive aspects. In this study, we test adenoviral vector as a potential mediator in the treatment of vascular disease by using freshly isolated vascular tissues not cultured vascular cells. Freshly isolated vascular tissues were directly exposed to adenoviral vector pAd5CMVmcsIRESeGFPpA to check the possibility of GFP expression in different layer of vascular tissues. We found that the GFP expression by using adenoviral vector experiments is mainly focused on the adventitia and failed to detect GFP expression at endothelial layer or vascular smooth muscle layer in vascular tissues. However, we also found that several integrin receptors are robustly expressed in vascular smooth muscle, thus the limited expression of protein in vascular smooth muscle are not likely the lack of integrin receptors. In conclusion, adenovirus could not be a good tool for a specific protein expression in vascular smooth muscle cell. Thus, the application of adenovirus as a tool for gene therapy of vascular smooth muscle cells in clinical therapeutic trial need to be optimized further.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• 제24권1호
• /
• pp.77-90
• /
• 1990

There have been conflicting reports concerning the effect of Panax ginseng on the contractility of vascular smooth muscle, i.e., Panax ginseng extract has been reported to cause relaxation, contraction or to have no effect on the tension of vascular smooth muscle. A further investigation of $Ca^{++}$ stores which supply $Ca^{++}$ for contraction of vascular smooth muscle is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of this conflicting effect of ginseng alcohol extract (GAE). The present study was intended to examine the sources of calcium mobilized for contraction of vascular smooth muscle by GAE. Aortic ring preparations were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and endothelial cells were removed from the ring. The contractility of the aortic ring was measured under various experimental conditions and $Ca^{++}$ flux across the membrane of aortic ring and the sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria were measured with a calcium selective electrode. The result were summarized as follows; 1) At low concentration of extracellular $Ca^{++}$, GAE increased the contractility of vascular smooth muscle in dose-dependent fashion except high concentration $Ca^{++}$ (1 mM). 2) In the presence of ryanodine, GAE still increased contractility of vascular smooth muscle as much as control group, but in the presence of caffeine, GAE increased it significantly. i.e. Their effects seemed to be additive. 3) In the presence of verapamil+lanthanum, and verapamil+lanthanum+ryanodine, the contractility of the vascular smooth muscle was decreased, but a dose dependent increase in vascular tension was still demonstrated by GAE although total tension was low. 4) GAE increased $Ca^{++}$ efflux from vascular smooth muscle cells, but have no effect on $Ca^{++}$ influx. 5) GAE increased $Ca^{++}$ efflux from sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria vesicles. From the above results, it may be concluded that GAE increased the release of $Ca^{++}$ from sarcoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria or other intracellular $Ca^{++}$ stores of vascular smooth muscle, but it does not increase $Ca^{++}$ influx across the plasma membrane.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• 제12권2호
• /
• pp.57-60
• /
• 2002

Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cell is observed in the vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. The death of vascular smooth muscle cells can be induced by cytokines and activation of Fas-pathways. It is widely accepted that apoptosis occurs without inflammation. There are, however, reports that apoptosis is not silent. Vascular smooth muscle cells dying by Fas-pathway secreted inflammatory cytokines including monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. This study have investigated whether apoptosis is associated with potent inflammatory cytokine tumor tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$. The cells which undergo apoptosis by expressing FADD in the absence of tetracycline expressed and secreted TNF-${\alpha}$. When the level of TNF-${\alpha}$ transcript was investigated, dying smooth muscle cells exhibited transcriptional activation of TNF-${\alpha}$. The data indicate that dying vascular smooth muscle cells contribute to inflammation by expressing inflammatory cytokines. The present study suggests that apoptosis could not be silent in certain pathological situations.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• 제44권1호
• /
• pp.20-26
• /
• 2019

Periodontal diseases have been associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. Accumulating evidences have indicated that Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major periodontopathic pathogen, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In the present study, we demonstrated that P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increases the mRNA and protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in rat vascular smooth muscle cells. We showed that the MMP-9 expression induced by P. gingivalis LPS is mediated by the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, the inhibition of STAT3 activity reduced P. gingivalis LPS-induced migration of vascular smooth muscle cells. Overall, our findings indicate that P. gingivalis LPS stimulates the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells via STAT3-mediated MMP-9 expression.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제56권3호
• /
• pp.160-165
• /
• 2023

Vascular calcification is common in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, and is associated with an increased risk of pathological events and mortality. Some semaphorin family members play an important role in atherosclerosis. In the present study, we show that Semaphorin 4D/Sema4D and its Plexin-B1 receptor were significantly upregulated in calcified aorta of a rat chronic kidney disease model. Significantly higher Sema4D and Plexin-B1 expression was also observed during inorganic phosphate-induced calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells. Knockdown of Sema4D or Plexin-B1 genes attenuated both the phosphate-induced osteogenic phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells, through regulation of SMAD1/5 signaling, as well as apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells, through modulation of the Gas6/Axl/Akt survival pathway. Taken together, our results offer new insights on the role of Sema4D and Plexin-B1 as potential therapeutic targets against vascular calcification.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• 제41권4호
• /
• pp.217-223
• /
• 2016

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a foremost periodontal pathogen, has been known to cause periodontal diseases. Epidemiologic evidences have indicated the involvement of P. gingivalis in the development of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we show that the P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide increases the mRNA expression and protein secretion of interleukin-6 in vascular smooth muscle cells. We demonstrate that P. gingivalis LPS activates the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Akt, which mediate the IL-6 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. Also, P. gingivalis LPS stimulates the vascular smooth muscle cell migration, which is a critical step for the progression of atherosclerosis. Moreover, neutralization of the IL-6 function inhibits the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells induced by P. gingivalis LPS. Taken together, these results indicate that P. gingivalis LPS promotes the expression of IL-6, which in turn increases the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• 제4권3호
• /
• pp.211-217
• /
• 2000

Paxillin is a regulatory component of the complex of cytoskeletal proteins that link the actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane. However, the role of paxillin during smooth muscle contraction is unclear. We investigated a possible role for the membrane-associated dense plaque protein paxillin in the regulation of contraction in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle. The tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin, which was increased by norepinephrine, reached a peak level after 1 min stimulation and then decreased with time. However, norepinephrine induced a sustained contraction that reached a steady state 30 min after application. Pretreatment with tyrphostin, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, inhibited the tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin and also the contraction stimulated by norepinephrine. Both inhibitions were concentration-dependent, and the degree of correlation between them was high. These results show that, in rat aortic smooth muscle, tyrosine kinase(s) activated by norepinephrine may phosphorylate the tyrosine residues of paxillin, thereby providing a source of regulation during vascular smooth muscle contraction.

• 한국식품위생안전성학회지
• /
• 제11권2호
• /
• pp.83-87
• /
• 1996

The objective of this study is to investigate the direct effects of green tea catechins(GTC) on vascular smooth muscle tension and 45Ca2+ Uptake in rat aorta. The methods used in this study are isometric tension measurements using physiograph, Lanthanum method for 45Ca2+(2 uCi/ml) uptake measurement in rat aorta. GTC modified tension induced by 40 mM KCl or 1 uM norepinephrine in rat aorta. Low concentrations of GTC(<0.5mg/ml) increased tension by 40 mM KCl or 1 uM norepinephrine, individually. However, high conecentration of GTC(>0.5 mg/ml) inhibiited tension by 40 mM KCl or 1 uM norepinephrine, individually. GTC increased 45Ca uptake induced by 40 mM KCl in a dose-dependent manner. From these results, GTC has the dual actions in vascular smooth muscle in vitro. Low concentrations of GTC augments tension by K or norepinephrine. However, high concentrations of GTC inhibits tension by K or norepinephrine GTC may have Ca2+ channel activation, action, which may result in unphysiological vasodilation by Ca2+ overload in vascular smooth muscle.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제47권7호
• /
• pp.388-392
• /
• 2014

Berberine, a type of isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Chinese medicinal herbs, has been reported to have various pharmacological activities. Studies have demonstrated that berberine has beneficial effects on vascular remodeling and alleviates restenosis after vascular injury. However, its mechanism of action on vascular smooth muscle cell migration is not fully understood. We therefore investigated the effect of berberine on human aortic smooth muscle cell (HASMC) migration. Boyden chamber assay was performed to show that berberine inhibited HASMC migration dose-dependently. Real-time PCR and Western blotting analyses showed that levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) were reduced by berberine at both the mRNA and protein levels. Western blotting assay further confirmed that activities of c-Fos, c-Jun, and NF-${\kappa}B$ were significantly attenuated. These results suggest that berberine effectively inhibited HASMC migration, possibly by down-regulating MMP-2, MMP-9, and u-PA; and interrupting AP-1 and NF-${\kappa}B$ mediated signaling pathways.