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Wang Y, Wu Z, Thorin E, Tremblay J, Lavoie JL, Luo H, Peng J, Qi S, Wu T, Chen F, Shen J, Hu S, Wu J. Estrogen and testosterone in concert with EFNB3 regulate vascular smooth muscle cell contractility and blood pressure. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2016; 310:H861-72. [PMID: 26851246 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00873.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
EPH kinases and their ligands, ephrins (EFNs), have vital and diverse biological functions, although their function in blood pressure (BP) control has not been studied in detail. In the present study, we report that Efnb3 gene knockout (KO) led to increased BP in female but not male mice. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were target cells for EFNB3 function in BP regulation. The deletion of EFNB3 augmented contractility of VSMCs from female but not male KO mice, compared with their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Estrogen augmented VSMC contractility while testosterone reduced it in the absence of EFNB3, although these sex hormones had no effect on the contractility of VSMCs from WT mice. The effect of estrogen on KO VSMC contractility was via a nongenomic pathway involving GPER, while that of testosterone was likely via a genomic pathway, according to VSMC contractility assays and GPER knockdown assays. The sex hormone-dependent contraction phenotypes in KO VSMCs were reflected in BP in vivo. Ovariectomy rendered female KO mice normotensive. At the molecular level, EFNB3 KO in VSMCs resulted in reduced myosin light chain kinase phosphorylation, an event enhancing sensitivity to Ca(2+)flux in VSMCs. Our investigation has revealed previously unknown EFNB3 functions in BP regulation and show that EFNB3 might be a hypertension risk gene in certain individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Wang
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Zenghui Wu
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada;
| | - Eric Thorin
- Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Johanne Tremblay
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Julie L Lavoie
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Département de Kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hongyu Luo
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Junzheng Peng
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Shijie Qi
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tao Wu
- Institute of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical College, Hangzhou, China; and
| | - Fei Chen
- Institute of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical College, Hangzhou, China; and
| | - Jianzhong Shen
- Institute of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical College, Hangzhou, China; and
| | - Shenjiang Hu
- Institute of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical College, Hangzhou, China; and
| | - Jiangping Wu
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Nephrology Service, CRCHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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