Transcriptional down-regulation of the rabbit pulmonary artery endothelin B receptor during phenotypic modulation

ET(A) and ET(B) receptors modulate the proliferation of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

We determined the distribution of ET(A) and ET(B) receptors in pulmonary arteries from pulmonary hypertensive patients and control subjects, using in vitro autoradiography, and investigated their role in mediating the proliferative effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on distal human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Distal arteries possessed more medial [(125)I]-ET-1 binding sites (105 +/- 10 versus 45 +/- 6 amol/mm(2); p < 0.001) and a greater proportion of ET(B) receptors than proximal arteries (36 +/- 3% versus 3 +/- 1%; p < 0.001). Receptor density in distal arteries and lung parenchyma was twofold greater (p < 0.05) in pulmonary hypertensive patients than in control subjects. ET-1 (10(-9)-10(-7) mol/L) stimulated DNA synthesis (147 +/- 10% of control subjects; p < 0.05) and attenuated the antiproliferative action of cicaprost and forskolin on PASMCs, these effects being mediated via ET(A) and ET(B) receptors. Serum-stimulated proliferation was attenuated by inhibiting either endogenous ET-1 release with phosphoramidon (10(-5) mol/L) or its action with PD145065 (10(-5) mol/L). Cicaprost (10(-10)-10(-7) mol/L) inhibited ET-1 release from PASMCs (49 +/- 16% of control after 24 h; p < 0.001) and increased intracellular cAMP levels, whereas ET(B) receptor stimulation selectively reduced cAMP levels. In conclusion, ET(A) and ET(B) receptors are differentially distributed in human pulmonary arteries. Both receptors promote the proliferation of PASMCs in vitro and may contribute to vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension.

Localization and function of ET-1 and ET receptors in small arteries post-myocardial infarction: upregulation of smooth muscle ET(B) receptors that modulate contraction

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated as a mediator of increased vascular tone during development of heart failure post-myocardial infarction (MI). In the present study, expression and pharmacology of ET-1 and its receptors were studied in small mesenteric arteries from rats at 5 and 12 weeks after coronary artery ligation for induction of MI, or sham-operation. In vessels from sham-operated and 5 week post-MI rats preproET-1mRNA, immunoreactive (ir) ET-1, ET(B) receptor mRNA and irET(B) receptor were confined to the endothelium, while ET(A) receptor mRNA was distributed throughout the media. At 12 weeks post-MI, preproET-1 and irET(A) receptor localization was similar but ET(B) receptor mRNA and immunoreactivity were detectable in the media, as well as the endothelium. The ET-1 concentration-response curve (CRC) was progressively shifted to the right in pressurized third generation mesenteric arteries from 5 and 12 week post-MI rats relative to sham-operated rats, with no change in the maximum. The ET(A) receptor antagonist BQ-123 (10(-6) M) induced a rightward shift of the ET-1 CRC in all vessels. Desensitization of ET(B) receptors, by exposure to SRTX S6c (3x10(-8) M), had no effect on the ET-1 CRC in vessels from 5 week post-MI or sham-op rats but induced a leftward shift in vessels from 12 week post-MI rats. These results identify the endothelium as the primary site of ET-1 synthesis in small arteries and the ET(A) receptor as mediating the effects of ET-1 in these vessels. However, ET(B) receptor expression increases in vascular smooth muscle post-MI and is linked to mechanisms that inhibit the contractile response to ET-1.

Subtype-specific trafficking of endothelin receptors

We investigated the subcellular localization of two endothelin receptors (ET(A)R and ET(B)R). To visualize these receptors directly, the C terminus of each receptor was fused to the N terminus of enhanced green fluorescent protein (designated as ETR-EGFP). When transiently expressed in various mammalian cell lines, ET(A)R-EGFP was predominantly localized on the plasma membrane. By contrast, ET(B)R-EGFP was, independent of ligand stimulation, predominantly localized on the intracellular vesicular structures containing Lamp-1. Immunoblot analyses revealed that at steady state ET(B)R-EGFP was highly degraded, and its degradation was inhibited by bafilomycin A(1). Antibody uptake experiments suggested that the ET(B)R-EGFP molecules were internalized from the plasma membrane. It is therefore likely that ET(B)R is first transported to the plasma membrane and then internalized, irrespective of ligand stimulation, to lysosomes where it undergoes proteolytic degradation. Exchanging the C-terminal cytoplasmic tails of the two ETRs revealed that the cytoplasmic tail is responsible for both the intracellular localization and the degradation of the receptors. Deletion of the extreme C-terminal 35 amino acids from both receptors allowed the receptor proteins to localize predominantly in the intracellular vesicles and to degrade. These observations indicate that the cytoplasmic tail of ET(A)R determines its plasma membrane localization. Stimulation with endothelin-1 increased the amount of intact ETR-EGFP fusion proteins without increasing their de novo synthesis, suggesting that binding of endothelin-1 stabilizes the ETRs.

Regional modulation of cyclic nucleotides by endothelin-1 in rat pulmonary arteries: direct activation of G(i)2-protein in the main pulmonary artery

The ability of endothelin-1 (ET-1) to modulate the cyclic nucleotides, guanosine 3' 5' cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) and adenosine 3' 5' cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) was assessed in the main elastic pulmonary elastic artery (4 - 5 mm i.d.) and the small muscular pulmonary arteries (150 - 200 micrometer i.d.) of the rat. ET-1 caused an increase in cyclic GMP in the larger vessels but had no effect in the smaller arteries. The increase in cyclic GMP was not dependent on an intact endothelium and was inhibited by the ET(A)-receptor antagonist FR139137 (1 microM). ET-1 caused a decrease in cyclic AMP in the main pulmonary arteries, an effect that was partially blocked by FR139317 but not influenced by the ET(B)-receptor antagonist BQ-788 (1 microM) or removal of the vascular endothelium. In contrast, ET-1 caused an increase in cyclic AMP in the small vessels, an effect that was blocked by BQ-788 but unaffected by FR139317. In the main pulmonary arteries, ET-1 caused enhanced incorporation of radiolabelled ADP-ribose by cholera toxin into G(i)2 in the main pulmonary artery, an indicator of its receptor-mediated activation. In summary, we have shown that in the small muscular pulmonary artery of the rat, (where ET(B) mediated vasoconstriction prevails), there is an ET(B)-mediated increase in cyclic AMP with no net effect on cyclic GMP levels. In the large arteries, (where vasoconstriction is mediated via the ET(A) receptor), there is an ET(A)-mediated increase in cyclic GMP (endothelium independent) and an ET(A)-mediated (endothelium independent) decrease in cyclic AMP.

Pressure-induced upregulation of preproendothelin-1 and endothelin B receptor expression in rabbit jugular vein in situ : implications for vein graft failure?

Upregulation of endothelin-1 (ET-1) synthesis in venous bypass grafts in response to arterial levels of blood pressure may play a major role in graft failure. To investigate this hypothesis, isolated segments of the rabbit jugular vein were perfused at physiological (0 to 5 mm Hg) and nonphysiological (20 mm Hg) levels of intraluminal pressure. As judged by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis (mRNA level), neither endothelin-converting enzyme nor endothelin A receptor expression appeared to be pressure sensitive. In contrast, there was a profound and time-dependent increase in endothelial prepro-ET-1 mRNA and intravascular ET-1 abundance (by ELISA) as well as in smooth muscle endothelin B receptor mRNA and functional protein (by superfusion bioassay) on raising the perfusion pressure from 5 to 20 mm Hg, but not from 0 to 5 mm Hg, for up to 12 hours. Video microscopy analysis revealed that the segments were distended by 75% at 5 mm Hg and near maximally at 20 mm Hg compared with the resting diameter at 0 to 1 mm Hg. Treatment of the segments with actinomycin D (1 micromol/L), the specific protein kinase C inhibitor, Ro 31-8220 (0.1 micromol/L), or the c-Src family-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor, herbimycin A (0.1 micromol/L), demonstrated that the pressure-induced expression of these gene products occurs at the level of transcription and requires activation of protein kinase C, but not c-Src. In venous bypass grafts such deformation-induced changes in gene expression may contribute not only to acute graft failure through ET-1-induced vasospasm but also to endothelin A receptor- and/or endothelin B receptor-mediated smooth muscle cell hyperplasia and graft occlusion.