1
|
Saito J, Yokoyama U, Nicho N, Zheng YW, Ichikawa Y, Ito S, Umemura M, Fujita T, Ito S, Taniguchi H, Asou T, Masuda M, Ishikawa Y. Tissue-type plasminogen activator contributes to remodeling of the rat ductus arteriosus. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190871. [PMID: 29304073 PMCID: PMC5755942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The ductus arteriosus (DA) closes after birth to adapt to the robust changes in hemodynamics, which require intimal thickening (IT) to occur. The smooth muscle cells of the DA have been reported to play important roles in IT formation. However, the roles of the endothelial cells (ECs) have not been fully investigated. We herein focused on tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), which is a DA EC dominant gene, and investigated its contribution to IT formation in the DA. METHODS AND RESULTS ECs from the DA and aorta were isolated from fetal rats using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. RT-PCR showed that the t-PA mRNA expression level was 2.7-fold higher in DA ECs than in aortic ECs from full-term rat fetuses (gestational day 21). A strong immunoreaction for t-PA was detected in pre-term and full-term rat DA ECs. t-PA-mediated plasminogen-plasmin conversion activates gelatinase matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Gelatin zymography revealed that plasminogen supplementation significantly promoted activation of the elastolytic enzyme MMP-2 in rat DA ECs. In situ zymography demonstrated that marked gelatinase activity was observed at the site of disruption in the internal elastic laminae (IEL) in full-term rat DA. In a three-dimensional vascular model, EC-mediated plasminogen-plasmin conversion augmented the IEL disruption. In vivo administration of plasminogen to pre-term rat fetuses (gestational day 19), in which IT is poorly formed, promoted IEL disruption accompanied by gelatinase activation and enhanced IT formation in the DA. Additionally, experiments using five human DA tissues demonstrated that the t-PA expression level was 3.7-fold higher in the IT area than in the tunica media. t-PA protein expression and gelatinase activity were also detected in the IT area of the human DAs. CONCLUSION t-PA expressed in ECs may help to form IT of the DA via activation of MMP-2 and disruption of IEL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junichi Saito
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Utako Yokoyama
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
- * E-mail: (UY); (YI)
| | - Naoki Nicho
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yun-Wen Zheng
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Ichikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Satoko Ito
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masanari Umemura
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takayuki Fujita
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shuichi Ito
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideki Taniguchi
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshihide Asou
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Munetaka Masuda
- Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ishikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
- * E-mail: (UY); (YI)
| |
Collapse
|