Ma J, Liang S, Wang Z, Zhang L, Jiang J, Zheng J, Yu L, Zheng X, Wang R, Zhu D. ROCK pathway participates in the processes that 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) mediated the pulmonary vascular remodeling induced by hypoxia in rat.
J Cell Physiol 2009;
222:82-94. [PMID:
19746421 DOI:
10.1002/jcp.21923]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE), a product of arachidonic acid (AA) catalyzed by 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO), plays an essential role in hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension. We have previously shown that 15-HETE inhibits apoptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). To test the hypothesis that such an effect is attributable to the hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR), we performed these studies. We found subtle thickening of proximal media/adventitia of the pulmonary arteries (PA) in rats that had been exposed to hypoxia. This was associated with an up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression and down-regulation of pro-apoptotic caspase-3 and Bax expression in PA homogenates. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), which inhibits the generation of endogenous 15-HETE, reversed all the alterations following hypoxia. In situ hybridization histochemistry and immunocytochemistry showed that the 15-LO-1 mRNA and protein were localized in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs), while the 15-LO-2 mRNA and protein were localized in both PAECs and PASMCs. Furthermore, the Rho-kinase (ROCK) pathway was activated by both endogenous and exogenous 15-HETE, alleviating the serum deprivation (SD)-induced PASMC apoptosis. Thus, these findings indicate that 15-HETE protects PASMC from apoptosis, contributing to pulmonary vascular medial thickening, and the effect is, at least in part, mediated via the ROCK pathway.
Collapse