Blancas-Napoles CM, Cabrera-Becerra SE, Sierra-Sánchez VM, Ocampo-Ortega SA, Garcia-Rubio VG, Romero-Nava R, Huang F, Hong E, Aguilera-Méndez A, Villafaña S. siRNA Targeting ECE-1 Partially Reverses Pulmonary Arterial Hypertensionassociated Damage in a Monocrotaline Model.
Curr Mol Pharmacol 2024;
17:CMP-EPUB-139029. [PMID:
38465437 DOI:
10.2174/0118761429283384240226074921]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
AIMS
The aim of this study was to develop a possible treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease characterised by a pulmonary arterial pressure greater than 20 mmHg. One of the factors that contribute to PAH is an increase in the production of endothelin-1, a polypeptide that increases vascular resistance in the pulmonary arteries, leading to increased pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to design, synthesize, and evaluate two siRNAs directed against endothelin-1 in a rat model of PAH induced with monocrotaline.
METHODS
Wistar rats were administered monocrotaline (60 mg/kg) to induce a PAH model. Following two weeks of PAH evolution, the siRNAs were administered, and after two weeks, right ventricular hypertrophy was evaluated using the RV/LV+S ratio, blood pressure, weight, and relative expression of ECE-1 (Endothelin-converting enzyme-1) mRNA (messenger RNA) by RT-PCR (real-time PCR).
RESULTS
The monocrotaline group showed an increase in the hypertrophy index and in ECE-1 mRNA, as well as a significant decrease in weight compared to the control group, while in the monocrotaline + siRNA group, a significant decrease was observed in the relative expression of ECE-1 mRNA, as well as in right ventricular hypertrophy.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the above information, we conclude that the administration of siRNAs directed to ECE-1 decreases the damage associated with PAH.
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