Angiotensin II inhibits Na+/K+ATPase activity in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells via glutathionylation and with the involvement of a 15.6 kDa inhibitor protein.

The role of angiotensin II in regulating Na+/K+-ATPase activity has been investigated in bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (BPASMCs). Our study reveals that angiotensin II inhibits the Na+/K+ATPase activity via glutathionylation of the pump with the involvement of an increase in NADPH oxidase-derived O2.-. Additionally, angiotensin II treatment to the cells increases the inhibitory potency of the 15.6 kDa inhibitor towards the Na+/K+ATPase activity.

Vascular Aneurysms: A Perspective.

Aneurysms develop as a result of chronic inflammation of vascular bed, where progressive destruction of structural proteins, especially elastin and collagen of smooth muscle cells has been shown to manifest. The underlying mechanisms are an increase in local production of proinflammatory cytokines and subsequent increase in proteases, especially matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade the structural proteins. The plasminogen system: urokinase-type PA (u-PA), tissue-type PA (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and the MMPs system-MMPs and TIMPs contribute to the progression and development of aneurysms. Recent studies suggest that aneurysms may be genetically determined. To date, most observable candidate genes for aneurysm (elastin, collagen, fibrillin, MMPs and TIMPs) have been explored with little substantiation of the underlying cause and effect. Recently, overexpression of the MMP-2 gene has been suggested as an important phenomenon for aneurysm formation. Along with MMPs, matrix formation also depends on JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) as its activation plays important role in downregulating several genes of matrix production. Under stress, activation of JNK by various stimuli, such as angiotensin II, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β has been noted significantly in vascular smooth muscle cells. Several therapeutic indications corroborate that inhibition of MMP-2 and JNK is useful in preventing progression of vascular aneurysms. This review deals with the role of proteases in the progression of vascular aneurysm.

Effect of m-calpain in PKCα-mediated proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells by low dose of ouabain.

There is growing evidence that ouabain, a cardiotonic steroid may promote growth of cardiac and vascular myocytes, indicating its novel role in cell growth and proliferation, without appreciable inhibition of the sodium pump. The mechanism(s) by which low dose of ouabain produces pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation, a prerequisite for right ventricular hypertrophy, is currently unknown. Here, we analyzed the effects of low dose of ouabain (10 nM) on increase in [Ca2+]i, m-calpain and protein kinase C (PKC) activities on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and determined their sequential involvement in this scenario. We treated bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells with a low dose of ouabain (10 nM) and determined [Ca2+]i in the cells by fluorometric assay using fura2-AM, m-calpain activity by fluorometric assay using SLLVY-AMC as the substrate, PKC activity using an assay kit and assay of Na+/K+ATPase activity spectrophotometrically. We purified m-calpain and PKCα by standard chromatographic procedure by HPLC and then studied cleavage of the purified PKCα by m-calpain using Western immunoblot method. Subsequently, we performed cell proliferation assay utilizing the redox dye resazunin. We used selective inhibitors of [Ca2+]i (BAPTA-AM), m-calpain (MDL28170), PKCα (Go6976) and determined their involvement in ouabain (10 nM)-mediated smooth muscle cell proliferation. Our results suggested that treatment of bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells with a low dose of ouabain (10 nM) increased [Ca2+]i and subsequently stimulated m-calpain activity and proteolytically activated PKCα in caveolae (signaling microdomain also known as signalosomes) of the cells. Upon activation, PKCα increased the smooth muscle cell proliferation via Go/G1 to S/G2-M phase transition. Thus, [Ca2+]i-mCalpain-PKCα signaling axis plays a crucial role during low dose of ouabain-mediated pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Implications of calpains in health and diseases.

The number of mammalian calpain protease family members has grown as many as 15 till recent count. Although initially described as a cytosolic protease, calpains have now been found in almost all subcellular locations i.e., from mitochondria to endoplasmic reticulum and from caveolae to Golgi bodies. Importantly, some calpains do not possess the 28 kDa regulatory subunit and have only the 80 kDa catalytic subunit. In some instances, the 80 kDa subunit by itself confers the calpain proteolytic activity. Calpains have been shown to be involved in a number of physiological processes such as cell cycle progression, remodeling of cytoskeletal-cell membrane attachments, signal transduction, gene expression and apoptosis. Recent studies have linked calpain deficiencies or it’s over production with a variety of diseases, such as muscular dystrophies, gastropathy, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, atherosclerosis and pulmonary hypertension. Herein, we present a brief overview on some implications of calpains on human health and some diseases.

Role of matrix metalloprotease-2 in oxidant activation of Ca2+ ATPase by hydrogen peroxide in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle plasma membrane.

Exposure of bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle plasma membrane suspension with the oxidant H2O2 (1 mM) stimulated Ca2+ATPase activity. We sought to determine the role of matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) in stimulating Ca2+ATPase activity by H2O2 in the smooth muscle plasma membrane. The smooth muscle membrane possesses a Ca2+-dependent protease activity in the gelatin containing zymogram having an apparent molecular mass of 72 kDa. The 72 kDa protease activity was found to be inhibited by EGTA, 1 : 10-phenanthroline, a2-macroglobulin and tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-2 (TIMP-2) indicating that the Ca2+-dependent 72 kDa protease is the MMP-2. Western immunoblot studies of the membrane suspension with polyclonal antibodies of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 revealed that MMP-2 and TIMP-2, respectively, are the ambient matrix metalloprotease and the corresponding tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease in the membrane. In addition to increasing the Ca2+ATPase activity, H2O2 also enhanced the activity of the smooth muscle plasma membrane associated protease activity as evidenced by its ability to degrade 14C-gelatin. The protease activity and the Ca2+ATPase activity were prevented by the antioxidant, vitamin E, indicating that the effect produced by H2O2 was due to reactive oxidant species(es). Both basal and H2O2 stimulated MMP-2 activity and Ca2+ATPase activity were inhibited by the general inhibitors of matrix metalloproteases: EGTA, 1 : 10-phenanthroline, a2-macroglobulin and also by TIMP-2 (the specific inhibitor of MMP-2) indicating that H2O2 increased MMP-2 activity and that subsequently stimulated Ca2+ATPase activity in the plasma membrane. This was further confirmed by the following observations: (i) adding low doses of MMP-2 or H2O2 to the smooth muscle membrane suspension caused submaximal increase in Ca2+ATPase activity, and pretreatment with TIMP-2 prevents the increase in Ca2+ATPase activity; (ii) combined treatment of the membrane with low doses of MMP-2 and H2O2 augments further the Ca2+ATPase activity caused by the respective low doses of either H2O2 or MMP-2; and (iii) pretreatment with TIMP-2 prevents the increase in Ca2+ATPase activity in the membrane caused by the combined treatment of MMP-2 and H2O2.

Role of hydroxyl radical in superoxide induced microsomal lipid peroxidation: Protective effect of anion channel blocker.

Treatment of bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle microsomes with the superoxide radical generating system hypoxanthine plus xanthine oxidase stimulated iron release, hydroxyl radical production and lipid peroxidation. Pretreatment of the microsomes with deferoxamine or dimethylthiourea markedly inhibited lipid peroxidation, and prevented hydroxyl radical production without appreciably altering iron release. The superoxide radical generating system did not alter the ambient superoxide dismutase activity. However, addition of exogenous superoxide dismutase prevented superoxide radical induced iron release, hydroxyl radical production and lipid peroxidation. Simultaneous treatment of the microsomes with deferoxamine, dimethylthiourea or superoxide dismutase prevented hydroxyl radical production and liqid peroxidation. While deferoxamine or dimethylthiourea did not appreciably alter iron release, superoxide dismutase prevented iron release. However, addition of deferoxamine, dimethylthiourea or superoxide dismutase even 2 min after treatment did not significantly inhibit lipid peroxidation, hydroxyl radical production and iron release. Pretreatment of microsomes with the anion channel blocker 4,4'-dithiocyano 2,2'-disulphonic acid stilbine did not cause any discernible change in chemiluminiscence induced by the superoxide radical generating system but markedly inhibited lipid peroxidation without appreciably altering iron release and hydroxial radical production.