Gene Nelin induced phenotypic transition of human vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro mediated by RhoA and SRF / 中华普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the mechanism of gene Nelin on the differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMC).Methods Human VSMCs were stably infected with over-express lentiviral vector [Nelin-VSMC] and interference lentiviral vector [LV-Nelin-SiRNA-VSMC] by Western blotting and RT-PCR.The effect of Nelin expression on phenotypic transition of VSMCs was observed and the mechanism involved was explored.Results The Nelin-VSMC cells take on the contractile phenotype of long slender cells possessing hill-valley characteristics.Overexpression of Nelin can enhance SMoα-actin expression with the increase of total RhoA and nuclear serum response factor(SRF) expression.Treated with a selective Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632,the expression of SMα-actin and nuclear SRF protein induced by Nelin was effectively reduced.Meanwhile,the opposite results were observed in the Nelin-depression VSMC.Conclusions Nelin can enhance the expression of SMα-actin and carry a pivotal role in the process of VSMCs differentiation and phenotype modulation by activating Rho and SRF.