Expression change of NBL1 in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To study the expression pattern of neuroblastoma, suppression of tumorigenicity 1 (NBL1) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) induced by monocrotaline (MCT). Methods Forty rats were randomly allocated into control group (n = 10) and MCT group (n= 30). Intraperitoneal injection of 60mg 'kg"1 MCT for MCT group or equal volume normal saline for control group was performed. The changes of NBL1 in lungs and plasma of the 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th week after MCT injection were detected respectively. NBL1 levels in rat plasma were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results At the 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th week after MCT injection, the mRNA level of NBL1 decreased by 70%, 81% and 89% , the protein level decreased by 36% , 78% and 99% , and the plasma concentration of NBL1 decreased from (2. 82 ± 0. 58) xg L"1 (control rats) to (1. 90±0.55) fig L-1, (1.51 ±0.43) jxg L'1, (0.64 ±0. 34)ug L-l and presented a negative correlation with pulmonary hemodynamic indices and right ventricular hypertrophy. Immunohistochernical staining demonstrated that NBL1 was mainly expressed in small pulmonary arteries in normal lungs from control group but seldom detected in severely remodeled pulmonary arteries from MCT group. Furthermore, NBL1 significantly inhibited the activation of BMP signal in pulmonary artery endothelial cells induced by BMP2/4. Conclusions NBL1 level demonstrates a stepwise decrease in MCT induced PAH, implying its vital roles in the pulmonary vascular remodeling process and the possibility of NBL1 to be a potential biomarker for PAH.