Low doses of EPO activate MAP kinases but not JAK2-STAT5 in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

Previous reports have shown a direct effect of erythropoietin (Epo) on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Our aim was to assess expression of the Epo receptor (EpoR) on VSMCs and to study the activation of two major signaling cascades activated by Epo, namely JAK2/STAT5 and MAPK pathways. All experiments were performed in parallel using the Epo-responsive UT7 cell line. From semiquantitative RT-PCR experiments, VSMCs were estimated to express approximately 30-fold less EpoR mRNA than UT7 cells. Epo-induced phosphorylation of proteins involved in the EpoR/JAK2/STAT5 cascade could not be detected in VSMCs, even using pharmacological doses of Epo (250 IU/ml). In contrast, a strong activation of MAP kinase pathway was detected with as low as 10 IU/ml Epo. We suggest that MAPK activation reflects a physiologically relevant effect of Epo on VSMCs that may be correlated to cell proliferation.

Myocardial fibrosis in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats: effect of endothelin ET(A) receptor antagonism.

BACKGROUND: To test the hypothesis that endothelin-1 contributes to cardiac fibrosis, cardiac collagen deposition was studied in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt (DOCA-salt) hypertensive rats, in which the endothelin system is activated. The effects of the ET(A)-selective endothelin receptor antagonist A-127722 were evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: A-127722 (30 mg/kg per day) was administered for 4 weeks. Myocardial fibrosis was evaluated after Sirius red F3BA staining. Systolic blood pressure was 103+/-1.6 mm Hg in unilaterally nephrectomized rats (Uni-Nx), 202+/-3.2 mm Hg in DOCA-salt rats (P:<0.01 versus Uni-Nx), and 182+/-3.1 mm Hg in ET(A) antagonist-treated DOCA-salt rats (P:<0.01 versus DOCA-salt or Uni-Nx). In DOCA-salt rats, interstitial and perivascular collagen density was increased in the subendocardial and midmyocardial regions of the left ventricle (3- to 4-fold, P:<0.05), whereas in subepicardial myocardium, the increase was predominantly perivascular. The ET(A) antagonist prevented cardiac fibrosis in DOCA-salt rats. Procollagen I and III mRNA, which were increased in hearts of DOCA-salt rats, were normalized by ET(A) antagonist treatment. TGF-beta(1) mRNA and TGF-beta(1) protein increased at 1 week in DOCA-salt rats and were lowered in ET(A) antagonist-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS: ET(A) receptor-mediated collagen deposition in hearts of DOCA-salt rats results from increased procollagen synthesis associated with an initial increment in expression of TGF-beta(1). These results support the hypothesis of a role for endothelin-1 in cardiac collagen deposition in mineralocorticoid hypertension, which may have pathophysiological and pharmacological implications in hypertensive heart disease.

Studies on calpain expression during differentiation of rat satellite cells in primary cultures in the presence of heparin or a mimic compound.

We have synthesized dextran derivatives called RGTAs (for regenerating agents) that were designed to mimic some of the properties of heparin or heparan sulfate to interact with and protect heparin binding growth factors. Some of these growth factors have been described to be involved in myogenesis control. In previous studies, we have shown that muscle regeneration in adults could be greatly enhanced in vivo by treatment with RGTA. Since muscle regeneration occurs through the activation of satellite cells, in the present study we have used primary cultures of rat satellite cells and treated them with the heparan sulfate analogue RGTA or heparin in order to stimulate their growth and differentiation. We also studied the effect of these substances on calpain (calcium-activated neutral proteases) expression in these cultures. Indeed, several reports, principally based on fetal myoblast cultures or myogenic cell lines, have suggested that calpains might be involved in myoblast fusion during myogenic differentiation. We therefore studied the expression of microcalpain (mu-calpain), millicalpain (m-calpain), and calpain 3 in the course of differentiation of these satellite cell cultures in the absence or in the presence of heparin or of a mimic compound (the RGTA RG1282). RGTA and heparin were shown to have a dual effect on satellite cell proliferation and differentiation: RGTA stimulated proliferation with a maximum dose effect at 1 microgam/ml. Heparin used at concentrations similar to those of RGTA was less efficient at stimulating proliferation. Both substances were shown, however, to induce precocious and enhanced differentiation of satellite cells. We showed by quantitative RT-PCR analysis that mu-calpain, m-calpain, and calpain 3 mRNAs were expressed in satellite cell cultures in proliferating myoblasts (day 3) and differentiating cultures (days 7 and 12). The level of mu-calpain mRNA was increased by a factor of 3 during differentiation of satellite cells, whereas the level of m-calpain mRNAs was slightly increased at day 12 only, and calpain 3 mRNA was slightly reduced in these differentiating cultures. Interestingly enough, RGTA and heparin, which both strongly increased differentiation, reduced the expression of the mu- and m-calpains and slightly increased that of calpain 3 in differentiating cultures. These results showed that there was no correlation between the extent of myoblast differentiation and the level of calpain expression in satellite cells grown in primary cultures and underscored the differences between these adult cells and fetal myoblasts.

Direct effect of erythropoietin on rat vascular smooth-muscle cell via a putative erythropoietin receptor.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of uraemic patients with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) often leads to an increase in blood pressure. Indirect and direct effects of the hormone are probably involved. We explored the possibility of a direct action on the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC). METHODS: Rat VSMC were isolated from aortas of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive control rats (WKY) and maintained in culture. They were exposed to rHuEpo under various experimental conditions, and cells proliferative index was measured by [3H]-thymidine incorporation. Binding studies and Northern blots were performed in an attempt to identify a specific erythropoietin receptor (EpoR). In the latter experiment, Epo-responsive Rauscher Reds cells (Reds cells) were used as a positive control for mRNA EpoR expression. RESULTS: VSMC growth index of SHR was enhanced up to 1.6-fold by rHuEpo concentrations of 16 U/ml or more, in the presence of 1% fetal calf serum. No such stimulation was observed in VSMC of WKY. Binding studies with radiolabelled rHuEpo showed either extremely low or no specific binding of radiolabelled rHuEpo by VSMC. However, Northern blot analysis revealed the expression of EpoR mRNA in VSMC of either rat strain. CONCLUSION: The present report provides preliminary evidence in favour of a direct action of the hormone on vascular smooth muscle via a specific EpoR.

Effect of erythropoietin on DNA synthesis, proto-oncogene expression and phospholipase C activity in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

The administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) to anemic chronic renal failure patients may be associated with an increase in blood pressure, possibly by direct effects on peripheral blood vessels. The experiments of the present study were designed to explore the hypothesis that rHuEpo might exert mitogenic effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and that pre-existing hypertension might be a predisposing condition. Cultured aortic VSMCs from spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were studied for DNA synthesis, phospholipase C activity, and cell growth related proto-oncogene expression in the presence of rHuEpo. In cells from both rat strains, rHuEpo dose-dependently increased DNA synthesis and stimulated phospholipase C activity, as indicated by 3H-thymidine incorporation and inositol phosphate formation, respectively. Exposure of VSMCs to rHuEpo for various periods gradually increased the levels of c-myc and JunB mRNAs and transiently induced c-fos mRNA expression as determined by Northern analysis. The hormone-induced DNA synthesis was markedly enhanced in VSMCs from SHR compared to those from WKY. In contrast, rHuEpo-induced phospholipase C activity and proto-oncogene expression did not differ between the two strains. Taken together, these results suggest that rHuEpo may function as a vascular smooth muscle cell growth promoting factor through activation of the phospholipase C cascade and a modulation of proto-oncogene expression. It could thereby contribute to vascular hypertrophy and arterial hypertension.