Galectin-3 mediates aldosterone-induced vascular fibrosis.
Abstract
International audienceOBJECTIVE: Aldosterone (Aldo) is involved in arterial stiffness and heart failure, but the mechanisms have remained unclear. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, plays an important role in inflammation, fibrosis, and heart failure. We investigated here whether Gal-3 is involved in Aldo-induced vascular fibrosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: In rat vascular smooth muscle cells Gal-3 overexpression enhanced specifically collagen type I synthesis. Moreover Gal-3 inhibition by modified citrus pectin or small interfering RNA blocked Aldo-induced collagen type I synthesis. Rats were treated with Aldo-salt combined with spironolactone or modified citrus pectin for 3 weeks. Hypertensive Aldo-treated rats presented vascular hypertrophy, inflammation, fibrosis, and increased aortic Gal-3 expression. Spironolactone or modified citrus pectin treatment reversed all the above effects. Wild-type and Gal-3 knock-out mice were treated with Aldo for 6 hours or 3 weeks. Aldo increased aortic Gal-3 expression, inflammation, and collagen type I in wild-type mice at both the short- and the long-term, whereas no changes occurred in Gal-3 knock-out mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that Gal-3 is required for inflammatory and fibrotic responses to Aldo in vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a key role for Gal-3 in vascular fibrosis- info:eu-repo/semantics/article
- Journal articles
- vascular smooth muscle cells
- galectin-3
- fibrosis
- collagen type I
- aldosterone
- MESH: Aldosterone
- MESH: Animals
- MESH: Male
- MESH: Mice
- MESH: RNA Interference
- MESH: Mice, Inbred C57BL
- MESH: Mice, Knockout
- MESH: Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists
- MESH: Muscle, Smooth, Vascular
- MESH: Myocytes, Smooth Muscle
- MESH: Rats
- MESH: Blood Pressure
- MESH: Cells, Cultured
- MESH: Rats, Wistar
- MESH: Time Factors
- MESH: Transfection
- MESH: Up-Regulation
- MESH: Vascular Stiffness
- MESH: Collagen Type I
- MESH: Inflammation
- MESH: Disease Models, Animal
- MESH: Fibrosis
- MESH: Galectin 3
- MESH: Humans
- MESH: Hypertension
- [SDV.MHEP.HEM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Hematology
- [SDV.BC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Cellular Biology
- [SDV.BBM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology