84 research outputs found

    MicroRNAs in pulmonary arterial remodeling

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    Pulmonary arterial remodeling is a presently irreversible pathologic hallmark of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This complex disease involves pathogenic dysregulation of all cell types within the small pulmonary arteries contributing to vascular remodeling leading to intimal lesions, resulting in elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and right heart dysfunction. Mutations within the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 gene, leading to dysregulated proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, have been identified as being responsible for heritable PAH. Indeed, the disease is characterized by excessive cellular proliferation and resistance to apoptosis of smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Significant gene dysregulation at the transcriptional and signaling level has been identified. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that negatively regulate gene expression and have the ability to target numerous genes, therefore potentially controlling a host of gene regulatory and signaling pathways. The major role of miRNAs in pulmonary arterial remodeling is still relatively unknown although research data is emerging apace. Modulation of miRNAs represents a possible therapeutic target for altering the remodeling phenotype in the pulmonary vasculature. This review will focus on the role of miRNAs in regulating smooth muscle and endothelial cell phenotypes and their influence on pulmonary remodeling in the setting of PAH

    Transgenic Expression of Nonclassically Secreted FGF Suppresses Kidney Repair

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    FGF1 is a signal peptide-less nonclassically released growth factor that is involved in angiogenesis, tissue repair, inflammation, and carcinogenesis. The effects of nonclassical FGF export in vivo are not sufficiently studied. We produced transgenic mice expressing FGF1 in endothelial cells (EC), which allowed the detection of FGF1 export to the vasculature, and studied the efficiency of postischemic kidney repair in these animals. Although FGF1 transgenic mice had a normal phenotype with unperturbed kidney structure, they showed a severely inhibited kidney repair after unilateral ischemia/reperfusion. This was manifested by a strong decrease of postischemic kidney size and weight, whereas the undamaged contralateral kidney exhibited an enhanced compensatory size increase. In addition, the postischemic kidneys of transgenic mice were characterized by hyperplasia of interstitial cells, paucity of epithelial tubular structures, increase of the areas occupied by connective tissue, and neutrophil and macrophage infiltration. The continuous treatment of transgenic mice with the cell membrane stabilizer, taurine, inhibited nonclassical FGF1 export and significantly rescued postischemic kidney repair. It was also found that similar to EC, the transgenic expression of FGF1 in monocytes and macrophages suppresses kidney repair. We suggest that nonclassical export may be used as a target for the treatment of pathologies involving signal peptide-less FGFs

    Treprostinil increases the number and angiogenic potential of endothelial progenitor cells in children with pulmonary hypertension

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    Background Pulmonary vasodilators in general and prostacyclin therapy in particular, have markedly improved the outcome of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). As endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of PAH, and as endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) may contribute to vascular repair in PAH, we suspected that prostacyclin therapy might enhance EPC numbers and functions. In the present study, objectives were to determine whether EPC may contribute to vasodilator treatment efficacy in PAH. Methods We quantified CD34+ cells, CFU-Hill and ECFC (endothelial colony forming cells) in peripheral blood from children with idiopathic PAH (n = 27) or PAH secondary to congenital heart disease (n = 52). CD34+ were enumerated by flow cytometry, CFU-Hill and ECFC by a culture assay. ECFC grown ex vivo were tested for their angiogenic capacities before and after prostacyclin analog therapy (subcutaneous treprostinil). Results ECFC counts were significantly enhanced in the 8 children treated with treprostinil, while no change was observed in children receiving oral therapy with endothelin antagonists and/or PDE5 inhibitors. CD34+ cell and CFU-Hill counts were unaffected. ECFC from patients treated with treprostinil had a hyperproliferative phenotype and showed enhanced angiogenic potential in a nude mouse preclinical model of limb ischemia. Conclusions ECFC may partly mediate the clinical benefits of prostanoids in pulmonary arterial hypertension

    Phosphodiesterase 10A Upregulation Contributes to Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling

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    Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) modulate the cellular proliferation involved in the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH) by hydrolyzing cAMP and cGMP. The present study was designed to determine whether any of the recently identified PDEs (PDE7-PDE11) contribute to progressive pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH. All in vitro experiments were performed with lung tissue or pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) obtained from control rats or monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertensive (MCT-PH) rats, and we examined the effects of the PDE10 inhibitor papaverine (Pap) and specific small interfering RNA (siRNA). In addition, papaverine was administrated to MCT-induced PH rats from day 21 to day 35 by continuous intravenous infusion to examine the in vivo effects of PDE10A inhibition. We found that PDE10A was predominantly present in the lung vasculature, and the mRNA, protein, and activity levels of PDE10A were all significantly increased in MCT PASMCs compared with control PASMCs. Papaverine and PDE10A siRNA induced an accumulation of intracellular cAMP, activated cAMP response element binding protein and attenuated PASMC proliferation. Intravenous infusion of papaverine in MCT-PH rats resulted in a 40%–50% attenuation of the effects on pulmonary hypertensive hemodynamic parameters and pulmonary vascular remodeling. The present study is the first to demonstrate a central role of PDE10A in progressive pulmonary vascular remodeling, and the results suggest a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of PH

    New perspectives for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension

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    Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a debilitating disease with a poor prognosis. Therapeutic options remain limited despite the introduction of prostacyclin analogues, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors within the last 15 years; these interventions address predominantly the endothelial and vascular dysfunctionS associated with the condition, but simply delay progression of the disease rather than offer a cure. In an attempt to improve efficacy, emerging approaches have focused on targeting the pro-proliferative phenotype that underpins the pulmonary vascular remodelling in the lung and contributes to the impaired circulation and right heart failure. Many novel targets have been investigated and validated in animal models of PH, including modulation of guanylate cyclases, phosphodiesterases, tyrosine kinases, Rho kinase, bone morphogenetic proteins signalling, 5-HT, peroxisome proliferator activator receptors and ion channels. In addition, there is hope that combinations of such treatments, harnessing and optimizing vasodilator and anti-proliferative properties, will provide a further, possibly synergistic, increase in efficacy; therapies directed at the right heart may also offer an additional benefit. This overview highlights current therapeutic options, promising new therapies, and provides the rationale for a combination approach to treat the disease

    Physiopathology of experimental and human pulmonary arterial hypertension

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    La physiopathologie de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire (HTAP) implique de multiples mécanismes. Elle est caractérisée, entre autres, par la réduction de la production des facteurs vasodilatateurs, l'augmentation exagérée des facteurs vasoconstricteurs et des facteurs de croissance qui conduisent à la vasoconstruction, la prolifération et le remodelage vasculaire pulmonaire. Les cellules endothéliales pulmonaires secrètent des facteurs paracrines qui contribuent à l'hyperplasie des cellules musculaires lisses pendant la progression de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire. Le FGF2 produit par les cellules endothéliales et stocké dans la matrice extracellulaire, est l'un de ces facteurs très bien documenté pour entraîner une prolifération des CML. Cette étude montre que l'inhibition de l'expression pulmonaire du bFGF par l'injection répétée du SiRNA chez les rats traités à la MCT, est corrélée à l'amélioration des paramètres hémodynamiques, du remodelage vasculaire et de l'hypertrophie cardiaque droite, en traitement préventif et curatif. Chez les sujets atteints d'hypertension pulmonaire le niveau de la sérotonine circulant est très élevé. La biosynthèse de la sérotonine dépend de la tryptophane hydroxylase. Nous avons étudié l'impact des variations génétiques de la Tph1 et de la Tph2 sur le développement de l'HTAP chez les souris. Cette étude a montré que la déficience en Tph1 (Tph périphérique) protège les souris contre l'hypoxie alors que les souches de souris porteuses du polymorphisme C1473G au niveau du gène Tph2 (Tph centrale) montrent des phénotypes d'HTAP différents pendant l'hypoxie. En plus de l'importance de la TPH, l'expression du 5-HTT est aussi déterminant dans l'HTAP. Les souris SM22 surexprimant le 5-HTT dans les CML à un niveau proche de celui des CML des patients atteints d'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire développent spontanément une HTAP qui s'aggrave avec l'âge. Du fait de la baisse considérable de l'activité de ces deux enzymes, le NO synthase et la prostacycline synthase, au niveau des cellules endothéliales chez les patients HTAP, le taux de l'AMPc et du GMPc baisse. Les PDEs hydrolysent les deux messagers des agents vasodilatateurs prostacycline et oxyde nitrique, et l'utilisation des inhibiteurs de phosphodiestérases augmentent la concentration intracellulaire de GMPc et AMPc et causent la vasodilatation pulmonaire. Le traitements des rats HTAP avec l'inhibiteur du PDE4 (Roflumilast) avec deux doses 1,5 et 0,5mg/Kg/jour, a montré une régression de l'HTAP, baisse de l'hypertrophie cardiaque et du remodelage vasculaire des rats traités à la monocrotaline ou mises en hypoxie aigüe (10% O2), chez qui un traitement préventif et curatif a été effectué.The physiopatholy of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) implies multiple mechanisms. It is characterized by the reduction of the production of vasodilatators factors, the overproduction of vasoconstrictor factors and growth factors which lead to the pulmonary vasoconstriction, and the pulmonary vascular remodeling. The pulmonary endothelial cells release paracrine factors which contribute to the hyperplasy of the smooth muscule cells (SMC) during the progression of PAH. The FGF2 produced by the endothelial cells and stored in the extracellular matrix is reproted to be involved in the SMC proliferation. This study shows that inhibition of the pulmonary expression of FGF2 by the repeated injection of SiRNA in the rats treated with monocrotaline (MCT), is correlated with the improvment of the hemodynamic parameters, vascular remodeling and right ventricular hypertrophy, in both, a preventive and a curative treatment. In pateints with PAH, it has been shown that the circulating level of serotonin is very high as compared to control patients. The biosynthesis of serotonin depends on tryptophan hydroxylase. Therefore, we studied the impact of the genetic variations of Tph1 and Tph2 on the development of PAH in mice. This study showed that deficiency in Tph1 (peripheral Tph) protects mice against the hypoxia-induced PAH severity during hypoxia. In addition to the importance of the Tph, the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) expression is also a determining factor in the development of PAH. Mice overexpressing 5-HTT (SM22-5-HTT+ mice) specifically in SMC develop spontaneously PAH in normoxia, which worsens with age. We observed a significant decrease int he rate of cAMP and cGMP produced in the endothelial cells from patients with PAH, which has been reported to be due to low activities of NO synthase and prostacyclin synthase. Phosphodiesterases (PDE)hydrolize the two messengers (cAMP and cGMP), and the use of specific inhibitors of PDE increases the intracellular concentration of cGMP and cAMP and causes pulmonary vasodilatation. A daily oral administration of Roflumilast (1,5 and 0,5 mg/kg/day) a specific inhibitor of PDE4, was effective in preventing and in reversin the PAH in both experimental model of PAH, the MCT and chronic hypoxia (10%O2,2 weeks

    Physiopathology of experimental and human pulmonary arterial hypertension

    Get PDF
    La physiopathologie de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire (HTAP) implique de multiples mécanismes. Elle est caractérisée, entre autres, par la réduction de la production des facteurs vasodilatateurs, l'augmentation exagérée des facteurs vasoconstricteurs et des facteurs de croissance qui conduisent à la vasoconstruction, la prolifération et le remodelage vasculaire pulmonaire. Les cellules endothéliales pulmonaires secrètent des facteurs paracrines qui contribuent à l'hyperplasie des cellules musculaires lisses pendant la progression de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire. Le FGF2 produit par les cellules endothéliales et stocké dans la matrice extracellulaire, est l'un de ces facteurs très bien documenté pour entraîner une prolifération des CML. Cette étude montre que l'inhibition de l'expression pulmonaire du bFGF par l'injection répétée du SiRNA chez les rats traités à la MCT, est corrélée à l'amélioration des paramètres hémodynamiques, du remodelage vasculaire et de l'hypertrophie cardiaque droite, en traitement préventif et curatif. Chez les sujets atteints d'hypertension pulmonaire le niveau de la sérotonine circulant est très élevé. La biosynthèse de la sérotonine dépend de la tryptophane hydroxylase. Nous avons étudié l'impact des variations génétiques de la Tph1 et de la Tph2 sur le développement de l'HTAP chez les souris. Cette étude a montré que la déficience en Tph1 (Tph périphérique) protège les souris contre l'hypoxie alors que les souches de souris porteuses du polymorphisme C1473G au niveau du gène Tph2 (Tph centrale) montrent des phénotypes d'HTAP différents pendant l'hypoxie. En plus de l'importance de la TPH, l'expression du 5-HTT est aussi déterminant dans l'HTAP. Les souris SM22 surexprimant le 5-HTT dans les CML à un niveau proche de celui des CML des patients atteints d'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire développent spontanément une HTAP qui s'aggrave avec l'âge. Du fait de la baisse considérable de l'activité de ces deux enzymes, le NO synthase et la prostacycline synthase, au niveau des cellules endothéliales chez les patients HTAP, le taux de l'AMPc et du GMPc baisse. Les PDEs hydrolysent les deux messagers des agents vasodilatateurs prostacycline et oxyde nitrique, et l'utilisation des inhibiteurs de phosphodiestérases augmentent la concentration intracellulaire de GMPc et AMPc et causent la vasodilatation pulmonaire. Le traitements des rats HTAP avec l'inhibiteur du PDE4 (Roflumilast) avec deux doses 1,5 et 0,5mg/Kg/jour, a montré une régression de l'HTAP, baisse de l'hypertrophie cardiaque et du remodelage vasculaire des rats traités à la monocrotaline ou mises en hypoxie aigüe (10% O2), chez qui un traitement préventif et curatif a été effectué.The physiopatholy of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) implies multiple mechanisms. It is characterized by the reduction of the production of vasodilatators factors, the overproduction of vasoconstrictor factors and growth factors which lead to the pulmonary vasoconstriction, and the pulmonary vascular remodeling. The pulmonary endothelial cells release paracrine factors which contribute to the hyperplasy of the smooth muscule cells (SMC) during the progression of PAH. The FGF2 produced by the endothelial cells and stored in the extracellular matrix is reproted to be involved in the SMC proliferation. This study shows that inhibition of the pulmonary expression of FGF2 by the repeated injection of SiRNA in the rats treated with monocrotaline (MCT), is correlated with the improvment of the hemodynamic parameters, vascular remodeling and right ventricular hypertrophy, in both, a preventive and a curative treatment. In pateints with PAH, it has been shown that the circulating level of serotonin is very high as compared to control patients. The biosynthesis of serotonin depends on tryptophan hydroxylase. Therefore, we studied the impact of the genetic variations of Tph1 and Tph2 on the development of PAH in mice. This study showed that deficiency in Tph1 (peripheral Tph) protects mice against the hypoxia-induced PAH severity during hypoxia. In addition to the importance of the Tph, the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) expression is also a determining factor in the development of PAH. Mice overexpressing 5-HTT (SM22-5-HTT+ mice) specifically in SMC develop spontaneously PAH in normoxia, which worsens with age. We observed a significant decrease int he rate of cAMP and cGMP produced in the endothelial cells from patients with PAH, which has been reported to be due to low activities of NO synthase and prostacyclin synthase. Phosphodiesterases (PDE)hydrolize the two messengers (cAMP and cGMP), and the use of specific inhibitors of PDE increases the intracellular concentration of cGMP and cAMP and causes pulmonary vasodilatation. A daily oral administration of Roflumilast (1,5 and 0,5 mg/kg/day) a specific inhibitor of PDE4, was effective in preventing and in reversin the PAH in both experimental model of PAH, the MCT and chronic hypoxia (10%O2,2 weeks

    Physiopathologie de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire expérimentale et humaine

    No full text
    La physiopathologie de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire (HTAP) implique de multiples mécanismes. Elle est caractérisée, entre autres, par la réduction de la production des facteurs vasodilatateurs, l'augmentation exagérée des facteurs vasoconstricteurs et des facteurs de croissance qui conduisent à la vasoconstruction, la prolifération et le remodelage vasculaire pulmonaire. Les cellules endothéliales pulmonaires secrètent des facteurs paracrines qui contribuent à l'hyperplasie des cellules musculaires lisses pendant la progression de l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire. Le FGF2 produit par les cellules endothéliales et stocké dans la matrice extracellulaire, est l'un de ces facteurs très bien documenté pour entraîner une prolifération des CML. Cette étude montre que l'inhibition de l'expression pulmonaire du bFGF par l'injection répétée du SiRNA chez les rats traités à la MCT, est corrélée à l'amélioration des paramètres hémodynamiques, du remodelage vasculaire et de l'hypertrophie cardiaque droite, en traitement préventif et curatif. Chez les sujets atteints d'hypertension pulmonaire le niveau de la sérotonine circulant est très élevé. La biosynthèse de la sérotonine dépend de la tryptophane hydroxylase. Nous avons étudié l'impact des variations génétiques de la Tph1 et de la Tph2 sur le développement de l'HTAP chez les souris. Cette étude a montré que la déficience en Tph1 (Tph périphérique) protège les souris contre l'hypoxie alors que les souches de souris porteuses du polymorphisme C1473G au niveau du gène Tph2 (Tph centrale) montrent des phénotypes d'HTAP différents pendant l'hypoxie. En plus de l'importance de la TPH, l'expression du 5-HTT est aussi déterminant dans l'HTAP. Les souris SM22 surexprimant le 5-HTT dans les CML à un niveau proche de celui des CML des patients atteints d'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire développent spontanément une HTAP qui s'aggrave avec l'âge. Du fait de la baisse considérable de l'activité de ces deux enzymes, le NO synthase et la prostacycline synthase, au niveau des cellules endothéliales chez les patients HTAP, le taux de l'AMPc et du GMPc baisse. Les PDEs hydrolysent les deux messagers des agents vasodilatateurs prostacycline et oxyde nitrique, et l'utilisation des inhibiteurs de phosphodiestérases augmentent la concentration intracellulaire de GMPc et AMPc et causent la vasodilatation pulmonaire. Le traitements des rats HTAP avec l'inhibiteur du PDE4 (Roflumilast) avec deux doses 1,5 et 0,5mg/Kg/jour, a montré une régression de l'HTAP, baisse de l'hypertrophie cardiaque et du remodelage vasculaire des rats traités à la monocrotaline ou mises en hypoxie aigüe (10% O2), chez qui un traitement préventif et curatif a été effectué.The physiopatholy of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) implies multiple mechanisms. It is characterized by the reduction of the production of vasodilatators factors, the overproduction of vasoconstrictor factors and growth factors which lead to the pulmonary vasoconstriction, and the pulmonary vascular remodeling. The pulmonary endothelial cells release paracrine factors which contribute to the hyperplasy of the smooth muscule cells (SMC) during the progression of PAH. The FGF2 produced by the endothelial cells and stored in the extracellular matrix is reproted to be involved in the SMC proliferation. This study shows that inhibition of the pulmonary expression of FGF2 by the repeated injection of SiRNA in the rats treated with monocrotaline (MCT), is correlated with the improvment of the hemodynamic parameters, vascular remodeling and right ventricular hypertrophy, in both, a preventive and a curative treatment. In pateints with PAH, it has been shown that the circulating level of serotonin is very high as compared to control patients. The biosynthesis of serotonin depends on tryptophan hydroxylase. Therefore, we studied the impact of the genetic variations of Tph1 and Tph2 on the development of PAH in mice. This study showed that deficiency in Tph1 (peripheral Tph) protects mice against the hypoxia-induced PAH severity during hypoxia. In addition to the importance of the Tph, the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) expression is also a determining factor in the development of PAH. Mice overexpressing 5-HTT (SM22-5-HTT+ mice) specifically in SMC develop spontaneously PAH in normoxia, which worsens with age. We observed a significant decrease int he rate of cAMP and cGMP produced in the endothelial cells from patients with PAH, which has been reported to be due to low activities of NO synthase and prostacyclin synthase. Phosphodiesterases (PDE)hydrolize the two messengers (cAMP and cGMP), and the use of specific inhibitors of PDE increases the intracellular concentration of cGMP and cAMP and causes pulmonary vasodilatation. A daily oral administration of Roflumilast (1,5 and 0,5 mg/kg/day) a specific inhibitor of PDE4, was effective in preventing and in reversin the PAH in both experimental model of PAH, the MCT and chronic hypoxia (10%O2,2 weeks)PARIS-EST-Université (770839901) / SudocSudocFranceF

    Dichloroacetate treatment partially regresses established pulmonary hypertension in mice with SM22alpha-targeted overexpression of the serotonin transporter.

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    Voltage-gated potassium (Kv)1.5 is decreased in pulmonary arteries (PAs) of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and in experimental models including mice with SM22alpha-targeted overexpression of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT). The mechanisms underlying these abnormalities, however, remain unknown. Dichloroacetate (DCA) inhibits chronic hypoxia- or monocrotaline-induced PAH by inhibiting nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)c2 and increasing Kv1.5. Therefore, we hypothesized that DCA could regress established PAH in SM22-5-HTT+ mice. We evaluated pulmonary hemodynamics, vascular remodeling, NFATc2, and Kv1.5 protein in 20-wk-old SM22-5-HTT+ or wild-type mice treated for 1, 7, and 21 d with DCA, cyclosporine-A (NFAT inhibitor), or vehicle. DCA partially reversed PAH in SM22-5-HTT+ mice by decreasing proliferation and increasing apoptosis in muscularized PAs. Furthermore, serotonin (10(-8)-10(-6) M) dose-dependently increased PA-smooth muscle cell (PA-SMC) proliferation in culture (EC(50)=0.97 x 10(-7) M) and DCA (5 x 10(-4) M) vs. PBS markedly reduced the growth of PA-SMC from IPAH and control patients treated with the highest dose of serotonin by 50 and 30%, respectively. Finally, although serotonin induces NFATc2 activation in PA-SMCs, inhibition of NFATc2 alone with cyclosporine-A was not sufficient for reversing PAH in this model. Our results support the possibility that DCA may be an interesting agent for investigation in patients with PAH.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe
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