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Aortic stiffness

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Previous genomic studies with human tissues have compared differential gene expression between 2 conditions (ie, normal versus diseased) to identify altered gene expression in a binary manner; however, a potentially more informative approach is to correlate the levels of gene expression with quantitative physiological parameters. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we have used this approach to examine genes whose expression correlates with arterial stiffness in human aortic specimens. Our data identify 2 distinct groups of genes, those associated with cell signaling and those associated with the mechanical regulation of vascular structure (cytoskeletal-cell membrane-extracellular matrix). Although previous studies have concentrated on the contribution of the latter group toward arterial stiffness, our data suggest that changes in expression of signaling molecules play an equally important role. Alterations in the profiles of signaling molecules could be involved in the regulation of cell cytoskeletal organization, cell-matrix interactions, or the contractile state of the cell. CONCLUSIONS: Although the influence of smooth muscle contraction/relaxation on arterial stiffness could be controversial, our provocative data would suggest that further studies on this subject are indicated. Keywords: other

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE420 | GEO | 2003/08/28

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA84981

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:SMCs express plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which regulates SMC function and vascular remodeling. However, whether PAI-1 controls SMC cytoskeletal dynamics and stiffness is unknown, and the causal role of PAI-1 in arterial stiffening is undefined. SMCs from human coronary arteries and aortae of wild-type vs. PAI-1-deficient mice were cultured with or without PAI-039, a specific PAI-1 inhibitor, after which cell stiffness was measured by atomic force microscopy, filamentous actin structures were assessed by confocal microscopy, and the activities cofilin, LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK), slingshot homolog 1 (SSH), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were measured. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the effects of PAI-039 on SMC gene expression. Effects of PAI-039 on aortic stiffness were assessed by pulse wave velocity. PAI-039 significantly reduced intrinsic stiffness of human SMCs, which was accompanied by significant decreases in cytoplasmic actin filaments. Similar effects were observed in wild-type, but not in PAI-1-deficient SMCs. Mechanistically, PAI-039 significantly increased the activity of cofilin, an actin depolymerase, in SMCs expressing PAI-1, but not in PAI-1-deficient cells. PAI-039 had no significant effects on LIMK or SSH activity. RNA-sequencing analysis suggested that PAI-039 up-regulates AMPK signaling in SMCs, which was confirmed by western blotting. Inhibition of AMPK prevented activation of cofilin by PAI-039. In mice, PAI-039 significantly decreased aortic stiffness without significantly altering peri-aortic fibrosis. PAI-039 decreases intrinsic SMC stiffness by reducing cytoplasmic stress fiber content. These effects are mediated by AMPK-dependent activation of cofilin. PAI-039 also decreases aortic stiffness in vivo. These findings suggest that PAI-1 is an important regulator of the SMC cytoskeleton and that pharmacologic inhibition of PAI-1 has potential to treat cardiovascular diseases mediated by accelerated arterial stiffening.

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Aortic stiffness

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