Mufangji tang ameliorates pulmonary arterial hypertension through improving vascular remodeling,inhibiting inflammatory response and oxidative stress,and inducing apoptosis

Background:Mufangji tang(MFJT)is composed of Ramulus Cinnamomi,Radix Ginseng,Cocculus orbiculatus(Linn.)DC.,and Gypsum.In clinical settings,MFJT has been effectively employed in addressing a range of respiratory disorders,notably including pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH).However,the mechanism of action of MFJT on PAH remains unknown.Methods:In this study,a monocrotaline-induced PAH rat model was established and treated with MFJT.The therapeutic effects of MFJT on PAH rat model were evaluated.Network pharmacology was conducted to screen the possible targets for MFJT on PAH,and the molecular docking between the main active components and the core targets was carried out.The key targets identified from network pharmacology were tested.Results:Results showed significant therapeutic effects of MFJT on PAH rat model.Analysis of network pharmacology revealed several potential targets related to apoptosis,inflammation,oxidative stress,and vascular remodeling.Molecular docking showed that the key components were well docked with the core targets.Further experimental validation results that MFJT treatment induced apoptosis(downregulated Bcl-2 levels and upregulated Bax levels in lung tissue),inhibited inflammatory response and oxdative stress(decreased the levels of IL-1β,TNF-α,inducible NOS,and malondialdehyde,and increased the levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase,nitric oxide,glutathione and superoxide dismutase),reduced the proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells(downregulated ET-1 andβ-catenin levels and ERK1/2 phosphorylation,increased GSK3βlevels).Conclusion:Our study revealed MFJT treatment could alleviate PAH in rats via induction of apoptosis,inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress,and the prevention of vascular remodeling.

Effects of atorvastatin on vascular remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective: To investigate the structural changes of aorta, and evaluate the effects of atorvastatinon the remodeling of thoracic aorta in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) . Methods : Twelve eight-week-old SHR were randomized into atorvastatin treated group( ATV group, n = 6) and distilled water group( DW group, n = 6) ; Wistar-Kyoto rats(WKY) were used as normal controls. Atorvastatin was administered to ATV group for 10 weeks by gavage in mixture with distilled water( 1ml) ; the latter two groups were given the same amount of distilled water by gavage for 10 weeks. Systolic blood pressure of caudal artery was examined before and after treatment, and serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-C were measured.Wall thickness, media thickness, medial cross-sectional area and lumen diameter of thoracic aorta were assessed with computed video processing. Results: Systolic blood pressure in ATV group was markedly lower than that in DW group( P < 0.01). Compared with DW group and WKY group, serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-C in ATV group were significantly lower( P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Wall thickness, media thickness, and medial cross-sectional area to lumen ratio in DW group were significantly higher than those in WKY group and ATV group( P < 0.01, P < 0.05), but no such difference was found between WKY group and ATV group( P > 0.05 ). Conclusion : Vascular structural changes of aorta are due to the alteration of the vessel wall in early stage of SHR. Atorvastatin can markedly improve vascular remodeling.

Hypoxia promotes pulmonary vascular remodeling via HIF-1α to regulate mitochondrial dynamics

Background Increasing research suggests that mitochondrial defect plays a major role in pulmonary hypertension(PH) pathogenesis. Mitochondrial dynamics and quality control have a central role in the maintenance of the cell proliferation and apoptosis balance. However, the molecular mechanism underlying of this balance is still unknown. Methods To clarify the biological effects of hypoxic air exposure and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) on pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell(PASMC) and pulmonary arterial hypertension rats, the cells were cultured in a hypoxic chamber under oxygen concentrations. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species level, cell death, mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial function and mitochondrial biosynthesis, as well as fission-and fusion-related proteins, were measured under hypoxic conditions. In addition, rats were maintained under hypoxic conditions, and the right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy index and right ventricular weight/body weight ratio were examined and recorded. Further, we assessed the role of HIF-1α in the development and progression of PH using HIF-1α gene knockdown using small interfering RNA transfection. Mdivi-1 treatment was performed before hypoxia to inhibit dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1). Results We found that HIF-1α expression was increased during hypoxia, which was crucial for hypoxia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and hypoxia-stimulated PASMCs proliferation and apoptosis. We also found that targeting mitochondrial fission Drp1 by mitochondrial division inhibitor Mdivi-1 was effective in PH model rats. The results showed that mitochondrial dynamics were involved in the pulmonary vascular remodeling under hypoxia in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, HIF-1α also modulated mitochondrial dynamics in pulmonary vascular remodeling under hypoxia through directly regulating the expression of Drp1. Conclusions In conclusion, our data suggests that abnormal mitochondrial dynamics could be a marker for the early diagnosis of PH and monitoring disease progression. Further research is needed to study the signaling pathways that govern mitochondrial fission/fusion in PH.

The Role of Endogenous Carbon Monoxide in the Hypoxic Vascular Remodeling of Rat Model of Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension

We investigated the expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO 1) gene and production of endogenous carbon monoxide (CO) in the rat lung tissue at different time points of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and the effect of hemin on the expression of HO 1 gene and pulmonary hypertension. A rat model of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension was recreated by exposure to intermittent normobaric hypoxic environment (10 % O 2). Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) was performed to determine the level of HO 1 mRNA in the rat lung tissue and double wave length spectrophotometry was used to evaluate the quantity of COHb in arterial blood. Cardiac catheterization was employed to measure the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and HE staining was performed in dissected lung tissue to observe the pathological changes of the intra acinar pulmonary arteries (IAPA). It was found that (1) There was a low level of HO 1 mRNA in normal rat lung tissue, but the level of HO 1 mRNA increased by 2-4 times in the lung tissue of hypoxic rats ( P <0.01). The quantity of COHb was 2-3 times those of control group ( P <0.01 or P <0.05). These were accompanied by the increased of RVSP and the thickened IAPA; (2) Hemin could keep the HO 1 mRNA and COHb in the hypoxic rat lung tissue at a high level, and partially suppressed the increase of rat RVSP, thereby ameliorating the pathological changes of IAPA. In conclusion, the upregulation of the expression of HO 1 gene and production of CO in the rat lung of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension plays a role of inhibition in the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Hemin has a therapeutic effect on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

Profilin-1 is involved in macroangiopathy induced by advanced glycation end products via vascular remodeling and inflammation

BACKGROUND The accumulation of advanced glycation end products(AGEs)have been implicated in the development and progression of diabetic vasculopathy.However,the role of profilin-1 as a multifunctional actin-binding protein in AGEs-induced atherosclerosis(AS)is largely unknown.AIM To explore the potential role of profilin-1 in the pathogenesis of AS induced by AGEs,particularly in relation to the Janus kinase 2(JAK2)and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.METHODS Eighty-nine individuals undergoing coronary angiography were enrolled in the study.Plasma cytokine levels were detected using ELISA kits.Rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells(RASMCs)were incubated with different compounds for different times.Cell proliferation was determined by performing the MTT assay and EdU staining.An AGEs-induced vascular remodeling model was established in rats and histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed.The mRNA and protein levels were detected using real-time PCR and Western blot analysis,respectively.In vivo,shRNA transfection was performed to verify the role of profilin-1 in AGEs-induced proatherogenic mediator release and aortic remodeling.Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 software.RESULTS Compared with the control group,plasma levels of profilin-1 and receptor for AGEs(RAGE)were significantly increased in patients with coronary artery disease,especially in those complicated with diabetes mellitus(P<0.01).The levels of profilin-1 were positively correlated with the levels of RAGE(P<0.01);additionally,the levels of both molecules were positively associated with the degree of coronary artery stenosis(P<0.01).In vivo,tail vein injections of AGEs induced the release of proatherogenic mediators,such as asymmetric dimethylarginine,intercellular adhesion molecule-1,and the N-terminus of procollagen III peptide,concomitant with apparent aortic morphological changes and significantly upregulated expression of the profilin-1 mRNA and protein in the thoracic aorta(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Downregulation of profilin-1 expression with an shRNA significantly attenuated AGEs-induced proatherogenic mediator release(P<0.05)and aortic remodeling.In vitro,incubation of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)with AGEs significantly promoted cell proliferation and upregulated the expression of the profilin-1 mRNA and protein(P<0.05).AGEs(200μg/mL,24 h)significantly upregulated the expression of the STAT3 mRNA and protein and JAK2 protein,which was blocked by a JAK2 inhibitor(T3042-1)and/or STAT3 inhibitor(T6308-1)(P<0.05).In addition,pretreatment with T3042-1 or T6308-1 significantly inhibited AGEs-induced RASMC proliferation(P<0.05).CONCLUSION AGEs induce proatherogenic events such as VSMC proliferation,proatherogenic mediator release,and vascular remodeling,changes that can be attenuated by silencing profilin-1 expression.These results suggest a crucial role for profilin-1 in AGEs-induced vasculopathy.

Effects of low ambient temperatures and dietary vitamin C supplementation on pulmonary vascular remodeling and hypoxic gene expression of 21-d-old broilers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of low ambient temperature （LAT） and dietary vitamin C （VC） sup- plementation on pulmonary vascular remodeling （PVR） and the relative expression of hypoxia inducible factor-la （HIF-la）, vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and its receptor 2 （VEGFR-2） mRNA of lungs in 21-d-old broilers. 400 1-d-old male Cobb broilers were assigned randomly to 4 treatments as follows for 21 d： 1 ） LAT and a basal diet; 2） LAT and a basal diet supplemented with 1 000 mg kg-1 VC （LAT＋VC）; 3） normal ambient temperature （NAT） and a basal diet; 4） NAT and a basal diet supplemented with 1 000 mg kg-1 VC （NAT＋VC）. Each treatment was composed of 10 replicates of 10 birds per replicate. Samples of lung were collected after the broilers were killed at d 21. LAT increased the ratio of vessel wall area to vessel total area （WA/TA, %） and mean media thickness in pulmonary arterioles （mMTPA, %） （P〈0.05）. Dietary VC supplementation decreased mMTPA （P〈0.05）, but had no effect on the WA/TA. LAT increased （P〈0.05） the relative mRNA expression of HIF-la, VEGF and VEGFR-2, while adding VC to the diet could decrease （P〈0.05） their relative mRNA expression. A significant positive correlation existed between the level of VEGF mRNA expression and the value of WA/WT （P〈0.05） or mMTPA （P〈0.05）. These results suggested LAT resulted in pulmonary vascular remodeling, and the increase of HIF-la, VEGF and VEGFR-2 mRNA expression, and dietary VC supplementation can alleviate pulmonary vascular remodeling in broiler by affecting these gene expression.

Sang-Yod rice bran hydrolysates alleviate hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, vascular remodeling, and oxidative stress in nitric oxide deficient hypertensive rats

Objective:To evaluate the potential therapeutic effect of Sang-Yod rice bran hydrolysates(SRH)and in combination with lisinopril against hypertension,endothelial dysfunction,vascular remodeling,and oxidative stress in rats with nitric oxide deficiency-induced hypertension.Methods:Hypertension was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by administration of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor,Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME)in drinking water for 6 weeks.Hypertensive rats were administered daily with SRH(500 mg/kg/day),lisinopril(1 mg/kg/day),or the combination of SRH and lisinopril by gastric lavage for the last 3 weeks of L-NAME treatment.Hemodynamic status,vascular reactivity to vasoactive agents,and vascular remodeling were assessed.Blood and aortic tissues were collected for measurements of oxidative stress markers,plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)activity,plasma angiotensinⅡ,and protein expression.Results:L-NAME induced remarkable hypertension and severe oxidative stress,and altered contents of smooth muscle cells,elastin,and collagen of the aortic wall.SRH or lisinopril alone reduced blood pressure,restored endothelial function,decreased plasma ACEs and angiotensinⅡlevels,alleviated oxidant markers and glutathione redox status,and restored the vascular structure.The effects were associated with increased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and decreased expression of gp91phox and AT1R expression.The combination of SRH and lisinopril was more effective than monotherapy.Conclusions:SRH alone or in combination with lisinopril exert an antihypertensive effect and improve endothelial function and vascular remodeling through reducing oxidative stress and suppressing elevated renin-angiotensin system.

Increasing angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)2/ACE axes ratio alleviates early pulmonary vascular remodeling in a porcine model of acute pulmonary embolism with cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND:Acute pulmonary embolism(APE)with cardiac arrest(CA)is characterized by high mortality in emergency due to pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH).This study aims to determine whether early pulmonary artery remodeling occurs in PAH caused by massive APE with CA and the protective effects of increasing angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)2-angiotensin(Ang)(1-7)-Mas receptor axis and ACE-Ang II-Ang II type 1 receptor(AT1)axis(ACE2/ACE axes)ratio on pulmonary artery lesion after return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC).METHODS:To establish a porcine massive APE with CA model,autologous thrombus was injected into the external jugular vein until mean arterial pressure dropped below 30 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa).Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and thrombolysis were delivered to regain spontaneous circulation.Pigs were divided into four groups of five pigs each:control group,APE-CA group,ROSC-saline group,and ROSC-captopril group,to examine the endothelial pathological changes and expression of ACE2/ACE axes in pulmonary artery with or without captopril.RESULTS:Histological analysis of samples from the APE-CA and ROSC-saline groups showed that pulmonary arterioles were almost completely occluded by accumulated endothelial cells.Western blotting analysis revealed a decrease in the pulmonary arterial ACE2/ACE axes ratio and increases in angiopoietin-2/angiopoietin-1 ratio and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in the APE-CA group compared with the control group.Captopril significantly suppressed the activation of angiopoietin-2/angiopoietin-1 and VEGF in plexiform lesions formed by proliferative endothelial cells after ROSC.Captopril also alleviated endothelial cell apoptosis by increasing the B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X(Bax)ratio and decreasing cleaved caspase-3 expression.CONCLUSION:Increasing the ACE2/ACE axes ratio may ameliorate pulmonary arterial remodeling by inhibiting the apoptosis and proliferation of endothelial cells after ROSC induced by APE.

Calpain mediated pulmonary vascular remodeling in hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension

OBJECTIVE To explore the role of calpain in in pulmonary vascular remodeling in hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension and the underlying mechanism.METHODS Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into hypoxia group and normoxia control group.Right ventricular systolic pressure(RVSP)and mean pulmonary artery pressure(m PAP)were monitored by the method of right external jugular vein cannula.Right ventricular hypertrophy index was expressed as the ratio of right ventricular weight to left ventricular weight(left ventricle plus septum weight).Level of calpain-1,calpain-2and calpain-4 m RNA in pulmonary artery trunk were determined by real-time PCR.Expression of calpain-1,calpain-2 and calpain-4 protein was determined by Western Blot.Primary rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells(PASMCs)were divided into 4 groups:normoxia control group,normoxia+MDL28170 group,hypoxia group and hypoxia+MDL28170 group.Cell proliferation was detected by MTS and flow cytometry.Level of Ki-67 and PCNA m RNA were determined by real-time PCR.RESULTS RVSP,m PAP and right ventricular remodeling index were significantly higher in the hypoxia group than those in the normoxia group.In the hypoxia group,pulmonary vascular remodeling occurred,and the expression of calpain-1,calpain-2 and calpain-4 m RNA and protein expression was increased in the pulmonary artery.MDL28170 significantly inhibited hypoxia-induced proliferation of PASMCs accompanied with decreased Ki-67and PCNA m RNA expression.CONCLUSION Calpain mediated vascular remodeling via promoting proliferation of PASMCs in hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension.

Regulation of microRNAs in cell signaling pathways-mediated vascular remodeling

Vascular remodeling,which can be found in atherosclerosis,restenosis after angioplasty,hypertension,and some other frequent and serious chronic diseases.Smooth muscle cell(SMC)phenotype change,which has been described as converting from a contractile state into a synthetic phenotype,is a crucial event during vascular remodeling.Recently,micro RNAs(mi RNAs)a kind of small non-coding RNA molecules,has been proven to target critical genes of cell signaling pathways to regulate SMC phenotypic change.By searching the Pub Med,Embase,reviews,and reference listsof relevant papers,we systematically carried out a review of the literature to provide an overview of the mi RNAs and their target genes in cell signaling pathways,focus inthe pathways involving in SMC phenotype change.To be specific,mi RNAs that regulate genes involved in the MAPK signaling pathways(such as:mi R-155,mi R-92a,mi R-424/503,mi R-133,mi R-181b,mi R-31,mi R-1298,mi R-132,mi R-200c and mi R-483-3p),mi RNAs target genes involved in the TGF-βsignaling pathways(including mi R-24,mi R-17/92 cluster,mi R-599,mi R-21 and mi R-143/145),mi RNAs target the genes involved in the AMPK signaling pathways including mi R-144/451 and mi R-195,mi RNAs target the genes involved in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathways(including mi R-138,mi R-34c,mi R-223,mi R-761,mi R-10a,mi R-146a),mi R-199a-5ptargets the genes involved in the Wnt signaling pathways mi RNAs(mi R-221/222,mi R-15b,mi R-24/29a,mi R-224)involved in the PDGF signaling pathways and some mi RNAs(mi R-638,mi R-328,mi R-365,mi R-663,mi R-29b,mi R-130,mi R-142-5p,mi R-424/322)which regulate SMC phenotype change by other corresponding targets were in detailed discussed in our review.Exploring the regulation of miR NAs in key cellsignaling pathways-mediatedvascular remodeling wil have momentous impact on identifying novel therapeutic targets for its associated disease.

Integrated network pharmacology and experimental verification to explore the mechanism of Sangqi Qingxuan formula against hypertensive vascular remodeling

Objective: To investigate the bioactive components of Sangqi Qingxuan formula(SQQX), predict the pharmacological targets, and explore the mechanism of hypertensive vascular remodeling(HVR).Methods: Network pharmacology was adopted to predict how SQQX acts in HVR. The effectiveness was assessed by blood pressure measurements and pathological morphology observation based on a spontaneously hypertensive rat model, while the mechanism of SQQX on HVR was validated by immunohistochemistry(IHC) and western blot(WB) according to the results of network pharmacology.Results: There were 130 bioactive components of SQQX and 231 drug targets predicted by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database. Subsequently, 181 common targets were identified for SQQX against HVR, with TP53, MAPK1, and AKT1 as the core targets. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses was employed to identify the top 20 enriched functions and the top 20 pathways(P <.01). Finally, the key role of the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway in HVR was determined. The in vivo results suggested that SQQX reduced systolic blood pressure and increased the ratio of thoracic aortic wall thickness to lumen diameter. Additionally, compared with the model group, SQQX increased the expression of smooth muscle 22 alpha(IHC: P <.001;WB:P <.05) and decreased the expression of osteopontin(IHC: P <.001;WB: P <.05), ERK1/2(IHC: P <.001;WB: ERK1 & ERK2, all P <.05), p-ERK1/2(IHC: P <.001;WB: ERK1 & ERK2, all P <.05), and the ratio of pERK1/2 to ERK1/2 protein(IHC: P <.001).Conclusions: SQQX, which has multiple bioactive ingredients and potential targets, is an effective treatment for HVR. The mechanism of antihypertensive and vascular protection may be related to the inhibition of phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway.

Regulation and function of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in pathological vascular remodeling

Pathological vascular remodeling is characterized by thickening or thinning of the vessel wall through altering cellular and non-cellular components,which associates with various blood circulation disorders in brain,heart,lung,and peripheral vasculatures. Pathological vascular remodeling occurs in response to a variety of vascular insults such as mechanical(angioplasty or stenting) or biological(lipids,diabetes,smoking,or virus) injuries. It is a polygenic process involving multiple cell types in the vessel wall or circulation,including endothelial cells(ECs),smooth muscle cells(SMCs),fibroblasts,leukocytes,and platelets. One of hallmarks is the transition of vascular smooth muscle cells(SMCs)from a differentiated/quiescent contractile phenotype to a myofibroblast-like dedifferentiated/active so-called synthetic phenotype. Synthetic SMCs are proliferatory,migratory,secretory and inflammatory,playing key roles in the pathogenesis of vascular remodeling. In the normal vessel,ECs synthesize and secrete biological substances such as prostacyclins(PGI_2) and nitric oxide(NO) that not only function as vasodilators but also inhibit SMC phenotype transition and other properties associated with the synthetic phenotype. Cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP are primary mediators of PGI_2 and NO,respectively,and play critical roles in control vascular structural integrity and function. Cyclic nucleotides are controlled by selective activation or inhibition of distinct cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase(PDE) isozymes catalyzing the degradation reaction. To date,more than 60 different PDE isoenzymes derived from 22 genes are identified and grouped into 11 broad families(PDE1-PDE11). PDEs are expressed in a cell/tissue-specific manner and only a few enzymes are expressed in any single cell type. Through systematic assessment of the expression levels of all known PDE isoforms in contractile versus synthetic SMCs,we found that the expression levels of a number of PDE are significantly altered between two SMC phenotypes. We then explored the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of these altered PDEs in vascular SMCs pathogenesis and vascular remodeling in vitro and in vivo using a variety of gain-of-or loss-of-function approaches. For example,we found that Ca^(2+)/calmodulinstimulated cAMP/cGMP-hydrolyzing PDE 1C is selectively expressed in synthetic SMCs in vitro and in various vascular disease models in vivo. PDE 1C upregulation contributes to a number of pathogenic functions of synthetic SMCs,such as cell proliferation,migration,and matrix protein metabolism.PDE 1C deficiency markedly attenuates intimal hyperplasia,atherosclerosis,and aortic aneurysm in experimental mouse disease models. These findings suggest that PDE 1C functions as a key regulator of the synthetic SMC pathology in vascular remodeling. Inhibiting PDE 1C function may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for protecting against the pathogenesis of vascular diseases.

Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Intervening Vascular Remodeling after Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty

Interventional therapy of coronary heart disease (CHD) includes percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), stent implantation etc. Owing to its revascularization without cardiac surgery, it has been the main effective method in treating CHD. But at the same time, there exists the problem of restenosis (RS). After PTCA, RS

Age-Related Changes of Procollagen Alpha Polypeptide in Vascular Remodeling in Rat Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell

The current study revealed that increased synthesis and secretion of collagen types I and III play major roles in arterial wall remodeling, aneurysm formation, and atherosclerotic cap stability. The aim is to investigate the age-related changes of the procollagen alpha polypeptide gene mRNA and protein expression in the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in rats, as well as the possible underlying mechanisms. We tested in vitro culture of VSMC from the thoracoabdominal aorta in neonate and 9-month-old healthy male Wistar rats;procollagen alpha polypeptide mRNA and procollagen alpha polypeptide protein expression were detected, using RT-PCR, VG staining, Western blot and ELISA methods. Semi-quantitative analysis displayed that, in the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the type I collagen α polypeptide chain mRNA increased in the adult group, but not significantly (P = 0.05). Further, there was no significant difference between the two groups of type III collagen α polypeptide chain mRNA (P > 0.05). Both the type I and type III procollagen alpha polypeptide protein expression were increased significantly in the older group as compared with the young group (P < 0.05). This phenomenon mainly lies in the fact that the regulatory pathway on age-related changes of procollagen alpha polypeptides may be one of the molecular mechanisms in vascular remodeling during aging.

Effect of splitting combination of different components of Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu Capsule on vascular remodeling in hypertension

Objective： To observe the effects of the components of Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu Capsule （ZLHXTY） on the expression of NF-κB-P65 and ICAM-1 in blood vessels of rats, and to explore the effect and mechanism of ZLHXTY and its ingredients on vascular remodeling in hypertension. Methods： A rat model of renal hypertension was established by narrowing the left renal artery in the operation group. The corresponding drugs were given once a day respectively. The Normal group, Sham-operation group and Model group were administered with the same volume of normal saline. After 4 weeks of gavage, the thoracic aorta of rat was taken, followed by fixation, embedding, sectioning and HE staining, and NF-κB -p65 was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results： 1. The effect of drugs on the expression of NF-κB in thoracic aorta of hypertensive rats （immunohistochemistry）： A small amount of NF-κB protein was expressed in the Normal group and the Sham-operate group. The NF-κB expression in the Model group was significantly increased, and the electron microscope image showed that the brown-yellow granule was distributed in the vascular smooth muscle of the membrane. After treatment, the expression of NF-κB in the Captopril group and the Whole prescription group was significantly reduced compared with the Model group, while the protein expression in other groups was decreased compared with the Model group. The protein expression of captopril group was decreased compared with that of the Whole prescription group. Compared with Promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis group, the expression of NF-κB in Benefiting qi group was significantly decreased and was similar to that in Warming meridian group. Conclusion： The vascular remodeling mechanism of ZLHXTY on renal hypertension rats may be related to its effects on lowering blood pressure, antioxidant stress and anti-inflammation. After the compatibility of formula produced a significant synergistic effect, and its compatibility after embodies multiple targets for treatment of advantages of traditional Chinese medicine.

Renovascular hypertension causes cerebral vascular remodeling

Renovascular hypertensive rats （RHRs） were developed using the 2-kidney, 2-clip method. All RHRs at 10 weeks displayed high permeability of the cerebral surface blood vessels. Vascular casts of the RHRs showed that the vascular network was sparse. The arterioles of the RHRs at 10 weeks had smaller lumen diameters, but thicker vessel walls with hyalinosis formation compared with control animals. The endothelial cell membrane appeared damaged, and microthrombus formed. After ischemia, the infarction size was larger in RHRs than in control animals. These results suggest that cerebral arterioles in RHRs underwent structural remodeling. High blood pressure may aggravate the severity of brain injury in cerebral ischemia and affect the recovery of ischemia.

Potassium dehydroandrographolide succinate regulates the MyD88/CDH13 signaling pathway to enhance vascular injuryinduced pathological vascular remodeling

Pathological vascular remodeling is a hallmark of various vascular diseases.Previous research has established the significance of andrographolide in maintaining gastric vascular homeostasis and its pivotal role in modulating endothelial barrier dysfunction,which leads to pathological vascular remodeling.Potassium dehydroandrographolide succinate(PDA),a derivative of andrographolide,has been clinically utilized in the treatment of inflammatory diseases precipitated by viral infections.This study investigates the potential of PDA in regulating pathological vascular remodeling.The effect of PDA on vascular remodeling was assessed through the complete ligation of the carotid artery in C57BL/6 mice.Experimental approaches,including rat aortic primary smooth muscle cell culture,flow cytometry,bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU)incorporation assay,Boyden chamber cell migration assay,spheroid sprouting assay,and Matrigel-based tube formation assay,were employed to evaluate the influence of PDA on the proliferation and motility of smooth muscle cells(SMCs).Molecular docking simulations and co-immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to examine protein interactions.The results revealed that PDA exacerbates vascular injury-induced pathological remodeling,as evidenced by enhanced neointima formation.PDA treatment significantly increased the proliferation and migration of SMCs.Further mechanistic studies disclosed that PDA upregulated myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)expression in SMCs and interacted with T-cadherin(CDH13).This interaction augmented proliferation,migration,and extracellular matrix deposition,culminating in pathological vascular remodeling.Our findings underscore the critical role of PDA in the regulation of pathological vascular remodeling,mediated through the MyD88/CDH13 signaling pathway.

ACE2/Ang-(1-7) signaling and vascular remodeling

The renin-angiotensin system(RAS)regulates vascular tone and plays a critical role in vascular remodeling,which is the result of a complex interplay of alterations in vascular tone and structure.Inhibition of the RAS has led to important pharmacological tools to prevent and treat vascular diseases such as hypertension,diabetic vasculopathy and atherosclerosis.Angiotensin converting enzyme 2(ACE2)was recently identified as a multifunctional monocarboxypeptidase responsible for the conversion of angiotensin(Ang)II to Ang-(1-7).The ACE2/Ang-(1-7)signaling has been shown to prevent cellular proliferation,pathological hypertrophy,oxidative stress and vascular fibrosis.Thus,the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)signaling is deemed to be beneficial to the cardiovascular system as a negative regulator of the RAS.The addition of the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)signaling to the complexities of the RAS may lead to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of hypertension and other vascular diseases.The present review considers recent findings regarding the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)signaling and focuses on its regulatory roles in processes related to proliferation,inflammation,vascular fibrosis and remodeling,providing proof of principle for the potential use of ACE2 as a novel therapy for vascular disorders related to vascular remodeling.

Effect of probucol on vascular remodeling due to atherosclerosis in rabbits： an intravascular ultrasound study

Background Probucol is known to reduce the development of atherosclerotic lesions, but its impact on vascular remodeling associated with de novo atherosclerosis is incompletely understood. We therefore examined the effect of probucol on vascular remodeling in a rabbit model of established atherosclerosis. Methods Aortic atherosclerosis was induced by a combination of endothelial injury and 10 weeks＇ atherogenic diet. Animals were then randomized to receive the foregoing diet without or with 1% （wt/wt） probucol for 16 weeks. At the end of week 26, in vivo intravascular ultrasound, pathological, immunohistochemical and gene expression studies were performed. Results Probucol significantly decreased vessel cross-sectional area, plaque area and plaque burden without effect on lumen area. More negative remodeling and less positive remodeling occurred in the abdominal aortas of probucol group than the control group （56% vs. 21%, 18% vs. 54%, respectively, both P〈0.01）. In addition, the probucol group showed a smaller mean remodeling index relative to the control group （0.93 ± 0.13 vs. 1.05 ± 0.16, P 〈0.01）. Furthermore, probucol treatment decreased macrophage infiltration, inhibited apoptosis of cells within plaques, and reduced the production of matrix metalloproteinases-2, -9, cathepsin K and cathepsin S （all P 〈0.01）. Conclusions These findings suggest that probucol may attenuate the enlargement of atherosclerotic vessel walls and be associated with a negative remodeling pattern without affecting the lumen size. This effect may involve inhibition of extracellular matrix degradation and prevention of apoptosis in atherosclerotic plaques.

Vascular remodeling and mobilization of bone marrow-derived cells in cuff-induced vascular injury in LDL receptor knockout mice

Background Vascular remodeling is an important pathologic process in vascular injury for various vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis, postangioplasty restenosis and transplant arteriopathy. Recently, pathologic change and the role of bone marrow derived cells were wildly studied in atherosclerosis and restenosis. But the manner of lesion formation in neointima and cell recruitment in vascular remodeling lesion in the present of hypercholesterolemia is not yet fully understood. Methods Double-transgenic mice knockout of LDL receptor gene （LDL-/-） and expressing ubiquitously green fluorescent protein （GFP） were obtained by cross-breeding LDL -/- mice with the GFP-expressing transgenic mice. LDL-/- mice （22-24 weeks of age） fed high fat diet containing 1.25% （w/w） cholesterol were subjected to 9Gy irradiation and received bone marrow （BM） cells from the double-transgenic mice. Four weeks later, a nonconstrictive cuff was placed around the right femoral artery. After another 2 weeks, both right and left femoral arteries were harvested and subjected to histochemical analysis. Apoptosis was analyzed in situ using TUNEL assay. Results Two weeks after cuff placement, atherosclerotic lesions developed in the intima consisting of a massive accumulation of foam cells. The tissue stained with anti-α smooth muscle actin （SMA） antibody, showed a number of SMA-positive cells in the intimal lesion area. They were also positive for GFP, indicating that BM-derived cells can differentiate to SMCs in the intima in cuff-induced vascular remodeling lesions. Numerous small vessels in the adventitia as well as the endothelial lining of the intima were positive both for CD31 and GFP. The intima and media showed a large number of TUNEL-positive signals after 2 weeks cuff injury, indicating the presence of apoptosis in vascular remodeling. Conclusions Atherosclerotic lesions in mice can be developed in the intima after 2 weeks of cuff-induced vascular injury under the hypercholesterolemic conditions. Our data also clearly indicate that bone marrow-derived cells differentiated to smooth muscles and endothelial cells in the formation of these lesions in the presence of hypercholesterolemia.