Focal adhesion kinase antisense oligodeoxynucleotides inhibit human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells proliferation and promote human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells apoptosis

Background Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation plays an important role in pulmonary vessel structural remodelling At present, the mechanisms related to proliferation of PASMCs are not clear Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a widely expressed nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase Recent research indicates that FAK is implicated in signalling pathways which regulate cytoskeletal organization, adhesion, migration, survival and proliferation of cells Furthermore, there are no reports about the role of FAK in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) We investigated whether FAK takes part in the intracellular signalling pathway involved in HPASMCs proliferation and apoptosis, by using antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) to selectively suppress the expression of FAK protein Methods Cultured HPASMCs stimulated by fibronectin (40 μg/ml) were passively transfected with ODNs, sense FAK, mismatch sense and antisense FAK respectively Expression of FAK, Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK), cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK 2) and caspase 3 proteins were detected by immunoprecipitation and Western blots Cell cycle and cell apoptosis were analysed by flow cytometry In addition, cytoplasmic FAK expression was detected by immunocytochemical staining Results When compared with mismatch sense group, the protein expressions of FAK, JNK and CDK 2 in HPASMCs decreased in antisense FAK ODNs group and increased in sense FAK ODNs group significantly Caspase 3 expression upregulated in HPASMCs when treated with antisense ODNs and downregulated when treated with sense ODNs When compared with mismatch sense ODNs group, the proportion of cells at G 1 phase decreased significantly in sense ODNs group, while the proportion of cells at S phase increased significantly In contrast, compared with mismatch sense ODNs group, the proportion of cells at G 1 phase was increased significantly in antisense FAK ODNs group The level of cell apoptosis in antisense FAK group was higher than in the mismatch sense group and the latter was higher than sense FAK group In addition, the sense FAK ODNs group was strongly stained by immunocytochemistry, whereas the antisense FAK ODNs group was weakly stained Conclusions The results suggest that FAK relates to the proliferation of HPASMCs Antisense FAK ODNs inhibit HPASMCs proliferation and facilitate their apoptosis It is possible that FAK via JNK, CDK 2 signalling pathways enhances HPASMCs proliferation and via caspase 3 inhibits HPASMCs apoptosis

Effect of mitochondrial K_(ATP) channel on voltage gated K^+ channel in 24 hour-hypoxic human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

Background Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is initiated by inhibition of O 2 sensitive, voltage gated (Kv) channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) The mechanism of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension has not yet been fully elucidated The mitochondrial ATP sensitive K + channel (MitoK ATP ) is extremely sensitive to hypoxia, and is a decisive factor in the control of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ m) This study investigated the changes of cell membrane potential and Kv channel in cultured human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (hPASMC) exposed to 24 hour hypoxia, and explored the role of MitoK ATP and ΔΨ m in this condition Methods Fresh human lung tissues were obtained from the patients undergoing a chest operation hPASMCs were isolated, cultured, and divided into 6 groups: ① control group, cultured under normoxia; ② diazoxide group, cultured in normoxia with diazoxide, an opener of MitoK ATP ; ③ 5 HD group, cultured in normoxia with sodium 5 hydroxydecanoate (5 HD), an antagonist of MitoK ATP ; ④ 24 hour hypoxia group; ⑤ 24 hour hypoxia + diazoxide group; and ⑥ 24 hour hypoxia + 5HD group Whole cell patch clamp technique was used to trace the cell membrane K + currents The expressions of cell membrane Kv1 5 mRNA and protein were determined by RT PCR and Western blot technique, respectively The relative changes in mitochondrial potential were tested with rhodamine fluorescence (R 123) technique Results After exposure to diazoxide for 24 hours, the intensity of R 123 fluorescence in normoxic hPASMCs was significantly increased compared with control group ( P <0 05), but there were no significant changes in these tests after the hPASMCs had been exposed to 5 HD for 24 hours Twenty four hour hypoxia or 24 hour hypoxia + diazoxide could markedly increase the intensity of R 123 fluorescence in hPASMC and the changes were more significant in 24 hour hypoxia +diazoxide group than in 24 hour hypoxia group ( P <0 05) although 5 HD could partly weaken the effect of 24 hour hypoxia on the intensity of R 123 fluorescence After exposure to diazoxide for 24 hours, the cell membrane K + currents and the expression of cell membrane Kv1 5 mRNA and protein in normoxic hPASMCs were significantly decreased compared with control group ( P <0 05), but there were no significant changes in these tests after the hPASMCs had been exposed to 5 HD for 24 hours Also, 24 hour hypoxia or 24 hour hypoxia + diazoxide decreased the cell membrane K + currents and the expression of Kv1 5 mRNA and protein ( P <0 05) but the changes were more significant in 24 hour hypoxia + diazoxide group than in 24 hour hypoxia group ( P <0 05) Again, 5 HD could partly weaken the inhibitory effect of 24 hour hypoxia on the cell membrane K + currents and the expression of Kv1 5 mRNA or protein ( P <0 05) Conclusions The opening of MitoK ATP followed by a depolarization of ΔΨ m in hypoxia might contribute to the alterations in the expression of cell membrane Kv1 5 mRNA and protein leading to change in the cell membrane potential of hypoxic hPASMCs This might be a mechanism of the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension