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- Title
Dexamethasone induces apoptosis in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells.
- Authors
Price, Laura C.; Dongmin Shao; Chao Meng; Perros, Frederic; Garfield, Benjamin E.; Jie Zhu; Montani, David; Dorfmuller, Peter; Humbert, Marc; Adcock, Ian M.; Wort, Stephen J.; Shao, Dongmin; Meng, Chao; Zhu, Jie
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Dexamethasone suppressed inflammation and haemodynamic changes in an animal model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A major target for dexamethasone actions is NF-κB, which is activated in pulmonary vascular cells and perivascular inflammatory cells in PAH. Reverse remodelling is an important concept in PAH disease therapy, and further to its anti-proliferative effects, we sought to explore whether dexamethasone augments pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) apoptosis.<bold>Methods: </bold>Analysis of apoptosis markers (caspase 3, in-situ DNA fragmentation) and NF-κB (p65 and phospho-IKK-α/β) activation was performed on lung tissue from rats with monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH), before and after day 14-28 treatment with dexamethasone (5 mg/kg/day). PASMC were cultured from this rat PH model and from normal human lung following lung cancer surgery. Following stimulation with TNF-α (10 ng/ml), the effects of dexamethasone (10(-8)-10(-6) M) and IKK2 (NF-κB) inhibition (AS602868, 0-3 μM (0-3×10(-6) M) on IL-6 and CXCL8 release and apoptosis was determined by ELISA and by Hoechst staining. NF-κB activation was measured by TransAm assay.<bold>Results: </bold>Dexamethasone treatment of rats with MCT-induced PH in vivo led to PASMC apoptosis as displayed by increased caspase 3 expression and DNA fragmentation. A similar effect was seen in vitro using TNF-α-simulated human and rat PASMC following both dexamethasone and IKK2 inhibition. Increased apoptosis was associated with a reduction in NF-κB activation and in IL-6 and CXCL8 release from PASMC.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Dexamethasone exerted reverse-remodelling effects by augmenting apoptosis and reversing inflammation in PASMC possibly via inhibition of NF-κB. Future PAH therapies may involve targeting these important inflammatory pathways.
- Subjects
CELL metabolism; PROTEIN metabolism; ALKALOIDS; ANIMAL experimentation; ANTI-inflammatory agents; APOPTOSIS; BIOLOGICAL models; CELL culture; CELLS; CELLULAR signal transduction; CYTOKINES; DOSE-effect relationship in pharmacology; INFLAMMATORY mediators; PHOSPHORYLATION; PULMONARY artery; PULMONARY hypertension; RATS; RESEARCH funding; SMOOTH muscle; DEXAMETHASONE; VASCULAR remodeling; PHARMACODYNAMICS
- Publication
Respiratory Research, 2015, Vol 16, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1465-9921
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1186/s12931-015-0262-y