119. Soluble CD40 Ligand Induces Human Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation and Migration

We aimed to investigate differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in atherosclerosis and validate the expression of lncRNAs and co-expressed target genes in proliferation and migration models of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs). Ten coronary artery specimens from a subject who died from a heart attack were employed. The pathological analysis was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and the lncRNAs and mRNAs were identified by RNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to predict possible mechanisms. The proliferation and migration of HCASMCs were induced with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In this study, 68 lncRNAs and 222 mRNAs were identified differentially expressed in atherosclerosis. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses showed that the Fanconi anemia pathway may be involved in atherosclerosis. GON4L was found to be the co-localized target gene of LNC_000439, and 14 genes had high correlations with the expression of seven lncRNAs. In addition, nine lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks were constructed, and 53 co-expressed gene modules were detected with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). LNC_000684, LNC_001046, LNC_001333, LNC_001538, and LNC_002115 were downregulated, while LNC_002936 was upregulated in proliferation and migration models of HCASMCs. In total, six co-expressed mRNAs were upregulated in HCASMCs. This study suggests that the differentially expressed lncRNAs identified by RNA sequencing and validated in smooth muscle cells may be a target for regulating HCASMC proliferation and migration in atherosclerosis, which will provide a new diagnostic basis and therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

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Shexiang Baoxin Pills Inhibited Proliferation and Migration of Human Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells via PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine ◽

10.3389/fcvm.2021.700630 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Lei Hua ◽

Yaqing Zhou ◽

Can Hou ◽

Jiaxin Chen ◽

Yanjun Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Western Blot ◽

Smooth Muscle Cells ◽

Muscle Cells ◽

Mtor Pathway ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Western Blot Assay ◽

And Migration ◽

Proliferation And Migration

Background: Proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells in the coronary artery contribute to the deterioration of coronary artery disease (CAD).Aim: This research was designed to study the function of Shexiang Baoxin pills (SBPs) on the proliferation and migration of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs) and their mechanism.Methods: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) was applied to stimulate the proliferation and migration of HCASMCs. The function of ox-LDL and SBP on HCASMCs was evidenced by the cell counting kit-8 assay, cell cycle, and Transwell assay. Network pharmacology was employed to predict the potential targets and pathways of SBP on CAD. Western blot assay and molecular docking were conducted to validate the potential targets and pathways.Results: The current research revealed that 2.5 mg/L SBP significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of HCASMCs. Besides, network pharmacology revealed 11 candidate targets. Molecular docking and Western blot assay validated that the activation of the top 2 targets STAT3 and MAPK14 was associated with the inhibition of HCASMCs. Moreover, the Western blot assay also detected that HCASMCs treated with ox-LDL promoted the phosphorylation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and SBP inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in HCASMCs stimulated by ox-LDL.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the treatment of CAD using SBP may result from the suppression of the proliferation and migration of HCASMCs. The mechanism of this function partly resulted from relieving the phosphorylation of targets STAT3 and MAPK14 and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This study enhanced our comprehension of SBP and provides new targets for the treatment of CAD.

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