Nitric oxide synthase inhibition attenuates the skeletal muscle VEGF mRNA response to exercise

2000 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 1192-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy P. Gavin ◽  
David A. Spector ◽  
Harrieth Wagner ◽  
Ellen C. Breen ◽  
Peter D. Wagner

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) mRNA increase in rat skeletal muscle in response to a single acute exercise bout. Nitric oxide (NO) is released locally by muscle vascular endothelium and muscle fibers during exercise, contributes to the blood flow response to exercise, and regulates mitochondrial respiration. We hypothesized that a reduction in NO production, via NO synthase inhibition, would demonstrate a link between NO and the VEGF, bFGF, and TGF-β1 gene responses to exercise. To investigate this hypothesis, 9-wk-old female Wistar rats were divided into eight treatment groups ( n = 6 each): 1) saline + rest, 2) saline + exercise, 3) 30 mg/kg N ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, a known NOS inhibitor) + rest, 4) 30 mg/kgl-NAME + exercise, 5) 300 mg/kg l-NAME + rest, 6) 300 mg/kg l-NAME + exercise, 7) 300 mg/kg N ω-nitro-d-arginine methyl ester (d-NAME, inactive enantiomer of l-NAME) + rest, and 8) 300 mg/kg d-NAME + exercise. Exercise consisted of 1 h of running at 20 m/min on a 10° incline. VEGF, TGF-β1, and bFGF mRNA from left gastrocnemius were analyzed by quantitative Northern blot. Submaximal exercise for 1 h increased VEGF mRNA 4.2-fold and TGF-β1 mRNA 1.5-fold in untreated rats but did not increase bFGF mRNA. The exercise-induced increase in VEGF mRNA was attenuated ∼50% by 30 and 300 mg/kgl-NAME; the TGF-β1 mRNA increase was unaffected by 300 mg/kg l-NAME. In addition, 300 mg/kgd-NAME had no effect on the exercise-induced increase in VEGF mRNA. Administration of 300 mg/kg l-NAME had no effect on bFGF mRNA. These findings suggest that NO is important in the regulation of the VEGF gene response to exercise through increases in VEGF transcription or by increases in the VEGF mRNA half-life.

1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (6) ◽  
pp. H2247-H2252 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Richardson ◽  
H. Wagner ◽  
S. R. D. Mudaliar ◽  
R. Henry ◽  
E. A. Noyszewski ◽  
...  

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in extracellular matrix changes and endothelial cell proliferation, both of which are precursors to new capillary growth. Angiogenesis is a vital adaptation to exercise training, and the exercise-induced reduction in intracellular[Formula: see text] has been proposed as a stimulus for this process. Thus we studied muscle cell[Formula: see text] [myoglobin[Formula: see text]([Formula: see text])] during exercise in normoxia and in hypoxia (12% O2) and studied the mRNA levels of VEGF in six untrained subjects after a single bout of exercise by quantitative Northern analysis. Single-leg knee extension provided the acute exercise stimulus: a maximal test followed by 30 min at 50% of the peak work rate achieved in this graded test. Because peak work rate was not affected by hypoxia, the absolute and relative work rates were identical in hypoxia and normoxia. Three pericutaneous needle biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis muscle, one at rest and then the others at 1 h after exercise in normoxia or hypoxia. At rest (control), VEGF mRNA levels were very low (0.38 ± 0.04 VEGF/18S). After exercise in normoxia or hypoxia, VEGF mRNA levels were much greater (16.9 ± 6.7 or 7.1 ± 1.8 VEGF/18S, respectively). In contrast, there was no measurable basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA response to exercise at this 1-h postexercise time point. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of myoglobin confirmed a reduction in[Formula: see text] in hypoxia (3.8 ± 0.3 mmHg) compared with normoxia (7.2 ± 0.6 mmHg) but failed to reveal a relationship between [Formula: see text] during exercise and VEGF expression. This VEGF mRNA increase in response to acute exercise supports the concept that VEGF is involved in exercise-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis but questions the importance of a reduced cellular [Formula: see text]as a stimulus for this response.


2000 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 1690-1697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy P. Gavin ◽  
David A. Spector ◽  
Harrieth Wagner ◽  
Ellen C. Breen ◽  
Peter D. Wagner

Acute exercise increases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA levels in skeletal muscle, with the greatest increase in VEGF mRNA. VEGF functions via binding to the VEGF receptors Flk-1 and Flt-1. Captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, has been suggested to reduce the microvasculature in resting and exercising skeletal muscle. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this reduction have not been investigated. We hypothesized that this might occur via reduced VEGF, TGF-β1, bFGF, Flk-1, and Flt-1 gene expression at rest and after exercise. To investigate this, 10-wk-old female Wistar rats were placed into four groups ( n = 6 each): 1) saline + rest; 2) saline + exercise; 3) 100 mg/kg ip captopril + rest; and 4) 100 mg/kg ip captopril + exercise. Exercise consisted of 1 h of running at 20 m/min on a 10° incline. VEGF, TGF-β1, bFGF, Flk-1, and Flt-1 mRNA were analyzed from the left gastrocnemius by quantitative Northern blot. Exercise increased VEGF mRNA 4.8-fold, TGF-β1 mRNA 1.6-fold, and Flt-1 mRNA 1.7-fold but did not alter bFGF or Flk-1 mRNA measured 1 h after exercise. Captopril did not affect the rest or exercise levels of VEGF, TGF-β1, bFGF, and Flt-1 mRNA. Captopril did reduce Flk-1 mRNA 30–40%, independently of exercise. This is partially consistent with the suggestion that captopril may inhibit capillary growth.


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (6) ◽  
pp. E1189-E1194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian P. Fischer ◽  
Peter Plomgaard ◽  
Anne K. Hansen ◽  
Henriette Pilegaard ◽  
Bengt Saltin ◽  
...  

Contracting skeletal muscle expresses large amounts of IL-6. Because 1) IL-6 mRNA expression in contracting skeletal muscle is enhanced by low muscle glycogen content, and 2) IL-6 increases lipolysis and oxidation of fatty acids, we hypothesized that regular exercise training, associated with increased levels of resting muscle glycogen and enhanced capacity to oxidize fatty acids, would lead to a less-pronounced increase of skeletal muscle IL-6 mRNA in response to acute exercise. Thus, before and after 10 wk of knee extensor endurance training, skeletal muscle IL-6 mRNA expression was determined in young healthy men ( n = 7) in response to 3 h of dynamic knee extensor exercise, using the same relative workload. Maximal power output, time to exhaustion during submaximal exercise, resting muscle glycogen content, and citrate synthase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase enzyme activity were all significantly enhanced by training. IL-6 mRNA expression in resting skeletal muscle did not change in response to training. However, although absolute workload during acute exercise was 44% higher ( P < 0.05) after the training period, skeletal muscle IL-6 mRNA content increased 76-fold ( P < 0.05) in response to exercise before the training period, but only 8-fold ( P < 0.05, relative to rest and pretraining) in response to exercise after training. Furthermore, the exercise-induced increase of plasma IL-6 ( P < 0.05, pre- and posttraining) was not higher after training despite higher absolute work intensity. In conclusion, the magnitude of the exercise-induced IL-6 mRNA expression in contracting human skeletal muscle was markedly reduced by 10 wk of training.


2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 935-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Buckwalter ◽  
Valerie C. Curtis ◽  
Zoran Valic ◽  
Stephen B. Ruble ◽  
Philip S. Clifford

To test the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO) production is essential for endogenous vascular remodeling in ischemic skeletal muscle, 22 New Zealand White rabbits were chronically instrumented with transit-time flow probes on the common iliac arteries and underwent femoral ligation to produce unilateral hindlimb ischemia. Iliac blood flow and arterial pressure were recorded at rest and during a graded exercise test. An osmotic pump connected to a femoral arterial catheter continuously delivered N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (a NO synthase inhibitor) or a control solution ( N-nitro-d-arginine methyl ester or phenylephrine) to the ischemic limb over a 2-wk period. At 1, 3, and 6 wk after femoral ligation, maximal treadmill exercise blood flow in the ischemic limb was reduced compared with baseline in each group. However, maximal exercise blood flow was significantly ( P < 0.05) lower in the l-NAME-treated group than in controls for the duration of the study: 48 ± 4 vs. 60 ± 5 ml/min at 6 wk. Consistent with the reduction in maximal blood flow response, the duration of voluntary exercise was also substantially ( P < 0.05) shorter in thel-NAME-treated group: 539 ± 67 vs. 889 ± 87 s. Resting blood flow was unaffected by femoral ligation in either group. The results of this study show that endogenous vascular remodeling, which partially alleviated the initial deficit in blood flow, was interrupted by NO synthase inhibition. Therefore, we conclude that NO is essential for endogenous collateral development and angiogenesis in ischemic skeletal muscle in the rabbit.


Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 4587-4587
Author(s):  
Ali Tabarroki ◽  
Daniel Lindner ◽  
Valeria Visconte ◽  
Nikolaos Papandantonakis ◽  
Jing Ai ◽  
...  

Abstract Bone marrow (BM) fibrosis is a key pathomorphologic feature of patients (pts) with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and the fibrotic phases of essential thrombocythemia (post-ET MF) and polycythemia vera (post-PV MF). The degree of BM fibrosis appears to correlate with survival. Indeed worse survival has been associated with increased BM fibrosis. The BM stromal microenvironment is important in the pathogenesis of BM fibrosis. Cellular components (fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelial cells, adipocytes), structural fibrils (collagen, reticulin) and extracellular matrix components are all forming elements of the BM stroma. Increased stromal fibrosis has been linked to abnormalities in the number/ function of megakaryocytes and platelets in hematologic diseases. Several cytokines like Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF-b) have been also linked to the pathophysiology of BM fibrosis. PDGF has been shown to increase fibroblast growth in megakaryocytes and platelets although increased PDGF did not correlate with increased production of either reticulin or collagenous fibrosis. Moreover, PMF pts have increased TGF-b levels in platelets, megakaryocytes, and monocytes. Nitric Oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous gas important in physiologic processes particularly vasodilatation. Dysregulation of NO levels has been implicated in pulmonary hypertension (PH), hemoglobinopathies, and cardiovascular diseases. In Peyronie’s disease, a localized fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, increased NO production by expression of iNOS decreases collagen deposition by neutralization of profibrotic reactive oxygen species and decreased myofibroblast formation. Aside from its role in maintaining normal vascular tone, NO also plays a role in fibroblast formation and collagen biosynthesis. We previously reported that ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor restores NO levels leading to improvement of PH in MF pts (Tabarroki et al., Leukemia 2014). We now hypothesize that plasma/serum NO level is a key regulator of BM fibrosis in MF and that ruxolitinib treatment (Tx) leads to improvement of BM fibrosis by NO modulation. Using a Sievers 280i NO analyzer we measured the plasma/serum NO level of a large cohort (n=75) of pts with myeloid and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) [MDS, RARS/RCMD=8; MPN, ET=8, PV=8, MF=24, Mastocytosis=7; MDS/MPN, CMML=11, MDS/MPN-U, RARS-T=9]. Healthy subjects (n=10) were used as a control. MPN pts had low NO (nM) levels among the pts studied with the lowest level found in MF pts: MF=30.31±11.8, PV=39.0±16.1, ET=36±20.3, RARS=74.6±41.7 (P=.01), CMML=84.4±89.2 (P=.04), RCMD=163.4±103.8 (P<.001), RARS-T=131.1±99.8 (P<.001). In total, NO levels were lower in classic MPN (n=40, 35.3±16.6) compared to MDS (n=8, 119±62.8; P=.001) and MDS/MPN (n=20, 105±94.6; P=.008). When we looked at the correlation between NO levels and BM fibrosis grade we found that there is an inverse correlation between NO levels and worsening BM fibrosis grade from grade MF1 to MF3. NO levels in normal (n=10) vs MF1 (n=3) were 53.3 vs 39.1, P=.025; normal vs MF2 (n=7) were 53.3 vs 37, P=.021; normal vs MF3 (n=12) were 53.3 vs 34.4, P=.006. A total of 8 pts who were treated with ruxolitinib and had at least 1 pre and 1 post Tx (≥3 months from initiation of ruxolitinib) were tested for NO levels. Among the 8 pts, 4 pts who demonstrated improvement in BM scores had a trend towards improved NO levels after ruxolitinib Tx [NO pre vs post; pt #1: 6 vs 10.5; pt#2: 4.3 vs 6.4; pt#3 49.7 vs 52.1; pt#4 36 vs 41.3; P=.02] while 4 had worsening or had no change in BM fibrosis grade and had a minimal change or decline in the NO (pt#5: 18.4 vs 23, pt#6: 14.29 vs 12.1, pt#7: 32.7 vs 32.1, pt#8: 110.9 vs 40.4). One pt who had improvement in BM fibrosis grade after ruxolitinib Tx had increased iNOS expression by Western blotting (pt#1) while no iNOS expression (pt#5) was noted in the pt who did not have improvement in BM fibrosis. Of note, multi-analytic cytokines profile also showed an overall decrease in cytokines especially a 2.8 fold-decrease in IL8 levels post-Tx in the pt with improvement in BM fibrosis. In conclusion, NO is decreased in MPN particularly in MF and may be a key mediator of BM fibrosis in MF. Pharmacologic therapies such as JAK inhibitors may mediate improvement of BM fibrosis by modulation of NO levels in MF. Disclosures Tiu: Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Incyte : Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau.


2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. E92-E103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Leick ◽  
Ylva Hellsten ◽  
Joachim Fentz ◽  
Stine S. Lyngby ◽  
Jørgen F. P. Wojtaszewski ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that PGC-1α is required for exercise-induced VEGF expression in both young and old mice and that AMPK activation leads to increased VEGF expression through a PGC-1α-dependent mechanism. Whole body PGC-1α knockout (KO) and littermate wild-type (WT) mice were submitted to either 1) 5 wk of exercise training, 2) lifelong (from 2 to 13 mo of age) exercise training in activity wheel, 3) a single exercise bout, or 4) 4 wk of daily subcutaneous AICAR or saline injections. In skeletal muscle of PGC-1α KO mice, VEGF protein expression was ∼60–80% lower and the capillary-to-fiber ratio ∼20% lower than in WT. Basal VEGF mRNA expression was similar in WT and PGC-1α KO mice, but acute exercise and AICAR treatment increased the VEGF mRNA content in WT mice only. Exercise training of young mice increased skeletal muscle VEGF protein expression ∼50% in WT mice but with no effect in PGC-1α KO mice. Furthermore, a training-induced prevention of an age-associated decline in VEGF protein content was observed in WT but not in PGC-1α KO muscles. In addition, repeated AICAR treatments increased skeletal muscle VEGF protein expression ∼15% in WT but not in PGC-1α KO mice. This study shows that PGC-1α is essential for exercise-induced upregulation of skeletal muscle VEGF expression and for a training-induced prevention of an age-associated decline in VEGF protein content. Furthermore, the findings suggest an AMPK-mediated regulation of VEGF expression through PGC-1α.


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (2) ◽  
pp. R397-R402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Jensen ◽  
Henriette Pilegaard ◽  
P. Darrell Neufer ◽  
Ylva Hellsten

The present study investigated the effect of an acute exercise bout on the mRNA response of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) splice variants in untrained and trained human skeletal muscle. Seven habitually active young men performed one-legged knee-extensor exercise training at an intensity corresponding to ∼70% of the maximal workload in an incremental test five times/week for 4 wk. Biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle of the trained and untrained leg 40 h after the last training session. The subjects then performed 3 h of two-legged knee-extensor exercise, and biopsies were obtained from both legs after 0, 2, 6, and 24 h of recovery. Real-time PCR was used to examine the expression of VEGF mRNA containing exon 1 and 2 (all VEGF isoforms), exon 6 or exon 7, and VEGF165mRNA. Acute exercise induced an increase ( P < 0.05) in total VEGF mRNA levels as well as VEGF165and VEGF splice variants containing exon 7 at 0, 2, and 6 h of recovery. The increase in VEGF mRNA was higher in the untrained than in the trained leg ( P < 0.05). The results suggest that in human skeletal muscle, acute exercise increases total VEGF mRNA, an increase that appears to be explained mainly by an increase in VEGF165mRNA. Furthermore, 4 wk of training attenuated the exercise-induced response in skeletal muscle VEGF165mRNA.


2007 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 314-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Wadley ◽  
G. K. McConell

The purpose of this study was to determine whether nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition decreased basal and exercise-induced skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of four treatment groups: NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, ingested for 2 days in drinking water, 1 mg/ml) followed by acute exercise, no l-NAME ingestion and acute exercise, rest plus l-NAME, and rest without l-NAME. The exercised rats ran on a treadmill for 53 ± 2 min and were then killed 4 h later. NOS inhibition significantly ( P < 0.05; main effect) decreased basal peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1β (PGC-1β) mRNA levels and tended ( P = 0.08) to decrease mtTFA mRNA levels in the soleus, but not the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle. This coincided with significantly reduced basal levels of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) I and COX IV mRNA, COX IV protein and COX enzyme activity following NOS inhibition in the soleus, but not the EDL muscle. NOS inhibition had no effect on citrate synthase or β-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase activity, or cytochrome c protein abundance in the soleus or EDL. NOS inhibition did not reduce the exercise-induced increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) mRNA in the soleus or EDL. In conclusion, inhibition of NOS appears to decrease some aspects of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in the soleus under basal conditions, but does not attenuate exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis in the soleus or in the EDL.


2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (6) ◽  
pp. E1427-E1438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boubacar Benziane ◽  
Timothy J. Burton ◽  
Brendan Scanlan ◽  
Dana Galuska ◽  
Benedict J. Canny ◽  
...  

Endurance training represents one extreme in the continuum of skeletal muscle plasticity. The molecular signals elicited in response to acute and chronic exercise and the integration of multiple intracellular pathways are incompletely understood. We determined the effect of 10 days of intensified cycle training on signal transduction in nine inactive males in response to a 1-h acute bout of cycling at the same absolute workload (164 ± 9 W). Muscle biopsies were taken at rest and immediately and 3 h after the acute exercise. The metabolic signaling pathways, including AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), demonstrated divergent regulation by exercise after training. AMPK phosphorylation increased in response to exercise (∼16-fold; P < 0.05), which was abrogated posttraining ( P < 0.01). In contrast, mTOR phosphorylation increased in response to exercise (∼2-fold; P < 0.01), which was augmented posttraining ( P < 0.01) in the presence of increased mTOR expression ( P < 0.05). Exercise elicited divergent effects on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways after training, with exercise-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 phosphorylation being abolished ( P < 0.01) and p38 MAPK maintained. Finally, calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) exercise-induced phosphorylation and activity were maintained ( P < 0.01), despite increased expression (∼2-fold; P < 0.05). In conclusion, 10 days of intensified endurance training attenuated AMPK, ERK1/2, and mTOR, but not CaMKII and p38 MAPK signaling, highlighting molecular pathways important for rapid functional adaptations and maintenance in response to intensified endurance exercise and training.


1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (2) ◽  
pp. H679-H685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Gustafsson ◽  
Adrian Puntschart ◽  
Lennart Kaijser ◽  
Eva Jansson ◽  
Carl Johan Sundberg

mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) subunits HIF-1α and HIF-1β in human skeletal muscle was studied during endurance exercise at different degrees of oxygen delivery. Muscle biopsies were taken before and after 45 min of one-legged knee-extension exercise performed under conditions of nonrestricted or restricted blood flow (∼15–20% lower) at the same absolute workload. Exercise increased VEGF mRNA expression by 178% and HIF-1β by 340%, but not HIF-1α and FGF-2. No significant differences between the restricted and nonrestricted groups were observed. The exercise-induced increase in VEGF mRNA was correlated to the exercise changes in HIF-1α and HIF-1β mRNA. The changes in VEGF, HIF-1α, and HIF-1β mRNAs were correlated to the exercise-induced increase in femoral venous plasma lactate concentration. It is concluded that 1) VEGF but not FGF-2 gene expression is upregulated in human skeletal muscle by a single bout of dynamic exercise and that there is a graded response in VEGF mRNA expression related to the metabolic stress and 2) the increase in VEGF mRNA expression correlates to the changes in both HIF-1α and HIF-1β mRNA.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document