scholarly journals Curcumin Improves Pulmonary Hypertension Rats by Regulating Mitochondrial Function

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Jing Chen ◽  
Wen Jiang ◽  
Fei Zhu ◽  
Qiong Wang ◽  
Haiyan Yang ◽  
...  

Objective. To investigate the role of curcumin in regulating pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) derived from pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) model. Methods. Male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with monocrotaline (MCT) to establish the PAH experimental model. The rats were divided into control group, MCT group, and curcumin group. At the end of the study, hemodynamic data were measured to determine pulmonary hypertension. Proliferation ability of PASMCs, a remodeling indicator of pulmonary artery and right ventricle, was detected. In addition, the morphology and function of mitochondria, antiglycolysis and antiproliferation pathways, and genes were also analyzed. Results. Curcumin may function by reversing MCT-mediated pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats. Curcumin effectively improved pulmonary vascular remodeling, promoted PASMC apoptosis, and protected mitochondrial function. In addition, curcumin treatment suppressed the PI3K/AKT pathway in PASMCs and regulated the expression of antiproliferative genes. Conclusion. Curcumin can improve energy metabolism and reverse the process of PAHS. However, there were side effects of curcumin in MCT-induced rats, suggesting that the dosage should be treated with caution and its toxicological mechanism should be further studied and evaluated.

1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (6) ◽  
pp. H2246-H2253 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tjen-A-Looi ◽  
R. Ekman ◽  
J. Osborn ◽  
I. Keith

The role of endothelin (ET)-1 in pulmonary arterial pressure (Ppa) homeostasis and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension was examined. ET-1 was chronically infused (2 and 4 pmol.kg-1.min-1) into the pulmonary circulation of male Sprague-Dawley rats for 3, 7, and 14 days while they were exposed to normoxia or hypobaric hypoxia (inspired O2 fraction 10%). The role of endogenous ET was examined by infusion of ET antiserum (ET-AS; 0.25 and 0.5 microliter.rat-1.h-1; cross-reacting with ET-1, -2, and -3) or the ETA-receptor blocker BQ-123 (10 pmol.kg-1.min-1). ET-1 (4 pmol) increased Ppa at 3 and 7 days in normoxia and hypoxia and was ineffective at 14 days, probably from ETA-receptor downregulation. BQ-123 blunted the hypoxic Ppa rise at all times, confirming a role for ETA receptors. ET-AS (0.5 microliter) was mostly ineffective but exacerbated hypoxic Ppa at 14 days, in contrast to BQ-123, suggesting that a different ET receptor could be involved. ET-1 infusion (2 pmol) caused right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) in normoxia and exacerbated RVH in hypoxia, whereas BQ-123 and ET-AS (0.25 microliter) reduced hypoxic RVH. In conclusion, endogenous ET-1 plays a role in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and RVH by augmenting the level of hypoxic response. ET-1 also affects hematocrit and may reduce blood levels of the vasodilator calcitonin gene-related peptide.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
nannan li ◽  
jie yin ◽  
yugen shi ◽  
li sun ◽  
qingshan zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease that the pulmonary artery is abnormally elevated. P2Y12 is an adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor and it act as the target of thienopyridine antiplatelet drugs by controlling vascular remodeling. Inhibition of P2Y12 receptor in the process of PAH was explored in this study.Methods: The PAH model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats by single subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg monocrotaline (MCT). The ticagrelor solution (a selective P2Y12R inhibitor) was intraperitoneally injected into rats at a dose of 14 mg/kg from the time of MCT injection to day 28.Results: In the lung tissues of PAH rats, the marked P2Y12R was detected. Treatment with ticagrelor greatly decreased P2Y12R level and efficiently abolished the upregulation of α-SMA as demonstrated by Western blot and RT-PCR. The wall thickness and occlusion score of the pulmonary arterioles showed that blockade of P2Y12R could relieve lung remodeling caused by PAH. The haemodynamic changes at 4 weeks determined that P2Y12R inhibition affected RV pressure and right heart hypertrophy.Conclusions: P2Y12R might be involved in the pathogenesis of PAH. Blockade of P2Y12R has potential in treating PAH.


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M Mazer ◽  
Brian Casserly ◽  
Sharon Rounds ◽  
Gaurav Choudhary

Pulmonary vascular remodeling and endothelial proliferation are important pathophysiological processes contributing to increased vascular resistance seen with pulmonary hypertension (PH). C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is an endothelium derived natriuretic peptide that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-mitogenic and anti-proliferative actions. However, its role in modulating severe PH is not known. We hypothesized that CNP will attenuate severe PH through its effect on pulmonary vascular remodeling. In order to test our hypothesis we chose to study the effect of continuous infusion of CNP, delivered by an osmotic pump, in a rat model of severe PH. This model combines the use of a VEGF receptor blocker, SU5416 (SU), and hypoxia to induce severe PH and plexiform lesions. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were implanted with osmotic pumps to deliver CNP or vehicle for three weeks. Subsequently they received a single dose of SU or diluant and were placed in either normoxic or hypoxic (10% FiO 2 ) environment for 3 wks. the animals then underwent echocardiogram, right heart catheterization, and carotid catheterization to evaluate right ventricle (RV) function, RV mass, and RV pressure (RVP). The lungs were fixed and evaluated for vascular remodeling using H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. Rats exposed to hypoxia alone developed moderate PH, while animals given SU and exposed to hypoxia developed severe PH (RVP (mmHg)- Normoxia: 27±1; Hypoxia: 79±6; Hypoxia+SU: 92±3). RV hypertrophic response mirrored the RVP in each group. Animals with severe PH receiving low dose CNP (0.75μg/hr) had increased RV mass and RVP, similar to vehicle treated animals, but demonstrated a 19% reduction in the microvascular wall thickness (p<0.05 compared to vehicle). Upon treatment with a higher dose of CNP (2.25μg/hr), animals demonstrated a significant reduction in RVP in the severe PH group (76±5 mmHg), as compared to vehicle treated animals (95±6 mmHg, p<0.05). CNP attenuates severe pulmonary hypertension likely via its effects on microvascular remodeling.


2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (2) ◽  
pp. L208-L220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyang Tang ◽  
Jiwang Chen ◽  
Dustin R. Fraidenburg ◽  
Shanshan Song ◽  
Justin R. Sysol ◽  
...  

Pulmonary vascular remodeling, mainly attributable to enhanced pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, is a major cause for elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary arterial pressure in patients with pulmonary hypertension. The signaling cascade through Akt, comprised of three isoforms (Akt1–3) with distinct but overlapping functions, is involved in regulating cell proliferation and migration. This study aims to investigate whether the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and particularly which Akt isoform, contributes to the development and progression of pulmonary vascular remodeling in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH). Compared with the wild-type littermates, Akt1 −/− mice were protected against the development and progression of chronic HPH, whereas Akt2 −/− mice did not demonstrate any significant protection against the development of HPH. Furthermore, pulmonary vascular remodeling was significantly attenuated in the Akt1 −/− mice, with no significant effect noted in the Akt2 −/− mice after chronic exposure to normobaric hypoxia (10% O2). Overexpression of the upstream repressor of Akt signaling, phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), and conditional and inducible knockout of mTOR in smooth muscle cells were also shown to attenuate the rise in right ventricular systolic pressure and the development of right ventricular hypertrophy. In conclusion, Akt isoforms appear to have a unique function within the pulmonary vasculature, with the Akt1 isoform having a dominant role in pulmonary vascular remodeling associated with HPH. The PTEN/Akt1/mTOR signaling pathway will continue to be a critical area of study in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension, and specific Akt isoforms may help specify therapeutic targets for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1191-1196
Author(s):  
Yinglu Feng ◽  
Na Hu ◽  
Min Tang ◽  
Shanglong Yao

Purpose: To investigate the potentials of notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) in ameliorating inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) induced by monocrotaline (MCT), and to examine the mechanisms underlying such effects. Methods: Eight-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups: control, MCT, MCT+5mg/kg NGR1, MCT+12.5mg/kg NGR1, and MCT + 25 mg/kg NGR1. Right cardiac catheterization was used to measure pulmonary hemodynamics. Pulmonary morphology was evaluated with the aid of H & E staining. Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured using ELISA, while levels of inflammation-associated factors in the lung were measured using RT-PCR. NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) and IκBα (nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells inhibitor, alpha) protein levels were determined by western blot. Results: Pulmonary hemodynamics and pulmonary morphology worsened following MCT injection and were accompanied by NF-κB pathway activation and elevated levels of inflammation-associated factors. In contrast, MCT treatment followed by NGR1 treatment ameliorated MCT-induced PAH by improving pulmonary hemodynamics and pulmonary vascular remodeling while reducing NF-κB activation and levels of inflammation-associated factors. Conclusion: NGR1 exerts ameliorative effects on MCT-induced PAH by inhibiting NF-κB pathway. Therefore, NGR1 may be a new potential therapy for PAH.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 9916
Author(s):  
Vijaya Karoor ◽  
Derek Strassheim ◽  
Timothy Sullivan ◽  
Alexander Verin ◽  
Nagavedi S. Umapathy ◽  
...  

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive cardiovascular disorder in which local vascular inflammation leads to increased pulmonary vascular remodeling and ultimately to right heart failure. The HDAC inhibitor butyrate, a product of microbial fermentation, is protective in inflammatory intestinal diseases, but little is known regarding its effect on extraintestinal diseases, such as PH. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that butyrate is protective in a Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat model of hypoxic PH. Treatment with butyrate (220 mg/kg intake) prevented hypoxia-induced right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), hypoxia-induced increases in right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), pulmonary vascular remodeling, and permeability. A reversal effect of butyrate (2200 mg/kg intake) was observed on elevated RVH. Butyrate treatment also increased the acetylation of histone H3, 25–34 kDa, and 34–50 kDa proteins in the total lung lysates of butyrate-treated animals. In addition, butyrate decreased hypoxia-induced accumulation of alveolar (mostly CD68+) and interstitial (CD68+ and CD163+) lung macrophages. Analysis of cytokine profiles in lung tissue lysates showed a hypoxia-induced upregulation of TIMP-1, CINC-1, and Fractalkine and downregulation of soluble ICAM (sICAM). The expression of Fractalkine and VEGFα, but not CINC-1, TIMP-1, and sICAM was downregulated by butyrate. In rat microvascular endothelial cells (RMVEC), butyrate (1 mM, 2 and 24 h) exhibited a protective effect against TNFα- and LPS-induced barrier disruption. Butyrate (1 mM, 24 h) also upregulated tight junctional proteins (occludin, cingulin, claudin-1) and increased the acetylation of histone H3 but not α-tubulin. These findings provide evidence of the protective effect of butyrate on hypoxic PH and suggest its potential use as a complementary treatment for PH and other cardiovascular diseases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Jeremias Götschke ◽  
Pontus Mertsch ◽  
Nikolaus Kneidinger ◽  
Diego Kauffmann-Guerrero ◽  
Jürgen Behr ◽  
...  

Chronic hypoxia causes pulmonary vascular remodeling resulting in persistently increased pulmonary arterial pressures (PAP) even after return to normoxia. Recently, interest in chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) was raised because it occurs in subjects working at high altitude (HA) but living in lowland. However, effects of daily CIHH on PAP are unknown. In this pilot study, we included 8 healthy subjects working at (2650 m) each workday for 8-9 h while living and sleeping at LA and 8 matched control subjects living and working at LA. Cardiorespiratory measurements including echocardiography at rest and during exercise were performed at LA (Munich, 530 m) and HA (Zugspitze, 2650 m). Hemoglobin was higher in CIHH subjects. LA echocardiography showed normal right and left cardiac dimensions and function in all subjects. Systolic PAP (sPAP) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) at rest were similar in both groups. Resting blood gas analysis (BGA) at HA revealed decreased pCO2 in CIHH compared to controls (HA: 28.4 versus 31.7 mmHg, p=0.01). During exercise, sPAP was lower in CIHH subjects compared to controls (LA: 28.7 versus 35.3 mmHg, p=0.02; HA: 26.3 versus 33.6 mmHg, p=0.04) and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) was higher. In sum, subjects exposed to CIHH showed no signs of pulmonary vascular remodeling.


2021 ◽  
pp. 204589402110597
Author(s):  
Mohamed Ahmed ◽  
Nahla Zaghloul ◽  
Prisca Zimmerman ◽  
Nancy G. Casanova ◽  
Xiaoguang Sun ◽  
...  

Rationale: Pharmacologic interventions to halt/reverse the vascular remodeling and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains an unmet need. We previously demonstrated extracellular nicotinamide phosphoribosyl-transferase (eNAMPT) as a DAMP (damage-associated molecular pattern protein) contributing to PAH pathobiology via TLR4 ligation. We examined the role of endothe-lial cell (EC)-specific eNAMPT in experimental PH and an eNAMPT-neutralizing mAb as a therapeutic strategy to reverse established PH. Methods: Hemodynam-ic/echocardiographic measurements and tissue analyses were performed in Sprague Dawley rats exposed to 10% hypoxia/Sugen (3 weeks) followed by return to normoxia and weekly intraperitoneal delivery of the eNAMPT mAb (1 mg/kg). WT C57BL/6J mice and conditional EC-cNAMPTec-/- mice were exposed to 10% hypoxia (3 weeks). Bio-chemical and RNA sequencing studies were performed on rat PH lung tissues and human PAH PBMCs. Results: Hypoxia/Sugen-exposed rats exhibited multiple indices of severe PH (RVSP, Fulton index), including severe vascular remodeling, compared to control rats. PH severity indices and plasma levels of eNAMPT, IL-6, and TNF-a were all significantly attenuated by eNAMPT mAb neutralization. Compared to hypoxia-exposed WT mice, cNAMPTec-/- KO mice exhibited significantly reduced PH severity and evidence of EC to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Finally, biochemical and RNAseq analyses revealed eNAMPT mAb-mediated rectification of dysregulated inflammatory signaling pathways (TLR/NF-κB, MAP kinase, Akt/mTOR) and EndMT in rat PH lung tissues and human PAH PBMCs. Conclusions: These studies underscore EC-derived eNAMPT as a key contributor to PAH pathobiology and support the eNAMPT/TLR4 inflammatory pathway as a highly druggable therapeutic target to reduce PH severity and reverse PAH.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document