Abstract
Progesterone (P4) exerts multiple beneficial effects on the human cardiovascular system through its actions on vascular endothelial cells and also by acting directly on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Membrane progesterone receptor alpha (mPRα) has been shown to mediate the rapid P4-induction of human VSMC relaxation through activation of MAPK, Akt/Pi3k and RhoA/ROCK signaling pathways and the resulting reduction of calcium influx through calcium channels. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment of cultured human VSMCs with P4 for 1-2 hours increases both the mRNA and protein expression of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca- ATPase (SERCA), the major transporter of calcium from the cytosol into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) during muscle relaxation. Knockdown of mPRα with siRNA completely blocked this stimulatory effect of P4 as well as that of OD 02-0, a mPR selective agonist, on SERCA protein expression. In contrast, expression levels of phospholamban (PLB), a SR protein that reversibly inhibits SERCA were downregulated by this P4 treatment, and mRNA expression of a channel that releases calcium from the SR, inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), was unaltered after treatment with P4. Moreover, treatments with P4 and OD 02-0, but not with R5020, a nuclear PR agonist, increased PLB phosphorylation, which would result in disinhibition of SERCA function. P4 and OD 02-0 significantly increased calcium levels in the SR detected with Fluo-5N, a specific SR calcium indicator, and caused VSMC relaxation. These effects were blocked by cyclopiazonic acid (CPA, a SERCA inhibitor), suggesting that SERCA plays a critical role in P4 induction of VSMC relaxation. Similarly, the effects of P4 and OD 02-0 on relaxation of umbilical artery rings measured with a myograph were significantly attenuated by CPA, which confirms the critical role of SERCA in the rapid action of P4 and 02-0 on vascular muscle relaxation. P4 has previously been shown to activate MAPK and Akt signaling pathways to induce VSMC relaxation. The P4- and OD 02-0-induced increases in calcium in the SR were blocked by MAPK and Akt/Pi3k signaling inhibitors, AZD6244 and wortmannin. Taken together, these results suggest that the direct, rapid effects of P4 on relaxation of VSMCs through mPRα involves regulation of the expression and function of the SR proteins SERCA and PLB through MAPK and Akt signaling pathways.
Correction: Membrane progesterone receptor induces meiosis in Xenopus oocytes through endocytosis into signaling endosomes and interaction with APPL1 and Akt2
