低氧条件下大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞中活性氧与低氧诱导因子-1α和细胞增殖的关系

在低氧条件下,观察大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞（pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells,PASMCs）中活性氧（reactive oxygen species,ROS）的变化,探讨ROS的变化是否通过调控低氧诱导因子-4α（hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, HIF-1α）的表达影响PASMCs的增殖。采用组织块法原代培养大鼠PASMCs,分成3组：常氧组（21％O2,24h）,低氧组（5％O2,24h）,低氧＋Mn-TBAP组（5％O2,24h,Mn-TBAP是一种ROS清除剂）。用激光共聚焦显微镜荧光染色法检测细胞内ROS的变化;用RT-PCR和免疫组织化学方法分别测定HIF-1α mRNA和蛋白的表达;用MTT法检测细胞增殖程度。结果显示：（1）低氧组PASMCs内ROS水平明显高于常氧组（P〈0．05）,低氧＋Mn-TBAP组ROS水平明显低于低氧组（P〈0．05）,但仍高于常氧组（P〈0．05）;（2）低氧组及低氧＋Mn-TBAP组的HIF-1α mRNA和蛋白表达均高于常氧组（P〈0．05）,且低氧组表达高于低氧＋Mn-TBAP组（P〈0．05）;（3）低氧组细胞增殖明显高于常氧组和低氧＋Mn-TBAP组（P〈0．05）,低氧＋Mn-TBAP组细胞增殖高于常氧组（P〈0．05）。结果表明：在低氧条件下大鼠PASMCs中ROS水平明显升高,RROS的变化能够调节HIF-1α的表达,进而影响平滑肌细胞的增殖,提示ROS可能在肺动脉高压的发病机制和低氧信号转导中具有重要作用。     

低氧诱导因子-1α在低氧促成肌细胞增殖中的作用

目的:探讨低氧对大鼠骨骼肌成肌细胞(SkMs)增殖的影响及低氧诱导因子(HIF-1α)在低氧促成肌细胞增殖中的相关机制。方法:采用流式细胞仪观察了3、10%O2对SkMs细胞数量和增殖指数的影响;用RT-PCR方法检测了HIF-1αmRNA的表达,用Western blot方法检测了SkMs胞浆、胞核及总HIF-1α蛋白的水平。结果:低氧组较常氧组细胞数量和增殖指数增加(P0.05);HIF-1αmRNA、总蛋白水平在常氧组和低氧组中没有明显差异,常氧下胞浆中HIF-1α蛋白水平高于胞核内,低氧下HIF-1α蛋白水平在胞核内高于胞浆。结论:低氧能够促进SkMs增殖,HIF-1α可能是通过氧浓度调控的核转位的方式参与了低氧促SkMs的增殖。     

白藜芦醇通过调控HIF-1α/NOX4/ROS通路抑制低氧诱导的大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞氧化应激与增殖

本文旨在明确白藜芦醇对低氧诱导的肺动脉平滑肌细胞(pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, PASMCs)氧化应激与增殖的作用及分子机制。体外分离培养原代大鼠PASMCs,采用不同浓度的白藜芦醇(10、20和40μmol/L)或NADPH氧化酶(NADPH oxidases, NOXs)抑制剂VAS2870 (10μmol/L)预处理0.5 h,然后将细胞置于常氧(21%O_2, 5%CO_2)或低氧(2%O_2, 5%CO_2)中培养24h。采用CCK-8法和增殖细胞核抗原(proliferatingcellnuclearantigen,PCNA)的表达水平检测细胞增殖,用DCFH-DA测定细胞内活性氧(reactive oxygen species, ROS)的生成,用real-time RT-PCR和Western blot检测NOX1、NOX4和低氧诱导因子-1α(hypoxia inducible factor 1α, HIF-1α)的表达水平,通过小干扰RNAs (small interference RNAs, siRNAs)特异性沉默Hif-1α和Nox4后确定相关信号通路。结果显示,白藜芦醇和VAS2870均能显著抑制低氧诱导的大鼠PASMCs细胞增殖和ROS生成,同时白藜芦醇还能有效阻止低氧诱导的HIF-1α蛋白的聚集和NOX4的表达上调,而对NOX1没有明显的影响。沉默Hif-1α或Nox4后,低氧诱导的大鼠PASMCs细胞增殖和ROS累积均显著降低,且能被白藜芦醇进一步抑制。上述结果提示,白藜芦醇可能通过阻断HIF-1α/NOX4/ROS信号通路抑制低氧诱导的大鼠PASMCs氧化应激和增殖。     

维甲酸受体β基因RNAi表达质粒的构建及其对A549细胞增殖和分化的影响

目的：利用RNA干扰（RNAi）技术,构建针对维甲酸受体（RAR）β基因的小干扰RNA（siRNA）表达质粒,诱导RARβ基因沉默,并观察其对肺癌细胞A549株的细胞周期和增殖的影响。方法：依据设计siRNA的原则。针对人RARβ的mRNA序列,设计并合成编码siRNA的2条寡核苷酸序列,经退火成互补双链,再克隆到pSUPER-NEO-GFP真核表达载体中构建重组体pSUPER-RAR[β转染至A549细胞中,以空质粒和RARβ高表达质粒转染为对照,用Western印迹检测RARβ基因的表达,并采用M1Tr试验检测转染后细胞株的增殖和细胞分化情况。结果：表达人类RARβ基因的siRNA重组表达质粒构建成功;MTT试验结果表明,转染的A549-RARβ-si细胞增殖能力降低。结论：采用RNAi技术特异阻断RARB基因表达,通过转染A549细胞,可使其细胞形态发生变化,并抑制其细胞生长。     

低氧促进大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞Periostin表达及其信号转导机制

观察低氧对大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞（pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells,PASMCs）Periostin表达的影响及其相关信号转导机制。胶原酶I法原代培养PASMCs,经低氧（5％O2）分别处理PASMCs2,6,12,24h后,RT-PCR和Western blot法检测Periostin mRNA和蛋白表达。加入PI3K/Akt通路特异性抑制剂LY294002（10μmol／L）进行干预,Western blot分析比较不同条件下低氧处理24h后大鼠PASMCs中Periostin和Akt／P-Akt的蛋白表达。结果表日月,与常氧组比较,低氧处理6h组、12h组和24h纽Periostin mRNA和蛋白的表达均显著上升（P〈0．05,P〈0．01）,低氧处理后的PASMCs中Periostin mRNA和蛋白的表达逐渐升高：低氧处理2h组无显著差异（P〉0．05）。用LY294002对PASMCs处理,并低氧24h后,Periostin的表达被显著抑制（P〈0．01）,细胞P-Akt的表达下调（P〈0．05）,总Akt的蛋白表达没有明显差异（P〉0．05）。推测低氧可诱导大鼠PASMCs中Periostin mRNA和蛋白的表达上调。低氧可能通过激活P13K/Akt通路促进Akt的磷酸化,进而使Periostin在PASMCs中过表达,提示Periostin在低氧性PASMCs增殖过程中可能起着重要作用。     

Sp1基因RNA干扰载体的构建及鉴定

目的：构建干扰载体pSilencer3.1-Sp1,并初步研究其对Sp1基因的干扰作用。方法：根据Sp1cDNA编码序列,设计并合成针对Sp1基因的特异性RNA干扰片段,并将其克隆入pSilencer3.1-H1neo干扰载体中,构建Sp1基因小干扰RNA（siRNA）真核表达载体pSilencer3.1-Sp1;分别将阴性对照载体pSilencer3.1与重组载体pSilencer3.1-Sp1经脂质体LipofectAMINE2000介导转染HeLa细胞,采用RT-PCR、Western blot方法分别检测Sp1基因的转录与表达水平。结果：构建了Sp1基因siRNA真核表达载体pSilencer3.1-Sp1,经酶切、测序鉴定证实克隆正确,并在mRNA水平和蛋白水平证实了载体的干扰效果。结论：特异性siRNA能明显抑制Sp1基因在HeLa细胞中的表达,为进一步研究Sp1的生物学功能和作用机制奠定了实验基础。     

阿米洛利抑制NHE-1减轻低氧性肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖

目的：研究Na^＋／H^＋交换抑制剂阿米洛利对低氧刺激的大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞（PASMCs）增殖的影响,以及Na^＋／H^＋交挟体-l（NHE-1）活性和表达的变化.方法：常氧（21％O2）或低氧（2％O2）条件下培养PASMCs,并分别给予浓度为1．653、3．125、6．25、12．5、25和50μmol／L．等不同浓度的阿米洛利,培养24h,采用MTT比色实验和免疫组化检测PCNA阳性细胞率的方法反映细胞增殖情况,同时采用激光共聚焦检测细胞内pH以反映Na^＋／H^＋交换体-1活性,RT—PCR法检测Na^＋／H^＋交换体-1mRNA的表达量.结果：低氧培养的PASMCs细胞内pH升高,NHE—1mRNA的表达增多,而阿米洛利可以降低细胞内pH,减少NHE—1mRNA的表达量。同时低氧较常氧培养MTT光吸收值较常氧培养明显升高。PCNA阳性细胞率明显增高,而给予阿米洛利时上述两个指标随药物浓度增加而逐渐下降。结论：低氧可以激活PASMCs细胞膜上的E—1,增加其mRNA水平表达量,使细胞内碱化,促进细胞增殖,而Na^＋／H^＋交换抑制剂阿米洛利可以抑制其活性,减少mRNA水平的表达,导致细胞内酸化,从而抑制细胞增殖,并且此抑制作用在3．125～50μmol／L．浓度范围内呈现明显的浓度依赖性。     

RNA干扰沉默缺氧诱导因子1α逆转肺癌细胞耐药性

目的：观察RNA干扰沉默缺氧诱导因子1α（HIF-1α）对肺癌细胞耐药性的影响。方法：构建靶向HIF-1α小干扰RNA基因,并转染到人肺腺癌耐顺铂细胞株A549／DDP细胞中。逆转录聚合酶链反应RT—PCR）检测细胞的HIF-1α、多药耐药基因-（MDR-1）以多药耐药相关蛋白基因（MRP）mRNA变化,免疫细胞化学法观察干扰后HIF-1α、P-糖蛋白以及MRP蛋白的变化。MTT法检测不同浓度的顺铂作用下细胞死亡率。结果：HIF-1αsiRNA组中H1F-1α、MDR—1、MRPmRNA水平显著降低（P〈0．05）。且蛋白水平也显著下降（P〈0．05）。HIF-1αsiRNA组细胞死亡率较未转染组均明显增高（P〈0．05）,转染siRNA阴性组不影响肿瘤细胞的耐药性。结论：HIF-1αsiRNA可显著降低A549／DDP细胞中H1F-1α、MDR-1、MRP表达,从而起到逆转肺腺癌A549／DDP细胞的耐药作用。     

CDC6靶向RNA干扰质粒载体的构建及生物活性鉴定

目的:构建小鼠CDC6基因的RNAi真核表达载体PGCsilencer TM u6/Neo/GFP/RNAi,观察其转染小鼠肝细胞前后CDC6的表达变化。方法:根据GenBank中CDC6的序列,设计特异性siRNA序列,将模板序列克隆至PGCsilencer U6/Neo/GFP质粒中,通过测序鉴定后,用脂质体将重组子转染至正常小鼠肝细胞中,用RT-PCR检测CDC6的mRNA的表达及用Western blot方法检测CDC6蛋白水平的表达,并比较转染前后其表达水平的变化。结果:经测序,模板序列与设计序列完全正确,经过RT-PCR及Western blot方法检测,转染干扰质粒后,小鼠肝细胞中CDC6表达在mRNA及蛋白水平都有明显的下降。结论:成功构建了CDC6基因的RNAi真核表达载体并转染至小鼠肝细胞中,为下一步探讨CDC6在肝再生的作用奠定了基础。     

siRNA沉默HIF-1α对胎肝基质细胞SDF-1α表达的影响

为了研究低氧诱导因子(hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha,HIF-1α)在干细胞增殖分化过程中的作用机制,构建了2个HIF-1α慢病毒siRNA干涉载体,并转染人胎儿肝脏基质细胞(fetal liver stromal cell,FLSC).根据绿色荧光蛋白的表达评估转染效率后进行流式细胞分选,获得高表达慢病毒干涉载体的细胞.实时荧光定量PCR和蛋白质印迹检测了转染细胞中HIF-1α基因的干涉效率,结果显示,与对照组相比,常氧下培养的细胞HIF-1α基因表达量仅为其相对表达量的18.8%和25.5%,干涉效率分别为81.2%和74.5%,低氧处理后的细胞HIF-1α相对表达量分别为对照组的21.2%和29.3%,干涉效率分别为78.8%和70.7%,均具有显著差异.蛋白质印迹结果显示,在蛋白质水平表达也明显受抑制,且重组干涉质粒pSicoR-HIF-1α1的干涉效应较强.RT-PCR、免疫荧光和ELISA法检测了沉默HIF-1α后胎肝基质细胞衍生因子1α(SDF-1α)在RNA和蛋白质水平的表达变化,干涉后细胞SDF-1α的表达明显减低.低氧条件下SDF-1α基因的调控作用有可能是通过低氧激活HIF-1α而诱导产生的,HIF-1α在干细胞增殖分化的分子调控机制中具重要作用.     

Hypoxia-driven proliferation of embryonic neural stem/progenitor cells--role of hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1alpha

We recently reported that intermittent hypoxia facilitated the proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) in the subventricule zone and hippocampus in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that hypoxia promoted the proliferation of NPCs in vitro and that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha, which is one of the key molecules in the response to hypoxia, was critical in this process. NPCs were isolated from the rat embryonic mesencephalon (E13.5), and exposed to different oxygen concentrations (20% O(2), 10% O(2), and 3% O(2)) for 3 days. The results showed that hypoxia, especially 10% O(2), promoted the proliferation of NPCs as assayed by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, neurosphere formation, and proliferation index. The level of HIF-1alpha mRNA and protein expression detected by RT-PCR and western blot significantly increased in NPCs subjected to 10% O(2). To further elucidate the potential role of HIF-1alpha in the proliferation of NPCs induced by hypoxia, an adenovirus construct was used to overexpress HIF-1alpha, and the pSilencer 1.0-U6 plasmid as RNA interference vector targeting HIF-1alpha mRNA was used to knock down HIF-1alpha. We found that overexpression of HIF-1alpha caused the same proliferative effect on NPCs under 20% O(2) as under 10% O(2). In contrast, knockdown of HIF-1alpha inhibited NPC proliferation induced by 10% O(2). These results demonstrated that moderate hypoxia was more beneficial to NPC proliferation and that HIF-1alpha was critical in this process.     

Angiogenesis by transplantation of HIF-1 alpha modified EPCs into ischemic limbs

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) is a key determinant of oxygen-dependent gene regulation in angiogenesis. HIF-1 alpha overexpression may be beneficial in cell therapy of hypoxia-induced pathophysiological processes, such as ischemic heart disease. To address this issue, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) were induced to differentiate into endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and then were transfected with either an HIF-1 alpha-expressing or a control vector and cultured under normoxia or hypoxia. Hypoxia-induced HIF-1 alpha mRNA and protein expression was increased after HIF-1 alpha transfection. This was accompanied by VEGF mRNA induction and increased VEGF secretion. Hypoxia-stimulated VEGF mRNA induction was significantly abrogated by HIF-1 alpha-specific siRNA. Functional studies showed that HIF-1 alpha overexpression further promoted hypoxia-induced EPC differentiation, proliferation and migration. The expressions of endothelial cell markers CD31, VEGFR2 (Flk-1) and eNOS as well as VEGF and NO secretions were also increased. Furthermore, in an in vivo model of hindlimb ischemia, HIF-1 alpha-transfected EPCs homed to the site of ischemia. A higher revascularization potential was also demonstrated by increased capillary density at the injury site. Our results revealed that endothelial progenitor cells ex vivo modification by hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha gene transfection is feasible and may offer significant advantages in terms of EPC expansion and treatment efficacy.     

线粒体ATP敏感钾通道对大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞低氧诱导因子-1α表达及细胞增殖的作用

本文旨在探讨线粒体ATP敏感钾（mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K＋,MitoKATP）通道对大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞低氧诱导因子-1α（hypoxia inducible factor-1α,HIF-1α）表达和细胞增殖的影响。原代培养大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞,分为常氧对照组、常氧＋diazoxide（MitoKATP通道的选择性开放剂）组、常氧＋5-hydroxydecanoate（5-HD,MitoKATP通道的选择性阻断剂）组、低氧对照组、低氧＋diazoxide组、低氧＋5-HD组,共6组,分别应用罗丹明123荧光技术检测各组大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞的线粒体膜电位,免疫组化检测HIF-1α的表达及酶联免疫检测仪检测细胞增殖的变化。结果显示,常氧＋ diazoxide组与常氧对照组比较,罗丹明123荧光、HIF-1α表达及细胞增殖明显增强（P〈0．05）;低氧＋diazoxide组与低氧对照组比较,罗丹明123荧光、HIF-1α表达及细胞增殖明显增强（P〈0.05）：常氧＋5-HD组与常氧对照组比较,罗丹明123荧光、HIF-1α表达、细胞增殖没有明显变化（P〉0．05）;但低氧＋5-HD组与低氧对照组比较,罗丹明123荧光明显减弱、HIF-1α表达及细胞增殖有所减弱（P〈0．05）。结果提示：MitoKATP通道的开放能引起大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞线粒体膜去极化,并可以促进HIF-1α的表达及细胞增殖。     

人HIF—1α miRNA干扰质粒的构建及其在Lovo细胞中有效性的检测

目的：构建人HIF—1α的miRNA特异性干扰表达载体并转染人结肠癌Lovo细胞检测其有效性。方法：设计合成针对人HIF—1α基因的特异性miRNA前体寡核苷酸,依次通过退火、连接,构建含HIF—1α前体miRNA的重组干扰质粒pcDNA？6．2-GW／EmGFP—HIF—1α—miR,并转染人结肠癌Lovo细胞,经半定量RT-PCR技术鉴定其干扰有效性。结果：经双酶切及测序鉴定,针对人HIF—1α基因的两组miRNA干扰质粒构建成功,并能够有效抑制人结肠癌Lovo细胞中HIF-1αmRNA表达。结论：成功构建针对人HIF—1α基因的miRNA特异性有效干扰质粒,为后续HIF—1α基因慢病毒miRNA表达载体的构建及其在结肠癌多药耐药中的相关功能研究奠定基础。     

HIF-1α promotes the proliferation and migration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells via activation of Cx43

The proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is an important cause of pulmonary vascular remodelling in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH). However, its underlying mechanism has not been well elucidated. Connexin 43 (Cx43) plays crucial roles in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in various cardiovascular diseases. Here, the male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to hypoxia (10% O₂) for 21 days to induce rat HPH model. PASMCs were treated with CoCl₂ (200 µM) for 24 h to establish the HPH cell model. It was found that hypoxia up-regulated the expression of Cx43 and phosphorylation of Cx43 at Ser 368 in rat pulmonary arteries and PASMCs, and stimulated the proliferation and migration of PASMCs. HIF-1α inhibitor echinomycin attenuated the CoCl₂-induced Cx43 expression and phosphorylation of Cx43 at Ser 368 in PASMCs. The interaction between HIF-1α and Cx43 promotor was also identified using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Moreover, Cx43 specific blocker (^37,43Gap27) or knockdown of Cx43 efficiently alleviated the proliferation and migration of PASMCs under chemically induced hypoxia. Therefore, the results above suggest that HIF-1α, as an upstream regulator, promotes the expression of Cx43, and the HIF-1α/Cx43 axis regulates the proliferation and migration of PASMCs in HPH.     

红细胞生成素3‘端增强子在肺动脉平滑肌细胞代氧性增殖调控中的作用

用噻唑蓝比色法（ＭＴＴ法）、Ｈ＾３－胸腺嘧啶核苷（Ｈ＾３－ＴｄＲ）掺入法和流式细胞术,观察红细胞生成素（ＥＰＯ）３’端增强子片段对培养的猪肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣｓ）的内皮依赖性和非内皮依赖性低氧性增殖的影响。结果为：（１）低氧２４ｈ后ＰＡＳＭＣｓ明显增殖,转入野生型ＥＰＯ３’端增强子片段可被抑制,而转入突变型片段无此作用;（２）肺动脉内皮细胞（ＰＡＥＣｓ）低氧２４ｈ,其条件培养液有明显的促Ｐ     

Adrenomedullin promotes human endothelial cell proliferation via HIF-1α

Adrenomedullin (ADM) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) are important pro-proliferation genes in response to hypoxic stress. Although it was reported that ADM is a target gene for HIF-1, recent studies also showed that ADM regulates HIF-1 expression and its activity; however, the mechanism of action remains unknown. Two stable human endothelial cell lines with HIF-1α knockdown by hy926-siHIF-1α or HMEC-siHIF-1α were established. mRNA and protein expression of ADM and HIF-1α in EA.hy926 and HMEC1 cells were examined under hypoxic stress. Upon ADM treatment, cell proliferation was investigated and the expression profiles of HIF-1α and its target genes (VEGF, PFKP, PGK1, and AK1) were examined. Furthermore, the proline hydroxylase (PHD) mRNA level and its activity were investigated. We observed that mRNA and protein expression of ADM in hypoxia are earlier events than HIF-1α in EA.hy926 and HMEC1 cells. ADM-promoted cell proliferation of endothelial cells, which was HIF-1α dependent. We also found that ADM up-regulated the mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α- and HIF-1-targeted genes, and ADM up-regulated the protein expressions of HIF-1α through down-regulation of PHD mRNA expression and PHD activity.     

HIF-1alpha has an anti-apoptotic effect in human airway epithelium that is mediated via Mcl-1 gene expression

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) proteins have been shown to regulate apoptosis in some cell systems but have not been studied in this context in airway epithelium. Using a model of anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R), the present study employed RNA interference (RNAi) targeting HIF-1alpha and Mcl-1 to evaluate their possible anti-apoptotic effects on HBE1 cells, an immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line. The cells were either cultured under normoxic conditions or were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes targeting HIF-1alpha or Mcl-1 mRNA and then immediately exposed to A/R. As controls, non-transfected HBE1 cells and cells transfected with scrambled RNA duplexes were subjected to A/R. Apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and RNAi was assessed by knockdown of HIF-1alpha and Mcl-1 mRNA and protein expression using real-time quantitative RT-PCR (Q-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blots. HBE1 cells transfected with siRNA duplexes targeting either HIF-1alpha or Mcl-1 and subjected to A/R manifested considerable apoptosis, a finding not observed in either non-transfected cells or cells transfected with scrambled RNA duplexes. Specific knockdown of mRNA and protein expression by RNAi in HBE1 cells after A/R was shown for siRNA duplexes targeting either HIF-1alpha or Mcl-1. Unexpectedly, knockdown of HIF-1alpha induced parallel knockdown of Mcl-1 mRNA and protein expression, whereas Mcl-1 knockdown had no noticeable effect on HIF-1alpha expression. Thus, although both of these proteins were shown to be anti-apoptotic, the action of HIF-1alpha appeared to be mediated in part via Mcl-1.     

Regulation of S100A4 expression via the JAK2-STAT3 pathway in rhomboid-phenotype pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells exposure to hypoxia

To investigate the effect of JAKs-STATs signal pathway on expression of S100A4 in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), the action of S100A4 and hypoxia induced factor 1 (HIF-1) on the proliferation of hypoxic PASMCs. The results showed that S100A4 immunostaining was localized in the cytoplasm and nuclei of PASMCs exposure to hypoxia and it was predominantly expressed in rhomboid cells (R-SMCs). The mRNA and protein levels of S100A4 expression increased in PASMCs after hypoxic stimulus for 4, 8, 16 h. The immunofluorescence intensity and protein levels of S100A4 were suppressed, and the number of R-SMCs was reduced, when pretreatment with HIF-1α siRNA, STAT3 siRNA, S100A4 siRNA, and S100A4 inhibitor NSC 95397. Pretreatment with HIF-1α siRNA and anti-IL-6 antibodies, the levels of phospho-JAK2, -STAT3, and S100A4 were decreased, while HIF-1α kept stable in hypoxic cells. Importantly, pretreatment with HIF-1α siRNA, anti-IL-6 antibodies, STAT3 siRNA, and S100A4 siRNA, significantly attenuated the proliferation of PASMCs exposure to hypoxia. These data demonstrate that S100A4 is predominantly expressed in hypoxic R-SMCs, and regulated by the activation of JAK2-STAT3 signal pathway, which is dependent on hypoxia-induced HIF-1α expression. These results suggest that JAK2-STAT3 and HIF-1α could serve as targets for the regulation of phenotype modulation of PASMCs during the process of pulmonary vessel lesions.