ET—1,NO和缺氧对肺动脉平滑肌细胞钙内流及胶原合成的影响

肺血管平滑肌细胞是肺血管收缩反应的主要执行者,也是肺血管结构重建的重要参与者。本研究观察了内皮素－１（ＥＴ－１）一氧化氮（ＮＯ）和缺氧对培养的新生小牛肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣ）钙内流以及胶原合成的影响,结果表明ＥＴ－１和缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ的钙内流;ＮＯ供应剂硝普钠（ＳＭＰ）可抑制ＥＴ－１诱导的钙内流,其作用呈剂量依赖性,ＳＮＰ还可以剂量依赖地抑制了ＰＡＳＭＣ的胶原合成,而缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ     

内皮素－1对缺氧肺动脉平滑肌细胞的增殖作用

内皮素（ＥＴ）是至今所发现的最强的内源性血管收缩肽,近年来发现ＥＴ－１能促进血管平滑肌细胞增殖。本研究表明ＥＴ－１对缺氧培养的肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣ）有剂量依赖的增殖作用,缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ的ＤＮＡ合成且增加ＥＴ－１的丝裂原作用。ＥＴ－１的丝裂原作用主要由其Ａ型受体（ＥＴＲ＿Ａ）所介导,ＥＴＲ＿Ａ的特异拮抗剂ＢＱ１２３可显著抑制缺氧以及缺氧与ＥＴ－１协同所产生的增殖作用,而且发现ＥＴＲ＿Ａ在缺氧培养的ＰＡＳＭＣ中的表达显著高于常氧对照组ＰＡＳＭＣ。本研究表明ＥＴ－１参与了缺氧性肺动脉结构重组,而缺氧可增强ＰＡＳＭＣ对ＥＴ－１的增殖反应性。     

内皮素—1对缺氧肺脉平滑肌细胞的增殖作用

内皮素（ＥＴ）是至今所发现的最强的内源性血管收缩肽,近年来发现ＥＴ－１能促进血管平滑肌细胞增殖。本研究表明ＥＴ－１对缺氧培养的肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣ）有剂量依赖的增殖作用,缺氧可ＰＡＳＭＣ的ＤＮＡ合成且增加ＥＴ－１的丝裂原作用。ＥＴ－１的丝裂原作用主要由其Ａ型受体（ＥＴＲＡ）所介导,ＥＴＲＡ的特异拮抗剂ＢＱ１２３可显著抑制缺氧以及缺氧与ＥＴ－１协同所产生的增殖作用,而且发现ＥＴＲＡ在缺氧培养     

缺氧时培养的肺动脉平滑肌细胞血管紧张素Ⅱ自分泌的变化及其机制

缺氧是否通过影响血管平滑肌细胞的自分泌功能而参与缺氧性肺动脉高压的发生尚不清楚。本实验动态了缺氧对培养的新生小牛肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣｓ）的血管紧张素Ⅱ（ＡＴⅡ）分泌的影响。结果发现：２．５％Ｏ２缺氧导致ＰＡＳＭＣｓ的ＡＴⅡ分泌降低,０％Ｏ２缺氧进一步抑制ＡＴⅡ分泌。常氧条件下,ＮＯ供体ＳＩＮ－１显著的抑制ＡＴⅡ分泌,而ＮＯ合酶凶制剂硝基精氨酸（ＬＮＡ）则能消除缺氧对ＡＴⅡ分泌的抑制作用。０     

一氧化氮抑制内皮素促血管平滑肌细胞增殖作用的信号转导途径

培养的家兔胸主动脉血管平滑肌细胞（ＶＳＭＣ）分别以内皮素（ＥＴ－１）、一氧化氮（ＮＯ）前体Ｌ－Ａｒｇ和ＮＯ供体ＳＩＮ－１刺激,或用ＥＴ－１＋Ｌ－Ａｒｇ、ＥＴ－１＋ＳＩＮ－１联合刺激,测ＶＳＭＣ＾３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ掺入、丝裂素活化蛋白激酶（ＭＡＰＫ）活性及蛋白激酶Ｃ（ＰＫＣ）活性的改变,以研究ＮＯ抑制ＥＴ－１促ＶＳＭＣ增殖作用的信号转导途径。结果表明：（１）ＥＴ－１ １０＾－８ｍｏｌ／Ｌ单独刺激,＾３Ｈ－     

青心酮对妊娠高血压综合征胎盘血管内皮和平滑肌细胞内一氧化氮合酶的影响

本文对正常孕妇、妊娠高血压综合征（ＰＩＨ）患者和经青心酮（ＤＨＡＰ）治疗的ＰＩＨ患者等共２４例,应用组织化学分析方法观察胎盘血管内皮细胞（ＶＥＣ）和平滑肌细胞（ＶＳＭＣ）内一氧化氮合酶（ＮＯＳ）活性的变化。结果表明：正常孕妇胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ内ＮＯＳ活性较高;ＰＩＨ胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ内ＮＯＳ活性明显减弱,并伴有组织和细胞的形态学损伤;经ＤＨＡＰ治疗后的ＰＩＨ胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ细胞ＮＯＳ活性较未经ＤＨＡＰ治疗者明显增加,其组织和细胞损伤也减轻。本研究结果提示胎盘内ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ细胞的ＮＯＳ减少可能与ＰＩＨ的发生和／或发展有关,青心酮治疗ＰＩＨ的作用可能与ＤＨＡＰ促进胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ内一氧化氮（ＮＯ）合成有关。     

慢性肺心病肺动脉平滑肌细胞的胶原合成：体内及体外观察

肺动脉构形重建（ｓｔｒｕｃｔｒｕｒａｌｒｅｍｏｄｅｌｉｎｇ）是慢性肺心病的重要血管病变,但其发生机制至今未完全明了。病变以血管中膜平滑肌细胞肥大、增生和细胞外基质（包括纤维性与非纤维性成分）增多导致的血管壁增厚、血管腔狭窄为特征。本文用天狼星红－偏振光显微镜观察,真彩色全自动图像分析法,测量１０例慢性肺心病尸检肺小动脉中膜厚度及中膜内Ⅰ、Ⅲ两型胶原的含量和所占的百分比。用３Ｈ－胸腺嘧院核苷和３Ｈ－脯氨酸掺入法,观察缺氧内皮细胞条件培养液（ＨＥＣＣＭ）对培养的肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣＳ）ＤＮＡ及胶原合成的影响。结果：（１）肺心病组４３７支肌型肺动脉平均中膜厚占血管直径的百分值高于对照组５±１．０８％;（２）肺心病组的Ⅰ型和Ⅲ型胶原面积分别占中膜面积的５４．６２％和５１９％,而对照组两型胶原占中膜面积小于２％。（３）ＨＥＣＣＭ组平滑肌细胞的３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ和３Ｈ－脯氨酸掺入量（ｃｐｍ值）,均明显高于常氧对照组（ＮＥＣＣＭ）,两组相比,有显著性差异（Ｐ＜０．０１）。（４）细胞周期分析,ＨＥＣＣＭ组平滑肌细胞的Ｇ０／Ｇ１期细胞数百分值比ＮＥＣＣＭ组少２８％,Ｇ２＋Ｍ期细胞百分值则比ＮＥＣＣＭ组高３０％。可以认为,缺     

缺氧对培养的肺动脉内皮细胞血管紧张素Ⅱ分泌的影响

缺氧是否通过影响血管内皮细胞的分泌功能而参与缺氧性肺动脉高压的发生尚不清楚。本实验动态观察了缺氧对培养的新生小牛内皮细胞（ＰＡＥＣ）的血管紧张素Ⅱ（ＡＴⅡ）分泌的影响。结果发现：２．５％Ｏ２缺氧早期（１．５ｈ）,ＰＡＥＣ的ＡＴⅡ分泌增加（Ｐ＜０．０１ｖｓ常氧组）,缺氧后期与常氧组无明显差别;０％Ｏ２缺氧早期（１．５－６ｈ）,ＡＴⅡ分泌明显降低（Ｐ＜０．０１ｖｓ常氧组及２．５％Ｏ２组）,后期ＡＴⅡ分泌明显增高（Ｐ＜０．０１ｖｓ常氧组及２．５％Ｏ２组）;无论缺氧还是常氧条件下,ＮＯ供体ＳＩＮ１显著抑制ＡＴⅡ的分泌（Ｐ＜０．０１）,而内源性ＮＯ抑制剂硝基精氨酸则明显促进ＡＴⅡ分泌（Ｐ＜０．０１）;０％Ｏ２缺氧２４ｈ后,ＰＡＥＣ细胞内ｃＧＭＰ含量明显降低（Ｐ＜０．０５）。上述结果表明缺氧可通过抑制ＰＡＥＣ的内源性ＮＯ产生而促进ＡＴⅡ的分泌,ＰＡＥＣ自分泌的改变可能参与缺氧性肺动脉高压的发生过程。     

淡水红藻一新种——异孢奥杜藻

淡水红藻一新种———异孢奥杜藻谢树莲凌元洁（山西大学生命科学系太原０３０００６）ＡＮＥＷＳＰＥＣＩＥＳＯＦＦＲＥＳＨＷＡＴＥＲＲＥＤＡＬＧＡＥ———ＡＵＤＯＵＩＮＥＬＬＡＨＥＴＥＲＯＳＰＯＲＡＦＲＯＭＣＨＩＮＡＸＩＥＳｈｕＬｉａｎＬＩＮＧＹｕａｎ...     

缺氧对肺动脉内皮细胞环氧合酶,血栓素合成酶基因表达的影响

应用分子杂交技术和放射免疫检测方法研究了缺氧对猪肺动脉内皮细胞的环氧合酶（ＣＯＸ）和血栓素合成酶（ＴＸＳ）基因表达及其条件培养基中６ｋｅｔｏＰＧＦ１α和ＴＸＢ２含量的动态变化。发现：６,１２,２４和４８ｈ缺氧组分别与常氧组比,ＣＯＸ１和ＣＯＸ２基因表达增加,并且ＣＯＸ２ｍＲＮＡ在缺氧６和１２ｈ就明显表达增加。在前述的不同缺氧时间组内皮细胞条件培养基中６ｋｅｔｏＰＧＦ１α含量也均显著高于相应常氧对照组（Ｐ＜０．０５）;但ＴＸＳ的ｍＲＮＡ水平及ＴＸＢ２含量在缺氧４８ｈ才有明显增加（Ｐ＜０．０５）。结果表明：（１）缺氧可诱导肺动脉内皮ＣＯＸ基因表达和ＰＧＩ２生成增加,在早期以ＣＯＸ２基因表达增加更为明显,提示可能在肺血管缺氧反应中起调节作用。（２）４８ｈ的缺氧可使内皮细胞ＴＸＳ基因表达及ＴＸＡ２生成增加,它可能在慢性缺氧肺血管反应中起介导作用。     

低氧对肺动脉内皮细胞PDGF—B链释放及平滑肌细胞生长的影响

应用蛋白ｄｏｔｂｌｏｔ技术检测了低氧内皮细胞条件培养液（ＨＥＣＣＭ）和常氧内皮细胞条件培养液（ＮＥＣＣＭ）内ＰＤＧＦ相对含量,并利用［３Ｈ］－ＴｄＲ掺入法和流式细胞术观察了ＨＥＣＣＭ和ＮＥＣＣＭ及加入特异ＰＤＧＦ抗体对肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣ）生长的影响。结果表明,ＨＥＣＣＭ中的ＰＤＧＦ含量明显高于ＮＥＣＣＭ;ＨＥＣＣＭ能明显增强ＰＡＳＭＣ内ＤＮＡ合成,促进ＰＡＳＭＣ从Ｇｏ／Ｇ１期进入Ｓ期;当预先加入ＰＤＧＦ－Ｂ链抗体时,则会明显地抑制ＨＥＣＣＭ对ＰＡＳＭＣ的ＤＮＡ合成,阻止ＰＡＳＭＣ从Ｇｏ／Ｇ１期进入Ｓ期。结果提示,低氧时ＰＡＳＭＣ增殖与肺动脉内皮细胞分泌释放ＰＤＧＦ增加有关     

Effect of L-arginine on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell apoptosis in rats with hypoxic pulmonary vascular structural remodeling

This study investigated the effect of L-arginine (L-Arg) on the apoptosis of pulmonary arterysmooth muscle cells (PASMC) in rats with hypoxic pulmonary vascular structural remodeling,and itsmechanisms.Seventeen Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=5),a hypoxia group(n=7),and a hypoxia L-Arg group (n=5).The morphologic changes of lung tissues were observed underoptical microscope.Using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling assay,the apoptosis of PASMC was examined.Fas expression in PASMC wasexamined using immunohistochemistry.The results showed that the percentage of muscularized artery insmall pulmonary vessels,and the relative medial thickness and relative medial area of the small and medianpulmonary muscularized arteries in the hypoxic group were all significantly increased.Pulmonary vascularstructural remodeling developed after hypoxia.Apoptotic smooth muscle cells of the small and median pul-monary arteries in the hypoxia group were significantly less than those in the control group.After 14 d ofhypoxia,Fas expression by smooth muscle cells of median and small pulmonary arteries was significantlyinhibited.L-Arg significantly inhibited hypoxic pulmonary vascular structural remodeling in association withan augmentation of apoptosis of smooth muscle cells as well as Fas expression in PASMC.These resultsshowed that L-Arg could play an important role in attenuating hypoxic pulmonary vascular structural remod-eling by upregulating Fas expression in PASMC,thus promoting the apoptosis of PASMC.     

Regulatory effect of AMP-activated protein kinase on pulmonary hypertension induced by chronic hypoxia in rats: in vivo and in vitro studies

Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role in cardiovascular protection. It can inhibit arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation and cardiac fibroblast collagen synthesis induced by anoxia. However, the role of AMPK-dependent signalling cascades in the pulmonary vascular system is currently unknown. This study aims to determine the effects of AMPK on pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vessel remodelling induced by hypoxia in rats using in vivo and in vitro studies. In vivo study: pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy and pulmonary vascular remodelling were found in hypoxic rats. Meanwhile, AMPKα₁ and phosphorylated AMPKα₁ were increased markedly in pulmonary arterioles and lung tissues. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure, index of right ventricular hypertrophy and parameters of pulmonary vascular remodelling, including vessel wall area/total area, density of nuclei in medial smooth muscle cells, and thickness of the medial smooth muscle cell layer were markedly suppressed by AICAR, an AMPK agonist. In vitro study: the expression of AMPKα₁ and phosphorylated AMPKα₁ was increased in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) under hypoxic conditions. The effects of PASMC proliferation stimulated by hypoxia were reinforced by treatment with Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. AICAR inhibited the proliferation of PASMCs stimulated by hypoxia. These findings suggest that AMPK is involved in the formation of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vessel remodelling. Up-regulating AMPK can contribute to decreasing pulmonary vessel remodelling and pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxia.     

缺氧对新生小牛肺血管平滑肌细胞增殖的影响及764—3的抑制作用

本研究应用细胞培养、~3H—TdR参入技术,探讨缺氧对新生小牛肺血管平滑肌细胞(PASMC)DNA合成和细胞增殖的影响及746—3和川芎嗪抗细胞增殖效果。结果表明:缺氧的肺血管内皮细胞(PAEC)培养液可以明显增加PASMC中~3H—TdR的参入;缺氧24h亦可直接刺激PASMC,使其中~3H—TdR的参入显著增加(P<0.001);在缺氧的PASMC培养基中加入764—3,~3H—TdR参入值与单纯缺氧组相比显著下降,并使细胞数减少36.3％,764—3还可以显著抑制常氧PASMC的增殖;川芎嗪的作用较小。实验结果提示,缺氧不仅可以刺激内皮细胞(EC)产生促分裂素使PASMC增殖,而且还可以直接刺激PASMC的增殖,764—3可抑制缺氧及血清刺激的PASMC的增殖。     

Hypoxia divergently regulates production of reactive oxygen species in human pulmonary and coronary artery smooth muscle cells

Acute hypoxia causes pulmonary vasoconstriction and coronary vasodilation. The divergent effects of hypoxia on pulmonary and coronary vascular smooth muscle cells suggest that the mechanisms involved in oxygen sensing and downstream effectors are different in these two types of cells. Since production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is regulated by oxygen tension, ROS have been hypothesized to be a signaling mechanism in hypoxia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling. Furthermore, an increased ROS production is also implicated in arteriosclerosis. In this study, we determined and compared the effects of hypoxia on ROS levels in human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) and coronary arterial smooth muscle cells (CASMC). Our results indicated that acute exposure to hypoxia (Po(2) = 25-30 mmHg for 5-10 min) significantly and rapidly decreased ROS levels in both PASMC and CASMC. However, chronic exposure to hypoxia (Po(2) = 30 mmHg for 48 h) markedly increased ROS levels in PASMC, but decreased ROS production in CASMC. Furthermore, chronic treatment with endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictor and mitogen, caused a significant increase in ROS production in both PASMC and CASMC. The inhibitory effect of acute hypoxia on ROS production in PASMC was also accelerated in cells chronically treated with endothelin-1. While the decreased ROS in PASMC and CASMC after acute exposure to hypoxia may reflect the lower level of oxygen substrate available for ROS production, the increased ROS production in PASMC during chronic hypoxia may reflect a pathophysiological response unique to the pulmonary vasculature that contributes to the development of pulmonary vascular remodeling in patients with hypoxia-associated pulmonary hypertension.     

Over-expression of PKGIα inhibits hypoxia-induced proliferation, Akt activation, and phenotype modulation of human PASMCs: the role of phenotype modulation of PASMCs in pulmonary vascular remodeling

The proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) plays a role in pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR). Recently, it was shown that vascular smooth muscular cell phenotype modulation is important for their proliferation in other diseases. However, little is known about the role of human PASMC phenotype modulation in the proliferation induced by hypoxia and its molecular mechanism during PVR. In this study, we found using primary cultured human PASMCs that hypoxia suppressed the expression of endogenous PKGIα, which was reversed by transfection with a recombinant adenovirus containing the full-length cDNA of PKGIα (Ad-PKGIα). Ad-PKGIα transfection significantly attenuated the hypoxia-induced downregulation of the expression of smooth muscle α-actin (SM-α-actin), myosin heavy chain (MHC) and calponin in PASMCs, indicating that hypoxia-induced phenotype modulation was blocked. Furthermore, flow cytometry and ³H-TdR incorporation demonstrated that hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation was suppressed by upregulation of PKGIα. These results suggest that enhanced PKGIα expression inhibited hypoxia-induced PASMC phenotype modulation and that it could reverse the proliferation of PASMCs significantly. Moreover, our previous work has demonstrated that Akt protein is activated in the process of hypoxia-induced proliferation of human PASMCs. Interestingly, we found that Akt was not activated by hypoxia when PASMC phenotype modulation was blocked by Ad-PKGIα. This result suggests that blocking phenotype modulation might be a key up-stream regulatory target.     

Hypoxia-induced migration in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells requires calcium-dependent upregulation of aquaporin 1

Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) migration is a key component of the vascular remodeling that occurs during the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, although the mechanisms governing this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Aquaporin-1 (AQP1), an integral membrane water channel protein, has recently been shown to aid in migration of endothelial cells. Since AQP1 is expressed in certain types of vascular smooth muscle, we hypothesized that AQP1 would be expressed in PASMCs and would be required for migration in response to hypoxia. Using PCR and immunoblot techniques, we determined the expression of AQPs in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle and the effect of hypoxia on AQP levels, and we examined the role of AQP1 in hypoxia-induced migration in rat PASMCs using Transwell filter assays. Moreover, since the cytoplasmic tail of AQP1 contains a putative calcium binding site and an increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) is a hallmark of hypoxic exposure in PASMCs, we also determined whether the responses were Ca(2+) dependent. Results were compared with those obtained in aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs). We found that although AQP1 was abundant in both PASMCs and AoSMCs, hypoxia selectively increased AQP1 protein levels, [Ca(2+)](i), and migration in PASMCs. Blockade of Ca(2+) entry through voltage-dependent Ca(2+) or nonselective cation channels prevented the hypoxia-induced increase in PASMC [Ca(2+)](i), AQP1 levels, and migration. Silencing AQP1 via siRNA also prevented hypoxia-induced migration of PASMCs. Our results suggest that hypoxia induces a PASMC-specific increase in [Ca(2+)](i) that results in increased AQP1 protein levels and cell migration.     

Cinaciguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase activator, augments cGMP after oxidative stress and causes pulmonary vasodilation in neonatal pulmonary hypertension

Although inhaled NO (iNO) therapy is often effective in treating infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), up to 40% of patients fail to respond, which may be partly due to abnormal expression and function of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). To determine whether altered sGC expression or activity due to oxidized sGC contributes to high pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and poor NO responsiveness, we studied the effects of cinaciguat (BAY 58-2667), an sGC activator, on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) from normal fetal sheep and sheep exposed to chronic intrauterine pulmonary hypertension (i.e., PPHN). We found increased sGC α(1)- and β(1)-subunit protein expression but lower basal cGMP levels in PPHN PASMC compared with normal PASMC. To determine the effects of cinaciguat and NO after sGC oxidation in vitro, we measured cGMP production by normal and PPHN PASMC treated with cinaciguat and the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), before and after exposure to 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, an sGC oxidizer), hyperoxia (fraction of inspired oxygen 0.50), or hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). After treatment with ODQ, SNP-induced cGMP generation was markedly reduced but the effects of cinaciguat were increased by 14- and 64-fold in PPHN fetal PASMC, respectively (P < 0.01 vs. controls). Hyperoxia or H(2)O(2) enhanced cGMP production by cinaciguat but not SNP in PASMC. To determine the hemodynamic effects of cinaciguat in vivo, we compared serial responses to cinaciguat and ACh in fetal lambs after ductus arteriosus ligation. In contrast with the impaired vasodilator response to ACh, cinaciguat-induced pulmonary vasodilation was significantly increased. After birth, cinaciguat caused a significantly greater fall in PVR than either 100% oxygen, iNO, or ACh. We conclude that cinaciguat causes more potent pulmonary vasodilation than iNO in experimental PPHN. We speculate that increased NO-insensitive sGC may contribute to the pathogenesis of PPHN, and cinaciguat may provide a novel treatment of severe pulmonary hypertension.     

MiR-20a regulates the PRKG1 gene by targeting its coding region in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells

Chronic hypoxia triggers pulmonary vascular remodeling, which is associated with de-differentiation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC). Here, we show that miR-20a expression is up-regulated in response to hypoxia in both mouse and human PASMC. We also observed that miR-20a represses the protein kinase, cGMP-dependent, type I (PRKG1) gene and we identified two crucial miR-20a binding sites within the coding region of PRKG1. Functional studies showed that miR-20a promotes the proliferation and migration of human PASMC, whereas it inhibits their differentiation. In summary, we provided a possible mechanism by which hypoxia results in decreased PRKG1 expression and in the phenotypic switching of PASMC.