Effects of indoxyl sulfate on adherens junctions of endothelial cells and the underlying signaling mechanism

Uremic patients have a much higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and death. Uremic toxins are probably involved in the development of vascular endothelial dysfunction. Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is a uremic toxin that accumulates with deterioration of renal function. This study explored the effects of IS on the adherens junctions of vascular endothelial cells and revealed the underlying mechanism. Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAECs) were treated with IS, and the distribution of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), p120-catenin, β-catenin, and stress fibers was examined by immunofluorescence. IS treatment resulted in disruption of intercellular contacts between BPAECs with prominent parallel-oriented intracellular stress fiber formation. Intracellular free radical levels which measured by flow cytometry increased after IS treatment. The antioxidant, MnTMPyP, and an ERK pathway inhibitor, U0126, both significantly prevented IS-induced disruption of intercellular contacts. Western blotting analyses demonstrated that IS-induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin light chains (MLC) as well as activation of extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/ERK2). Pretreatment with MnTMPyP prevented ERK1/2 phosphorylation. U0126 prevented the IS-induced MLCK and MLC phosphorylation. MEK-ERK acted as the upstream regulator of the MLCK-MLC pathway. These findings suggest that the superoxide anion-MEK-ERK-MLCK-MLC signaling mediates IS-induced junctional dispersal of BPAECs.     

Biglycan Intensifies ALK5–Smad2/3 Signaling by TGF‐β1 and Downregulates Syndecan‐4 in Cultured Vascular Endothelial Cells

Proteoglycans are macromolecules that consist of a core protein and one or more glycosaminoglycan side chains. A small leucine‐rich dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, biglycan, is one of the predominant types of proteoglycans synthesized by vascular endothelial cells; however, the physiological functions of biglycan are not completely understood. In the present study, bovine aortic endothelial cells in culture were transfected with small interfering RNAs for biglycan, and the expression of other proteoglycans was examined. Transforming growth factor‐β₁ signaling was also investigated, because the interaction of biglycan with cytokines has been reported. Biglycan was found to form a complex with either transforming growth factor‐β₁ or the transforming growth factor‐β₁ type I receptor, ALK5, and to intensify the phosphorylation of Smad2/3, resulting in a lower expression of the transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, syndecan‐4. This is the first report to clarify the function of biglycan as a regulatory molecule of the ALK5–Smad2/3 TGF‐β₁ signaling pathway that mediates the suppression of syndecan‐4 expression in vascular endothelial cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1087–1096, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

HIP/RPL29 antagonizes VEGF and FGF2 stimulated angiogenesis by interfering with HS-dependent responses

HIP/RPL29 is a heparan sulfate (HS) binding protein with diverse activities including modulation of heparanase (HPSE) activity. We examined HIP/RPL29's ability to modulate actions of HS-binding growth factors (HBGFs) in angiogenesis. Between 1 and 2.5 microg/ml (ca. 60-150 nM), HIP/RPL29 inhibited HBGF-stimulated endothelial cell tube formation. Aortic explant outgrowth also was inhibited, but at higher concentrations (40 microg/ml). At this concentration, HIP/RPL29 had no effect on HBGF-stimulated MAPK phosphorylation or VEGF-stimulated receptor-2 phosphorylation at site Y-996. Partial inhibition occurred at VEGF receptor-2 site Y951, associated with cell migration. HBGF displacement from HS-bearing perlecan domain I showed that HIP/RPL29 released 50% of bound HBGF at 20 microg/ml, a dose where endothelial tube formation is inhibited. Similar FGF2 release occurred at pH 5.0 and 7.0, conditions where HPSE is highly and residually active, respectively. We considered that HIP/RPL29 inhibits HPSE-dependent release of HS-bound HBGFs. At pH 5.0, release of soluble HS was inhibited by 64% at concentrations of 5 microg/ml and by 77% at 40 microg/ml, indicating that HIP/RPL29 antagonizes HPSE activity. At concentrations up to 40 microg/ml (ca. 2.5 microM) where angiogenic processes are inhibited, release of FGF2 occurred in the presence of HPSE and HIP/RPL29. The majority of this FGF2 is not bound to soluble HS. Studies of HIP/RPL29 binding to HS indicated that many structural features of HS are important in modulation of HBGF activities. Our findings suggest that inhibition of angiogenic processes by HIP/RPL29 involves attenuation of the formation of soluble, biologically active HBGF:HS complexes that activate HBGF receptors.