Expression of retinoic acid-inducible gene-I in vascular smooth muscle cells stimulated with interferon-gamma

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) play an important role in atherogenesis and vasospasm. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a potent cytokine that regulates immune and inflammatory responses by inducing multiple genes in many types of cells including SMC. Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is a putative RNA helicase, but its physiological function is not known. RIG-I is induced in leukemic cells by retinoic acid or in endothelial cells by lipopolysaccharide. We have studied the expression of RIG-I in cultured SMC from human umbilical artery. IFN-gamma stimulated SMC to express RIG-I mRNA and protein in concentration- and time-dependent manners. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the expression of RIG-I in SMC in vivo. We conclude that RIG-I may play some pathophysiological role in immune and inflammatory reactions in SMC.