title: Stimulation of endothelin-1 gene expression by insulin in endothelial cells.
abstract: The present study characterized the regulation of the genetic expression of the vasoactive peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) by insulin in bovine aortic endothelial cells. By RNA blot analysis, insulin (1.67 x 10(-8) M) increased ET-1 mRNA levels by 2.3-fold over the basal within 10 min and attained a maximum (5.3-fold increase) in 2 h. Dose-response studies showed that a maximum effect of insulin was reached at 1.67 x 10(-8) M although a significant increase can be observed at 1.66 x 10(-9) M. Radioligand receptor studies indicated that the affinity constant for insulin receptors on endothelial cells correlated closely with the dose response observed for ET-1 mRNA. The ET-1 mRNA half-life was estimated with actinomycin D studies to be 20 min in control cells and was not affected by insulin treatment. Moreover, the effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and insulin were additive in the induction of ET-1 gene expression. When protein kinase C in the bovine aortic endothelial cells was down-regulated by preincubation with 8 x 10(-7) M PMA for 24 or 48 h, insulin was still able to increase ET-1 mRNA levels whereas PMA was ineffective. Using a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) fusion plasmid containing the CAT gene and the 5'-flanking region of the ET-1 gene (Lee, M. E., Bloch, K. D., Clifford, J. A., and Quertermous, T. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 10446-10450), we observed that 1.67 x 10(-8) M insulin increased CAT enzyme activity and mRNA levels. The insulin dose-response curve observed for CAT activity correlated with that observed for ET-1 mRNA levels. These results suggest that insulin stimulates expression of the ET-1 gene at the transcriptional level via its own receptors. This effect is mediated mostly through a protein kinase C-independent pathway, suggesting the existence of an insulin-responsive element in the ET-1 gene 5'-flanking sequence.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02215.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de la Rubia
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Feener
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Loeken
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Quertermous
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016232:Endothelins / Q000235:genetics*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006207:Half-Life; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D007328:Insulin; D003609:Dactinomycin; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate