Altered production of nerve growth factor in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from genetically hypertensive rats.
1. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic peptide for peripheral sympathetic nerves. Hypotrophy of sympathetic nerve ganglia and reduced content of neuropeptide Y were reported in genetically hypertensive (GH) rats. These facts led us to consider that production of NGF might be altered in GH rat cells. 2. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) were prepared from the aortic media of 12 week old GH rats and age-matched normotensive (NT) rats by enzyme digestion method. Growth rates and the maximum cell densities were fairly equivalent between GH cells and NT cells. 3. The NGF content in the medium was measured using an enzyme immunoassay against mouse beta NGF. The amount of NGF secreted from VSMC of GH were 1.2 pg/10(4) cells per 48 h in the progressive phase and 0.7 pg/10(4) cells per 48 h in the quiescent phase, while those of NT were 8 pg/10(4) cells per 48 h and 1 pg/10(4) cells per 48 h, respectively. The levels of NGF secretion per cells were greater in NT cells. In summary, NGF secretion from VSMC were reduced in GH. 4. These results suggested that a reduced production of NGF from VSMC might be involved in the reported hypotrophy of sympathetic nerve cells in GH.
Ueyama
T
T
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Wakayama Medical College, Japan.
Hamada
M
M
Hano
T
T
Nishio
I
I
Furukawa
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors