title: Inhibition of ERK activation attenuates endothelin-stimulated airway smooth muscle cell proliferation.
abstract: Endothelin is a small peptide that is a potent bronchoconstrictor, mitogen for airway smooth muscle (ASM), and is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. To understand how endothelin stimulates the proliferation of ASM cells in culture, we evaluated the relationship between mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase activation and cell proliferation. Endothelin is a potent stimulator of the extracellular regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) subgroup of MAP kinases, and ERK2 activation was tightly correlated with the proliferation of rat ASM cells. PD98059, a small molecule inhibitor of MEK (MAP or ERK kinase) was used to establish the role of ERK2 activation in the endothelin-stimulated signal transduction pathway leading to cell proliferation. While PD98059 significantly inhibited the ability of endothelin to activate ERK, the drug did not appear to effect the catalytic activity of an activated MEK mutant, or ERK in vitro. The data suggest that the mechanism of PD98059 inhibition of the ERK2 pathway in ASM cells may involve inhibition of MEK activation. The endothelin signal transduction pathway that culminates in ERK2 activation was dependent on protein kinase C (PKC), since depletion of PKC significantly inhibited the ability of endothelin to activate ERK2. Taken together, the data imply that activation of ERK is a critical endpoint in the endothelin signal transduction pathway since inhibition of this kinase inhibits endothelin-induced ASM cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Burlington 05401, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whelchel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Posada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D008934:Mitogens; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one