Expression of endothelial factors after arterial injury in the rat.
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) are potent vasoactive factors known to play a role in vascular remodeling. This study assessed the temporal expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), preproET-1, and ETA and ETB receptor mRNAs in the rat carotid artery after balloon injury using quantitative competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qcRT-PCR) and the ribonuclease protection assay (RPA). Levels of ET-1 increased sharply after arterial injury, peaking (5.1-fold) at 2 days. This was associated with a dramatic increase in the expression of ETB (63-fold) and ETA (158-fold) receptor mRNA, peaking at days 1 and 2, respectively. Expression of eNOS was not detectable immediately after balloon injury, consistent with complete denudation, but reappeared after day 2 and increased to preinjury levels by day 14. The recovery of eNOS expression mirrored the return of ET-1 and ET receptor expression to baseline levels. The results confirm profound upregulation of the ET system in this model of arterial injury and suggest a critical role for eNOS expression and re-endothelialization in the normalization of ET-1 and ET receptor expression during the recovery phase, events that may be important in long-term arterial patency.
Picard
P
P
Division of Cardiology, Terrence Donnelly Heart Center, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Smith
P J
PJ
Monge
J C
JC
Stewart
D J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000378:metabolism; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries; D002404:Catheterization; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism
D019332:Endothelin-1; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat; D012260:Ribonucleases