Expression of low-molecular-weight kininogen in mouse vascular smooth muscle cells.
To determine the existence of the kallikrein-kinin system in vascular wall, the expression of low-molecular-weight (LMW) kininogen, a precursor protein of kinins, was studied in mouse aortic smooth muscle in vivo or in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) derived from mouse aorta in vitro. Although LMW-kininogen mRNA was undetectable in aortic smooth muscle of untreated mice using either Northern blotting or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) followed by Southern blotting, administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 mg/kg, i.v.) induced the expression of LMW-kininogen mRNA at levels detectable by RT-PCR within 12 h. Cultured VSMC not only expressed LMW-kininogen mRNA at levels easily detectable by RT-PCR, but also secreted LMW-kininogen-like protein that was immunoreactive to anti-mouse LMW-kininogen antibody. These results demonstrate that VSMC are a source of LMW-kininogen in the mouse, and suggest the presence of a local kallikrein-kinin system in vascular tissue. LPS-induced up-regulation of LMW-kininogen expression suggests a role for vascular LMW-kininogen in tissue trauma or inflammation.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, Japan.
K
K
Yayama
H
H
Shibata
M
M
Takano
H
H
Okamoto
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D007704:Kininogens / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D007704:Kininogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger