title: Colony stimulating factors modulate the transcription of type VIII collagen in vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Colony stimulating factors belong to a family of cytokines that regulate proliferation in macrophages and other vascular cell types. They have been implicated in the inflammatory-fibroproliferative response of atherosclerosis. The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of granulocyte-macrophage and macrophage colony stimulating factors on the transcription of type VIII collagen by vascular smooth muscle cells and their potential relevance for the expression of collagen in atherosclerotic lesions. The influence of colony stimulating factors was studied in relation to transforming growth factor beta1, the factor exhibiting the most potent effect on collagen metabolism. Northern blot experiments showed that treatment with both colony stimulating factors and transforming growth factor beta1 transiently stimulated the transcription of type VIII collagen mRNA. Maximal levels were reached after 2 h and 100 pg/ml granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (4-fold), 1 U/ml macrophage colony stimulating factor (4.6-fold) and 1 ng/ml transforming growth factor beta1 (1.6-fold). While overnight treatment with colony stimulating factors stimulated the expression of transforming growth factor beta1 mRNA, short incubations did not influence or downregulate the transcription. In turn, treatment with transforming growth factor beta1 reduced the expression of granulocyte-macrophage and macrophage colony stimulating factor mRNA. The in vitro mRNA expression patterns were directly reflected in the distribution patterns found in intimal thickenings and advanced atherosclerotic lesions. This study demonstrates that colony stimulating factors and transforming growth factor beta1 modulate the transcription of type VIII collagen in vitro. Our data indicate a direct mechanism and exclude a pathway, which is mediated via the stimulation of transforming growth factor beta1 transcription. Our studies further support the hypothesis that colony stimulating factors in concert with transforming growth factor beta1 affect the collagenous composition of the extracellular vascular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Ultrastructure Research, Institute for Arteriosclerosis Research, Münster, Germany. plenz@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plenz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reichenberg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robenek
mesh_terms: D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D003094:Collagen