title: Cyclooxygenase-2 is required for tumor necrosis factor-alpha- and angiotensin II-mediated proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and angiotensin II (Ang II) induced a transient increase in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA accumulation, without affecting COX-1 mRNA levels. The kinetics of COX-2 mRNA accumulation were similar in VSMCs challenged with either TNF-alpha or Ang II; mRNA accumulation peaked at 2 hours and decreased to control levels by approximately 6 hours. Accumulation of COX-2 mRNA was associated with a time-dependent increase of COX-2 protein expression that displayed similar kinetics in response to either TNF-alpha or Ang II. Both the increase in COX-2 mRNA accumulation and protein expression in response to either TNF-alpha or Ang II were inhibited by the mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD098059. In addition, the AT(1)-selective receptor antagonist losartan attenuated the Ang II-mediated increase in COX-2 mRNA accumulation; the AT(2)-selective antagonist PD123319 had no effect. Prostacyclin I(2) synthesis was tightly coupled to expression of COX-2, whereas prostaglandin E(2) and thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)) synthesis may be associated with differential usage of COX-1 and COX-2. The COX-2-selective inhibitors NS-398 and nimesulide and the TXA(2) receptor antagonist BMS 180,291 inhibited TNF-alpha- and Ang II-mediated increases in DNA content and cell number by approximately 95%. These findings suggest that a prostanoid derived from COX-2, possibly TXA(2), may contribute to VSMC hyperplasia in vessel injury or pathophysiological conditions associated with elevated levels of either TNF-alpha or Ang II.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahboubi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Ferreri
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D000804:Angiotensin II; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases