Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 protects smooth muscle cells against oxidative injury and inhibits cell proliferation.
To investigate whether the expression of exogenous heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene within vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) could protect the cells from free radical attack and inhibit cell proliferation, we established an in vitro transfection of human HO-1 gene into rat VSMC mediated by a retroviral vector. The results showed that the profound expression of HO-1 protein as well as HO activity was 1.8- and 2.0-fold increased respectively in the transfected cells compared to the non-transfected ones. The treatment of VSMC with different concentrations of H2O2 led to the remarkable cell damage as indicated by survival rate and LDH leakage. However, the resistance of the HO-1 transfected VSMC against H2O2 was significantly raised. This protective effect was dramatically diminished when the transfected VSMC were pretreated with ZnPP-IX, a specific inhibitor of HO, for 24 h. In addition, we found that the growth potential of the transfected cells was significantly inhibited directly by increased activity of HO-1, and this effect might be related to decreased phosphorylation of MAPK. These results suggest that the overexpression of introduced hHO-1 is potentially able to reduce the risk factors of atherosclerosis, partially due to its cellular protection against oxidative injury and to its inhibitory effect on cellular proliferation.
Institute of Sports Medicine, The Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Min
M
Zhang
Bao Hui
BH
Zhang
Li
L
Chen
Wei
W
An
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005609:Free Radicals; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000201:enzymology*; D016877:Oxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection
D005609:Free Radicals; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016877:Oxidants; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D010100:Oxygen