title: Leptin induces endothelial cell migration through Akt, which is inhibited by PPARgamma-ligands.
abstract: Migration of endothelial cells (EC) is a key event in angiogenesis that contributes to neovascularization in diabetic vasculopathy. Leptin induces angiogenesis and is elevated in obesity and hyperinsulinemia. The antidiabetic thiazolidinediones (TZD) inhibit leptin gene expression and vascular smooth muscle cell migration through activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma). This study investigates the role of leptin in EC migration, the chemotactic signaling pathways involved, and the effects of the TZD-PPARgamma ligands troglitazone (TRO) and ciglitazone (CIG) on EC migration. We demonstrate that leptin induces EC migration. Because activation of two signaling pathways, the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)-->Akt-->eNOS and the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway, is known to be involved in cell migration, we used the pharmacological inhibitors wortmannin and PD98059 to determine if chemotactic signaling by leptin involves Akt or ERK1/2, respectively. Both wortmannin and PD98059 significantly inhibited leptin-induced migration. Treatment with the TZD-PPARgamma-ligands TRO and CIG significantly inhibited the chemotactic response toward leptin. Both PPARgamma-ligands inhibited leptin-stimulated Akt and eNOS phosphorylation, but neither attenuated ERK 1/2 activation in response to leptin. The inhibition of Akt-phosphorylation was accompanied by a PPARgamma-ligand-mediated upregulation of PTEN, a phosphatase that functions as a negative regulator of PI3K-->Akt signaling. These experiments provide the first evidence that activation of Akt and ERK 1/2 are crucial events in leptin-mediated signal transduction leading to EC migration. Moreover, inhibition of leptin-directed migration by the PPARgamma-ligands TRO and CIG through inhibition of Akt underscores their potential in the prevention of diabetes-associated complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Cardiology, German Heart Institute Berlin, Germany. goetze@dhzb.de
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goetze
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bungenstock
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Czupalla
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eilers
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stawowy
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kintscher
authors.forename: Chantel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spencer-Hänsch
authors.forename: Kristof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nürnberg
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gräfe
mesh_terms: D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D002839:Chromans / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008024:Ligands; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077288:Troglitazone; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000077191:Wortmannin
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D002839:Chromans; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D020738:Leptin; D008024:Ligands; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D013844:Thiazoles; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human; D000077288:Troglitazone; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C039671:ciglitazone; D000077191:Wortmannin