title: A critical role for elastin signaling in vascular morphogenesis and disease.
abstract: Vascular proliferative diseases such as atherosclerosis and coronary restenosis are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed nations. Common features associated with these heterogeneous disorders involve phenotypic modulation and subsequent abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells into the arterial lumen, leading to neointimal formation and vascular stenosis. This fibrocellular response has largely been attributed to the release of multiple cytokines and growth factors by inflammatory cells. Previously, we demonstrated that the disruption of the elastin matrix leads to defective arterial morphogenesis. Here, we propose that elastin is a potent autocrine regulator of vascular smooth muscle cell activity and that this regulation is important for preventing fibrocellular pathology. Using vascular smooth muscle cells from mice lacking elastin (Eln(-/-)), we show that elastin induces actin stress fiber organization, inhibits proliferation, regulates migration and signals via a non-integrin, heterotrimeric G-protein-coupled pathway. In a porcine coronary model of restenosis, the therapeutic delivery of exogenous elastin to injured vessels in vivo significantly reduces neointimal formation. These findings indicate that elastin stabilizes the arterial structure by inducing a quiescent contractile state in vascular smooth muscle cells. Together, this work demonstrates that signaling pathways crucial for arterial morphogenesis can play an important role in the pathogenesis and treatment of vascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Program in Human Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Satyajit K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Karnik
authors.forename: Benjamin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Brooke
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayes-Genis
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.forename: Joshua D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wythe
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: Dean Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004549:Elastin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D015607:Stents; D013552:Swine; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016596:Vinculin / Q000378:metabolism; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D014404:Tubulin; D016596:Vinculin; D004549:Elastin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein