title: Simvastatin stimulates VEGF release via p44/p42 MAP kinase in vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: It has been shown that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) modulate vascular smooth muscle cell functions. In the present study, we investigated the effect of simvastatin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release, and the underlying mechanism, in a rat aortic smooth muscle cell line, A10 cells. Administration of simvastatin increased the VEGF level in rat plasma in vivo. In cultured cells, simvastatin significantly stimulated VEGF release in a dose-dependent manner. Simvastatin induced the phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase but not p38 MAP kinase or SAPK (stress-activated protein kinase)/JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase). PD98059 and U-0126, inhibitors of the upstream kinase that activates p44/p42 MAP kinase, significantly reduced the simvastatin-induced VEGF release in a dose-dependent manner. The phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase induced by simvastatin was reduced by PD98059 or U-0126. Moreover, a bolus injection of PD98059 truly suppressed the simvastatin-increased VEGF level in rat plasma in vivo. These results strongly suggest that p44/p42 MAP kinase plays a role at least partly in the simvastatin-stimulated VEGF release in vascular smooth muscle cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu 500-8705, Japan.
authors.forename: Motoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Kouseki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirade
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuno
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kozawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D009570:Nitriles; C113580:U 0126; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D019821:Simvastatin; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one