Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha7 subunit mediates migration of vascular smooth muscle cells toward nicotine.
GbaSM-4 cells, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) derived from brain basilar arteries, were shown to migrate toward d-nicotine by augmenting the actin cytoskeleton in their cell bodies and lamellipodia, and expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha7-nAChR) was detected in GbaSM-4 cells. Their chemotaxis was antagonized by an alpha7-nAChR antagonist of methyllycaconitine. It was also antagonized by inhibiting myosin light chain (MLC) kinase and by down-regulating MLC kinase. However, the changes in MLC phosphorylation were not associated with the nicotine treatment, suggesting the involvement of non-kinase activity of MLC kinase as reviewed by Gao et al. (IUBMB Life. 2001;51:337). This plot may work to induce arteriosclerosis during cigarette smoking.
Li
Sheng
S
Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
Zhao
Tiejun
T
Xin
Hong
H
Ye
Li-Hong
LH
Zhang
Xiaodong
X
Tanaka
Hideyuki
H
Nakamura
Akio
A
Kohama
Kazuhiro
K
D000157:Aconitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000166:cytology; D002460:Cell Line; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005544:Forecasting; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009538:Nicotine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
D000199:Actins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; C054634:methyllycaconitine; D009538:Nicotine; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase; D000157:Aconitine