title: Proliferation and signaling in fibroblasts: role of 5-hydroxytryptamine2A receptor and transporter.
abstract: 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) plays an important role in the remodeling of the pulmonary circulation, notably during exposure to hypoxia. Here, we have been interested in the role of 5-HT and the 5-HT transporter in the proliferation of pulmonary artery fibroblasts derived from pulmonary hypertensive animals and particularly in defining which receptor subtype is of importance and in identifying a possible mechanism of this effect. This study has examined the effects of 5-HT on the proliferation and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in rat pulmonary artery fibroblasts from control and chronically hypoxic animals. We have shown that 5-HT has a co-mitogenic effect with serum to produce an enhanced proliferative response in cells from chronically hypoxic rats over those from control animals. Moreover we have found that the 5-HT(2A) receptor is responsible for the hypoxia-associated 5-HT proliferation in these cells by using specific receptor agonist and antagonist studies and that this receptor signals via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. We have also shown that the 5-HT transporter is important in the mitogenic response not pertaining to hypoxic stimulation. Taken together, these data suggest that selective 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonists may have a role in pulmonary artery fibroblast proliferation to hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit and Department of Immunology, Western Infirmary, and Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. david.welsh@bio.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harnett
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: MacLean
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Peacock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C493232:Slc6a4 protein, rat; D012701:Serotonin; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases