title: Possible involvement of p44/p42 MAP kinase in retinoic acid-stimulated vascular endothelial growth factor release in aortic smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Retinoic acid modulates cell growth and differentiation of the vascular system. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known as a vascular permeability factor and a potent mitogen for vascular endothelial cells. In the present study, we investigated whether retinoic acid induces VEGF release in aortic smooth muscle A10 cells and if so, the mechanism of VEGF release. Retinoic acid stimulated VEGF release dose-dependently over the range 0.1 nM-0.1 microM. The retinoic acid-stimulated VEGF release was significantly reduced by actinomycin D. Retinoic acid induced the phosphorylation of p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase but not p38 MAP kinase or stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase among the MAP kinase superfamily. This effect of retinoic acid was dose-dependent (30 nM-5 microM) and the maximum effect was observed at 0.3 microM. The retinoic acid-stimulated release of VEGF was significantly reduced by PD98059 and U0126, specific MEK inhibitors, which attenuated the retinoic acid-induced phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase. These results strongly suggest that retinoic acid stimulates the release of VEGF in a p44/p42 MAP kinase-dependent manner in aortic smooth muscle cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and pain Medicine, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Kouseki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirade
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishisaki
authors.forename: En
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suga
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katagiri
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kozawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000502:physiology*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000502:physiology*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D014212:Tretinoin; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases