title: Impaired flow-dependent control of vascular tone and remodeling in P2X4-deficient mice.
abstract: The structure and function of blood vessels adapt to environmental changes such as physical development and exercise. This phenomenon is based on the ability of the endothelial cells to sense and respond to blood flow; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that the ATP-gated P2X4 ion channel, expressed on endothelial cells and encoded by P2rx4 in mice, has a key role in the response of endothelial cells to changes in blood flow. P2rx4(-/-) mice do not have normal endothelial cell responses to flow, such as influx of Ca(2+) and subsequent production of the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). Additionally, vessel dilation induced by acute increases in blood flow is markedly suppressed in P2rx4(-/-) mice. Furthermore, P2rx4(-/-) mice have higher blood pressure and excrete smaller amounts of NO products in their urine than do wild-type mice. Moreover, no adaptive vascular remodeling, that is, a decrease in vessel size in response to a chronic decrease in blood flow, was observed in P2rx4(-/-) mice. Thus, endothelial P2X4 channels are crucial to flow-sensitive mechanisms that regulate blood pressure and vascular remodeling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Kimiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sokabe
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isshiki
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Hirotake
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D058848:Receptors, Purinergic P2X4; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C548227:P2rx4 protein, mouse; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2; D058848:Receptors, Purinergic P2X4; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002118:Calcium; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester