title: Mechanisms underlying the chronic pioglitazone treatment-induced improvement in the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation seen in aortas from diabetic rats.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of chronic treatment with pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist, on the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation seen in aortas from established streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, and to identify some of the molecular mechanisms involved. Starting at 8 weeks of diabetes, pioglitazone (10 mg/kg) was administered to STZ-induced diabetic rats for 4 weeks. In untreated STZ rats (vs age-matched control rats): (1) ACh-induced relaxation, cGMP accumulation, phosphorylation of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase substrate vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein at Ser-239 [an established biochemical end-point of nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP signaling], and Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression and SOD activity were all reduced; (2) aortic superoxide generation, nitrotyrosine expression, and NAD(P)H oxidase activity were increased; (3) plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) and aortic c-Jun (AP-1 component) protein expressions were increased. Pioglitazone treatment markedly corrected the above abnormalities. Collectively, these results suggest that pioglitazone treatment improves endothelium-dependent relaxation by reducing oxidative stress via increased SOD activity, decreased NAD(P)H oxidase activity, and a decreased ET-1 level, and that this decreased ET-1 level may be attributable to an inhibition of the AP-1 signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D000077205:Pioglitazone; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D000077205:Pioglitazone