Statin treatment and 3' polyadenylation of eNOS mRNA.
OBJECTIVE
Statins have been shown to increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression via enhanced mRNA stability. Because the poly(A) tail is an important determinant of transcript stability, we sought to characterize the effect of statins on eNOS mRNA 3' polyadenylation.


RESULTS
Endothelial cells treated with statins had a time- and dose-dependent increase in eNOS transcripts with long poly(A) tails (75 to 160 adenosines). This effect was dependent on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-coenxyme A (CoA) reductase inhibition and was observed with both lipophilic (simvastatin) and hydrophilic (rosuvastatin) statins. In mRNA stability assays, polyadenylated eNOS transcripts from statin-treated cells were 2- to 3-fold more stable than transcripts from untreated cells. The effect of statins on eNOS polyadenylation was related to cytoskeleton organization; there was increased eNOS mRNA polyadenylation after Rho inhibition and cytochalasin D treatment. Further, we found increased phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II in statin-treated cells, suggesting that statin-induced polyadenylation involved modulation of RNA polymerase II activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data provide insight into a mechanism by which statins enhance eNOS mRNA stability and increase eNOS protein: statins increase eNOS mRNA polyadenylation through Rho-mediated changes in the actin cytoskeleton.
Kosmidou
Ioanna
I
Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1639 Pierce Dr, WMB 319, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Moore
Jeffrey P
JP
Weber
Martina
M
Searles
Charles D
CD
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000494:pharmacology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D039104:RNA 3' Polyadenylation Signals / Q000187:drug effects*; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000187:drug effects*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015638:Cytochalasin D; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D019821:Simvastatin; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins