title: Blockade of endogenous proinflammatory cytokines ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in obese Zucker rats.
abstract: To study the role of endogenous proinflammatory cytokines in endothelial dysfunction in diabetes, we administered semapimod, an inhibitor of proinflammatory cytokine production, to obese Zucker (OZ) rats, and examined its effect on endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation induced by acetylcholine and adrenomedullin (AM) was significantly reduced in OZ rats compared to a control group of lean Zucker rats. Semapimod significantly restored endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in OZ rats. This effect of semapimod was well correlated with the reduction in the serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein, as well as with the recovery of AM-induced Akt phosphorylation and cGMP production. Furthermore, acute administration of TNF-alpha significantly suppressed endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation and AM-induced cGMP production. These results implicate endogenous proinflammatory cytokines, especially TNF-alpha, in endothelial dysfunction in diabetes, and indicate that blockade of these cytokines will be a promising strategy for inhibiting the progression of vascular inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimatsu
authors.forename: Etsu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shigeyoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oba
authors.forename: Kenjiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagano
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D000813:Anilides; D006146:Guanidines
chemical_list: D053607:Adrenomedullin; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D006835:Hydrazones; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C097256:semapimod; D000813:Anilides; D006146:Guanidines