title: The effects of 4-methylumbelliferone on hyaluronan synthesis, MMP2 activity, proliferation, and motility of human aortic smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Extracellular matrix remodeling after proatherosclerotic injury involves an increase in hyaluronan (HA) that is coupled with vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration, proliferation, and with neointima formation. As such events are dependent on HA, in this study we assessed the effects on SMC behavior of 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU). As previously described in other cell types, 4-MU reduced HA in cultures of primary human aortic SMCs (AoSMCs) as well as the cellular content of the HA precursor UDP-glucuronic acid. We found that SMCs increased UDP-glucuronyl transferase 1 enzymes, which can reduce the cellular content of UDP-glucuronic acid confirming that the availability of the UDP-sugar substrates can regulate HA synthesis. Interestingly, we reported that 4-MU reduced the transcripts coding for the three HA synthases as well as UDP glucose pyrophosphorylase and dehydrogenase. As HA synthase transcript reduction is common to other cell types, the 4-MU effect on gene expression may be considered a mechanism for HA synthesis inhibition. Moreover, we showed that 4-MU strongly inhibits AoSMCs migration, which was restored by the addition of exogenous HA indicating that the rescuing depends on the interaction of HA with its receptor CD44. Besides the decrease in HA synthesis and cell migration, 4-MU reduced AoSMCs proliferation, indicating that 4-MU may exert a vasoprotective effect.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Sperimentali e Cliniche, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via J.H. Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vigetti
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karousou
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genasetti
authors.forename: Moira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clerici
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bartolini
authors.forename: Vincent C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Hascall
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passi
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006923:Hymecromone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006923:Hymecromone; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2