title: Dichloroacetate treatment partially regresses established pulmonary hypertension in mice with SM22alpha-targeted overexpression of the serotonin transporter.
abstract: Voltage-gated potassium (Kv)1.5 is decreased in pulmonary arteries (PAs) of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and in experimental models including mice with SM22alpha-targeted overexpression of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT). The mechanisms underlying these abnormalities, however, remain unknown. Dichloroacetate (DCA) inhibits chronic hypoxia- or monocrotaline-induced PAH by inhibiting nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)c2 and increasing Kv1.5. Therefore, we hypothesized that DCA could regress established PAH in SM22-5-HTT+ mice. We evaluated pulmonary hemodynamics, vascular remodeling, NFATc2, and Kv1.5 protein in 20-wk-old SM22-5-HTT+ or wild-type mice treated for 1, 7, and 21 d with DCA, cyclosporine-A (NFAT inhibitor), or vehicle. DCA partially reversed PAH in SM22-5-HTT+ mice by decreasing proliferation and increasing apoptosis in muscularized PAs. Furthermore, serotonin (10(-8)-10(-6) M) dose-dependently increased PA-smooth muscle cell (PA-SMC) proliferation in culture (EC(50)=0.97 x 10(-7) M) and DCA (5 x 10(-4) M) vs. PBS markedly reduced the growth of PA-SMC from IPAH and control patients treated with the highest dose of serotonin by 50 and 30%, respectively. Finally, although serotonin induces NFATc2 activation in PA-SMCs, inhibition of NFATc2 alone with cyclosporine-A was not sufficient for reversing PAH in this model. Our results support the possibility that DCA may be an interesting agent for investigation in patients with PAH.
authors.affiliation: INSERM Unity "Pulmonary Hypertension: Pathophysiology and Innovative Therapies," Centre Chirurgical Marie Lannelongue, 133 Avenue de la Résistance, 92350 Le Plessis-Robinson, France. christophe.guignabert@inserm.fr
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guignabert
authors.forename: Ly
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izikki
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dewachter
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zadigue
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Humbert
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adnot
authors.forename: Elie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fadel
authors.forename: Saadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eddahibi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003999:Dichloroacetic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051666:Kv1.5 Potassium Channel / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003999:Dichloroacetic Acid; D005473:Fluoxetine; D051666:Kv1.5 Potassium Channel; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; C493231:Slc6a4 protein, mouse; C058992:Tagln protein, mouse