title: [Role of CaN-NFATc3 pathway in abdominal aorta restenosis following ballon dilatation in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investegate the role of calcineurin (CaN) and its downstream nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATc3) in abdominal aorta restenosis following balloon dilatation in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, balloon group and cyclosporine A (CsA) group. The rats in the latter two groups were subjected to abdominal aorta injury with balloon dilatation, and those in CsA group were treated with CsA at the daily dose of 12.5 mg/kg from 3 days before the surgery to the end of the experiment. Thirty days afer the injury, histological analysis of the arterial wall was carried out with HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The expressions of CaN and NFATc3 in the abdominal aortas were detected with rea1-time PCR, and serum concentration of MCP-1 was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intimal hyperplasia with irregular thickness of the neointima was observed in the aorta of rats with ballon injury. In rats with CsA treatment, the area of the intimal layers and the ratio of the intimal to the medial layers were obviously lower than those in the balloon injury group (P<0.05). Compared to those in the sham-operated group, the expressions of calcineurin protein and mRNA and NFATc3 mRNA in the arterial wall and serum level of MCP-1 increased significantly in the ballon injury group (P<0.05). CsA treatment significantly suppressed aorta restenosis and the alterations of CaN, NFATc3 and serum MCP-1 induced by ballon dilatation (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CaN-NFATc3 signal transduction pathway mediates restenosis of rat abdominal aorta following ballon dilatation, and CsA can attenuate the restenosis by suppressing this pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China.E-mail: 870673051@qq.com.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Long-Gen
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: De-En
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lu-Ning
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002404:Catheterization; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D004106:Dilatation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006965:Hyperplasia; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D058426:Neointima / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C491766:Ccl2 protein, rat; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019703:Calcineurin