Understanding arteriosclerosis: How blood vessels restructure under
pressure
New study explains how hypertension triggers a signaling pathway in blood vessels that can lead to arteriosclerosis
Date:
April 22, 2022
Source:
Nagoya City University
Summary:
Hypertension, a very common condition worldwide, can lead to
arteriosclerosis through alterations in the structure of blood
vessel walls known as 'vascular remodeling.' In a recent study,
an international team of scientists unveiled a molecular pathway
for the development of arteriosclerosis for the first time. This
could pave the way to better medication for preventing and treating
hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
FULL STORY ==========================================================================
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a very common condition that can
arise from physical activity, stress, or certain disorders. Unfortunately, persistent hypertension can cause long-lasting changes in the structure
of vascular smooth muscle cells (the cells making up the walls of
blood vessels) through a process called "vascular remodeling." If left unchecked, this restructuring can stiffen arterials walls, which lose
their ability to adjust their size appropriately.
This, in turn, leads to arteriosclerosis and increases the risk of cerebrovascular disease.
==========================================================================
Why and how hypertension triggers vascular remodeling is not entirely
clear.
Scientists have shown that macrophages, a type of white blood cells that
kill foreign bodies, are involved in the transformation. Specifically,
the macrophages accumulate within blood vessel walls from outside the
vessels and cause chronic inflammation. However, the underlying mechanism
that orchestrates this process remains unknown.
Against this backdrop, researchers from Japan and Canada, in a new study, recently investigated a mechanism known as "excitation-transcription
(E-T) coupling" in vascular smooth muscle cells. By unveiling the
mysteries behind the E-T coupling in these cells through experiments
spanning single cells to whole organisms, they successfully linked the
E-T coupling mechanism with vascular remodeling. The study, published
in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS),was led
by Junior Associate Professor Yoshiaki Suzuki, Hisao Yamamura and Yuji
Imaizumi from Nagoya City University, Japan, and Gerald W. Zamponi and
Wayne R. Giles from University of Calgary, Canada.
Various types of cells are known to undergo E-T coupling. In neurons,
for example, an excitation in the form of calcium ions (Ca2+) entering
the cell through calcium channels activates certain transcription factors
and enzymes.
These, in turn, trigger the transcription of various genes. Meanwhile,
although E-T coupling also occurs in vascular smooth muscle cells after
an influx of Ca2+ under high pressure, not much was known about how it
happens, what genes are triggered, and the role it plays in our bodies.
The researchers sought to answer these questions by focusing on caveolae,
small structures resembling depressions widely present on the cell's
membrane.
Through detailed experiments in individual cells, cell cultures, and live
mice, the team found that a specific protein complex found in caveolae
is a key player in E-T coupling in vascular smooth muscle cells.
They proved that this complex, referred to as Cav1.2/CaMKK2/CaMK1a, is
formed within caveolae and both CaMKK2 and CaMK1a are directly activated
by Ca2+ entering through Cav1.2 when subjected to certain stimuli, such
as high pressure. Moreover, they showed that this complex activates a
signaling pathway that phosphorylates a transcription factor called CREB,
which ultimately leads to an increased transcription of multiple genes.
By taking a detailed look at the genes promoted by E-T coupling and
observing their effects when blocked or amplified, the researchers made
some important discoveries. Firstly, some of these genes were related
to chemotaxis, the phenomenon by which cells movement is triggered and
directed by chemical stimuli. This helped explain the accumulation of macrophages in blood vessel walls from outside the vessels.
Additionally, these genes promoted the remodeling of the "medial" layer of arteries, where vascular smooth muscle cells reside and control blood flow through contraction and expansion. "Taken together, our results explain
how E- T coupling caused by high pressure in vascular smooth muscle
cells can modulate macrophage migration and subsequent inflammation,
altering the vascular structure," explains Dr. Suzuki.
The findings of this study have important implications regarding
anti- hypertension drugs. For one, they explain why medications like nicardipine, a classic calcium channel blocker, prevents vascular
remodeling and the progression of arteriosclerosis. This not only
fills an important knowledge gap in medicine but also presents several potential drug targets for treating or preventing vascular remodeling,
such as the constituents of the Cav1.2/CaMKK2/ CaMK1a complex.
"About 40 million people suffer from hypertension in Japan alone, and are
at high risk of stroke, end-stage renal failure, and vascular dementia,"
says Dr.
Suzuki, "Understanding the mechanisms behind arteriosclerosis is,
therefore, very important for reducing the incidence, progression,
and recurrence of cerebrovascular diseases and extend healthy life
expectancy."
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Nagoya_City_University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yoshiaki Suzuki, Takumi Ozawa, Tomo Kurata, Nanami Nakajima,
Gerald W.
Zamponi, Wayne R. Giles, Yuji Imaizumi, Hisao Yamamura. A
molecular complex of Ca v 1.2/CaMKK2/CaMK1a in caveolae is
responsible for vascular remodeling via excitation-transcription
coupling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2022;
119 (16) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117435119 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220422094320.htm
--- up 7 weeks, 4 days, 10 hours, 51 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)