Zhekang Ying

Increased RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling mediates spontaneous tone in aorta from angiotensin II-induced hypertensive rats

Spontaneous tone in large arteries may contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension. Reactive oxygen species and Ca2+ influx have been shown to stimulate the development of spontaneous tone in isolated aortic rings in several models of hypertensive rats. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathway in the development of spontaneous tone in angiotensin II-induced hypertension and to explore the underlying mechanisms of RhoA/Rho-kinase activation. Our results showed that spontaneous tone was greatly enhanced in endothelium-denuded aortic rings from angiotensin II-induced hypertensive rats compared with their normotensive counterparts (73 ± 5 versus 7 ± 3% of phenylephrine-induced maximal contraction, respectively). The Rho-kinase inhibitor (R)-(+)-trans-N-(4-pyridyl)-4-(1-aminoethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxamide (Y-27632) (0.1-10 μM) concentration dependently inhibited spontaneous tone in aortic rings from angiotensin II-treated rats. NADPH oxidase inhibitors diphenylene iodonium and apocynin also significantly reduced spontaneous tone. Chronic angiotensin II treatment markedly increased RhoA protein expression (57%) but had no effect on Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor mRNA or Rho-kinase protein expression levels. In endothelium-denuded rings from normotensive rats, angiotensin II (100 nM) increased RhoA membrane translocation and phosphorylation of the myosin light chain phosphatase target subunit, which were both blocked by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (10 μM). In conclusion, these data suggest that chronic treatment with angiotensin II leads to up-regulation of the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway, contributing to spontaneous tone development in rat aorta. Increased NADPH oxidase-dependent reactive oxygen species may be one of the mechanisms mediating the RhoA/Rho-kinase activation.

Up-regulation of the RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathway in corpus cavernosum from endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (NOS), but not neuronal NOS, null mice.

We tested the hypothesis that the basal release of nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells modulates contractile activity in the corpus cavernosum (CC) via inhibition of the RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathway. Cavernosal strips from wild-type (WT), endothelial nitric-oxide synthase knockout [eNOS(−/−)], and neuronal nitric-oxide synthase knockout [nNOS(−/−)] mice were mounted in myographs, and isometric force was recorded. mRNA and protein expression of key molecules in the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The cGMP levels were determined. The Rho-kinase inhibitors (R)-(+)-trans-N-(4-pyridyl)-4-(1-aminoethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxamide (Y-27632) and (S)-(+)-2-methyl-1-[(4-methyl-5-isoquinolinyl)sulfonyl] homopiperazine (H-1152) reduced cavernosal contractions evoked by phenylephrine or electrical field stimulation (EFS) in a concentration-dependent manner, although this inhibition was less effective in tissues from eNOS(−/−) mice. Y-27632 enhanced relaxations induced by sodium nitroprusside, EFS, and NO (administered as acidified NaNO2) without affecting the cGMP content of the cavernosal strips. This enhancement was less prominent in CC from eNOS(−/−). The protein expression of RhoA, Rho-guanine dissociation inhibitor, and Rho-kinase β did not differ among the strains. However, in eNOS(−/−) CC, the protein expression of Rho-kinase α and both mRNA and protein expression of p115-Rho-associated guanine exchange factor (RhoGEF), PDZ-RhoGEF, and leukemia-associated RhoGEF were up-regulated. Phosphorylation of MYPT1 at Thr696 was higher in tissues from eNOS(−/−) mice. A high concentration of Y-27632 significantly enhanced NO release in CC stimulated by EFS. These results suggest a basal release of NO from endothelial cells, which inhibits contractions mediated by the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway and modulates the expression of proteins related to this pathway in mouse CC. It indicates that endothelial integrity is essential to the maintenance of erectile function.

Salicylates dilate blood vessels through inhibiting PYK2-mediated RhoA/Rho-kinase activation.

AIMSnCompared with other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin is not correlated to hypertension. It has been shown that aspirin has unique vasodilator action in vivo, offering an explanation for the unique blood pressure effect of aspirin. In the present study, we investigate the mechanism whereby salicylates (aspirin and sodium salicylate) dilate blood vessels.nnnMETHODS AND RESULTSnRat aortic or mesenteric arterial rings were used to test the vascular effect of salicylates and other NSAIDs. RhoA translocation and the phosphorylation of MYPT1, the regulatory subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase, were measured by western blot, as evidenced for RhoA/Rho-kinase activation. Salicylates, but not other NSAIDs, relaxed contraction induced by most tested constrictors except for calyculin A, indicating that RhoA/Rho-kinase-mediated calcium sensitization is involved. The involvement of RhoA/Rho kinase in vasodilation by salicylates was confirmed by measurements of RhoA translocation and MYPT1 phosphorylation. The calculated half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of vasodilation was apparently higher than that of cyclooxygenase inhibition, but comparable to that of proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) inhibition. Over-expression of PYK2 induced RhoA translocation and MYPT1 phosphorylation, and these effects were markedly inhibited by sodium salicylate treatment. Consistent with the ex vitro vascular effects, sodium salicylate acutely decreased blood pressure in spontaneous hypertensive rats but not in Wistar Kyoto rats.nnnCONCLUSIONnSalicylates dilate blood vessels through inhibiting PYK2-mediated RhoA/Rho-kinase activation and thus lower blood pressure.

Expression and functional role of the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway in rat coeliac artery

1.u2002Rho‐kinase (ROK) stimulation represents a key step in the maintenance of agonist‐induced contraction, an effect counteracted by nitric oxide (NO) released from the endothelium. The aim of the present study was to characterize the involvement of ROK in smooth muscle contraction of the rat coeliac artery using functional and expression studies.