Heparin inhibits pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation through guanine nucleotide exchange factor-H1/RhoA/Rho kinase/p27.

ABSTRACT: Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) through Rho kinase kinase (ROCK), one of its downstream effectors, regulates a wide range of cell physiological functions, including vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, by degrading cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p27. Our previous studies found that heparin inhibition of pulmonary artery SMC (PASMC) proliferation and pulmonary hypertension was dependent on p27 up-regulation. To investigate whether ROCK, a regulator of p27, is involved in regulation of heparin inhibition of PASMC proliferation, we analyzed ROCK expression in the lungs from mice and from human PASMCs exposed to hypoxia, and investigated the effect of ROCK expression in vitro by RhoA cDNA transfection. We also investigated the effect of guanine nucleotide exchange facto

SUBMITTER: Yu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3095924 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature