Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells lowers vascular tone by decreasing myosin light chain phosphorylation.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), an oxygen (O2)-sensitive transcription factor, mediates transcriptional responses to low-O2 tension states. Although acute hypoxia causes pulmonary vasoconstriction and chronic hypoxia can cause vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension, conflicting data exist on the role of HIF-1α in modulating pulmonary vascular tone.

Objective

To investigate the role of smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific HIF-1α in regulating pulmonary vascular tone.

Methods and results

Mice with an SMC-specific deletion of HIF-1α (SM22α-HIF-1α(-/-)) were created to test the hypothesis that pulmonary artery SMC (PASMC) HIF-1α modulates pulmonary vascular tone and the response to hypoxia. SM22α-HIF-1α(-/-) mice exhibited significantly higher right v

SUBMITTER: Kim YM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4005857 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature