Docetaxel Reverses Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling by Decreasing Autophagy and Resolves Right Ventricular Fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Pulmonary arterial hypertension remains a fatal disease despite the availability of approved vasodilators. Since vascular remodeling contributes to increased pulmonary arterial pressure, new agents that reduce the thickness of pulmonary vascular walls have therapeutic potential. Thus, antitumor agents that are capable of killing cells were investigated. Testing of various antitumor drugs identified that docetaxel is a superior drug for killing proliferating pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells compared with other drugs, including gemcitabine, methotrexate, and ifosfamide. The administration of docetaxel to rats with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension reversed pulmonary vascular remodeling and reduced right ventricular pressure. Docetaxel was found to decrease autophagy as monitored by

SUBMITTER: Ibrahim YF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5596829 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature