Project description:The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II is expressed in smooth muscle and believed to mediate intracellular calcium handling and calcium-dependent gene transcription. CaMKII is activated by Angiotensin-II. The multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) is activated by Angiotensin-II (Ang-II) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), but its impact on hypertension remains unknown. In our transgenic mice that express the inhibitor peptide CaMKIIN in smooth muscle (TG SM-CaMKIIN), the blood pressure response to chronic Ang-II infusion was significantly reduced as compared to littermate controls. Surprisingly, examination of blood pressure and heart rate under ganglionic blockade revealed a key role for VSMC CaMKII in efferent sympathetic outflow in response to Ang II hypertension. Consistently, the efferent splanchnic nerve activity and plasma phenylephrine concentrations were significantly lower in TG SM-CaMKIIN mice as compared to littermates. Moreover, the aortic depressor nerve activity was reset in hypertensive wild type animals, but not in TG SM-CaMKIIN mice, suggesting that changes in baroreceptor wall activity may be responsible for the blood pressure difference in Ang-II hypertension. The pulse wave velocity, a measure of vascular wall stiffness in vivo, was increased in aortas of hypertensive compared to normotensive WT animals. However, Ang-II infusion did not alter the pulse wave velocity in transgenic mice, suggesting that CaMKII in VSMC controls structural smooth muscle genes. Accordingly, analysis of gene expression changes in aortas from wild type and TG SM-CaMKIIN hypertensive mice demonstrated that CaMKII inhibition mainly altered the expression of muscle contractile proteins. In contrast, TG SM-CaMKIIN aortas were protected from the Ang-II induced upregulation of genes linked to proliferation, suggesting that CaMKII inhibition prevents the Ang-II-induced reprogramming of smooth muscle cell gene expression towards a proliferative phenotype. 5 WT C57Bl/6 and 5 mice that express the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II peptide inhibitor CaMKIIN in smooth muscle only (TG SM-CaMKIIN) were infused with 1.25 ug/kg/min Angiotensin-II by osmotic minipump for 14 days. 5 WT and 5 transgenic mice infused with normal saline served as controls. The mice were sacrificed on day 14 and the thoracic aortas isolated. RNA was isolated and pooled for the following groups: WT (wild type), C (TG SM-CaMKIIN), WT-A (WT with Angiotensin-II), C-A (TG SM-CaMKIIN + Angiotensin-II)

Project description:Hypertension is a common cardiovascular disease that is related to genetic and environmental factors, but its mechanisms remain unclear. DNA methylation, a classical epigenetic modification, not only regulates gene expression but is also susceptible to environmental factors, linking environmental factors to genetic modification. Therefore, globally screening differential genomic DNA methylation in hypertensive patients is important for investigating novel hypertension mechanisms.Differential genomic DNA methylation in hypertensive, prehypertensive, and healthy control individuals was screened using the Illumina 450K BeadChip and verified by pyrosequencing. Plasma oviduct glycoprotein 1 (OVGP1) levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Ovgp1 transgenic and knockout mice were generated to analyze the function of OVGP1. The blood pressure levels of the mouse models were measured using the tail-cuff system and radiotelemetry methods. The role of OVGP1 in vascular remodeling was determined by vascular relaxation studies. Protein–protein interactions were investigated using a pull-down/mass spectrometry assay and verified with coimmunoprecipitation and pull-down assays. We found a hypomethylated site at cg20823859 in the promoter region of OVGP1, and the plasma OVGP1 levels were significantly increased in hypertensive patients. This finding indicates that OVGP1 is associated with hypertension. In Ovgp1 transgenic mice, OVGP1 overexpression caused an increase in blood pressure, dysfunctional vasoconstriction and vasodilatation, remodeling of arterial walls, and increased vascular superoxide stress and inflammation, and these phenomena were exacerbated by angiotensin II infusion. In contrast, Ovgp1 deficiency attenuated angiotensin II-induced vascular oxidase stress, inflammation, and collagen deposition. These findings indicate that OVGP1 is a prohypertensive factor that directly promotes vascular remodeling. Pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that myosin heavy chain II-A (MYH9) interacted with OVGP1, whereas inhibition of MYH9 attenuated OVGP1-induced hypertension and vascular remodeling. CONCLUSIONS: Hypomethylation at cg20823859 in the promoter region of OVGP1 is associated with hypertension and induces upregulation of OVGP1. The interaction between OVGP1 and MYH9 contributes to vascular remodeling and dysfunction. Therefore, OVGP1 is a prohypertensive factor that promotes vascular remodeling by binding with MYH9.

Project description:The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II is expressed in smooth muscle and believed to mediate intracellular calcium handling and calcium-dependent gene transcription. CaMKII is activated by Angiotensin-II. The multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) is activated by Angiotensin-II (Ang-II) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), but its impact on hypertension remains unknown. In our transgenic mice that express the inhibitor peptide CaMKIIN in smooth muscle (TG SM-CaMKIIN), the blood pressure response to chronic Ang-II infusion was significantly reduced as compared to littermate controls. Surprisingly, examination of blood pressure and heart rate under ganglionic blockade revealed a key role for VSMC CaMKII in efferent sympathetic outflow in response to Ang II hypertension. Consistently, the efferent splanchnic nerve activity and plasma phenylephrine concentrations were significantly lower in TG SM-CaMKIIN mice as compared to littermates. Moreover, the aortic depressor nerve activity was reset in hypertensive wild type animals, but not in TG SM-CaMKIIN mice, suggesting that changes in baroreceptor wall activity may be responsible for the blood pressure difference in Ang-II hypertension. The pulse wave velocity, a measure of vascular wall stiffness in vivo, was increased in aortas of hypertensive compared to normotensive WT animals. However, Ang-II infusion did not alter the pulse wave velocity in transgenic mice, suggesting that CaMKII in VSMC controls structural smooth muscle genes. Accordingly, analysis of gene expression changes in aortas from wild type and TG SM-CaMKIIN hypertensive mice demonstrated that CaMKII inhibition mainly altered the expression of muscle contractile proteins. In contrast, TG SM-CaMKIIN aortas were protected from the Ang-II induced upregulation of genes linked to proliferation, suggesting that CaMKII inhibition prevents the Ang-II-induced reprogramming of smooth muscle cell gene expression towards a proliferative phenotype.

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Effect of Hypertension of Dendritic Cell Gene Expression

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