目的:研究睾酮对氧化型低密度脂蛋白( ox-LDL)诱导大鼠血管平滑肌细胞( VSMCs)表型转化和增殖的抑制作用,并探讨其可能机制。方法培养大鼠VSMCs,将细胞分为对照组、ox-LDL组(50μg/ml)、血清组(10%胎牛血清)、睾酮组(5×10-8或5×10-7mol/L睾酮加50μg/ml ox-LDL)。水溶性四甲基偶氮唑盐(WST-1)法检测各组细胞增殖的变化;流式细胞仪检测各组细胞周期的变化;Western印迹法检测各组细胞线粒体融合素2蛋白(Mfn2)、磷酸化细胞外信号调节激酶1/2蛋白(p-ERK1/2)、增殖细胞核抗原( PCNA)、α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SMA)及骨桥蛋白( OPN)表达水平。结果与对照组比较,ox-LDL组细胞增殖能力增强(P〈0.05),G0/G1期细胞比例降低(P〈0.05),S期细胞比例增加(P〈0.05),Mfn2和α-SMA蛋白表达降低(P〈0.05),p-ERK1/2、PCNA、OPN表达增加(P〈0.05)。与ox-LDL组比较,不同浓度睾酮组细胞增殖受抑制(P〈0.05),G0/G1期细胞比例增加(P〈0.05),S期细胞比例降低(P〈0.05),Mfn2和α-SMA表达增加(P〈0.05),p-ERK1/2、PCNA和OPN表达降低(P〈0.05)。结论睾酮抑制ox-LDL诱导的大鼠VSMCs表型转化及增殖,可能与其上调Mfn2、抑制ERK1/2信号通路有关。
Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of testosterone on oxidized low-density lipoproteins ( ox-LDL)-stimulated phenotypic transition and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells ( VSMCs) in vitro, and to explore its possible mechanisms. Methods Rat VSMCs cultured in vitro were divided into control group, ox-LDL group(50μg/mlox-LDL),fetalbovineserum(FBS)group(10% FBS),andtestosteronegroups(5×10-8 or5×10-7 mol/L testosterone plus 50μg/ml ox-LDL) . The effect of testosterone on ox-LDL-induced proliferation of VSMCs was explored by WST-1 assay. The cell cycle distribution was determined using flow cytometry. Western blotting was used todetecttheexpressionsofmitofusin2(Mfn2),phosphorylatedextracellularsignal-regulatedkinases1/2(p-ERK1/2) , proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( PCNA) ,α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) ,and osteopontin ( OPN) . Results Compared with control group, the proliferation of VSMCs was promoted by ox-LDL, the number of VSMCs decreased in G0/G1 phase and increased in S phase significantly, the expression levels of Mfn2 and α-SMA were significantly reduced, and the expression levels of p-ERK1/2, PCNA, and OPN were significantly raised in ox-LDL group. Compared with ox-LDL group, the proliferation of VSMCs was inhibited, the number of VSMCs increased in G0/G1 phase and decreased in S phase in two testosterone groups, along with the increased expressions of Mfn2 andα-SMA, and the descended expressions of p-ERK1/2, PCNA, and OPN. Conclusions Testosterone inhibits phenotypic transition and proliferation of VSMCs induced by ox-LDL in vitro, which may be related to the up-regulated expression of Mfn 2 and the suppression of ERK1/2 pathway.