Marjorie Akers

Emerging evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species are important regulators of vascular function. Although NAD(P)H oxidases have been implicated as major sources of superoxide in the vessel wall, the molecular identity of these proteins remains unclear. We recently cloned nox1 (formerly mox-1), a member of a new family of gp91(phox) homologues, and showed that it is expressed in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In this study, we examined the expression of three nox family members, nox1, nox4, and gp91(phox), in VSMCs, their regulation by angiotensin II (Ang II), and their role in redox-sensitive signaling. We found that both nox1 and nox4 are expressed to a much higher degree than gp91(phox) in VSMCS: Although serum, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and Ang II downregulated nox4, they markedly upregulated nox1, suggesting that this enzyme may account for the delayed phase of superoxide production in these cells. Furthermore, an adenovirus expressing antisense nox1 mRNA completely inhibited the early phase of superoxide production induced by Ang II or PDGF and significantly decreased activation of the redox-sensitive signaling molecules p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt by Ang II. In contrast, redox-independent pathways induced by PDGF or Ang II were unaffected. These data support a role for nox1 in redox signaling in VSMCs and provide insight into the molecular identity of the VSMC NAD(P)H oxidase and its potentially critical role in vascular disease.

Angiotensin II induces an oxidant stress-dependent hypertrophy in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. To investigate the growth-related molecular targets of H2O2, we examined the redox sensitivity of agonist-stimulated activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. We show here that angiotensin II elicits a rapid increase in intracellular H2O2 and a rapid and robust phosphorylation of both p42/44MAPK (16-fold) and p38MAPK (15-fold). However, exogenous H2O2 activates only p38MAPK (14-fold), and diphenylene iodonium, an NADH/NADPH oxidase inhibitor, attenuates angiotensin II-stimulated phosphorylation of p38MAPK, but not p42/44MAPK. Furthermore, in cells stably transfected with human catalase, angiotensin II-induced intracellular H2O2 generation is almost completely blocked, resulting in inhibition of phosphorylation of p38MAPK, but not p42/44MAPK, and a subsequent partial decrease in angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy. Specific inhibition of either the p38MAPK pathway with SB203580 (4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)1H- imidaz ole) or the p42/44MAPK pathway with PD98059 (2-(2'-amino-3'-methoxyphenyl)oxanaphthalen-4-one) also partially, but significantly, attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy; however, simultaneous blockade of both pathways has an additive inhibitory effect, indicating that the hypertrophic response to angiotensin II requires parallel, independent activation of both MAPK pathways. These results provide the first evidence that p38MAPK is a critical component of the oxidant stress (H2O2)-sensitive signaling pathways activated by angiotensin II in vascular smooth muscle cells and indicate that it plays a crucial role in vascular hypertrophy.

Recent evidence suggests that oxidative mechanisms may be involved in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hypertrophy. We previously showed that angiotensin II (Ang II) increases superoxide production by activating an NADH/NADPH oxidase, which contributes to hypertrophy. In this study, we determined whether Ang II stimulation of this oxidase results in H2O2 production by studying the effects of Ang II on intracellular H2O2 generation, intracellular superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, and hypertrophy. Ang II (100 nmol/L) significantly increased intracellular H2O2 levels at 4 hours. Neither superoxide dismutase activity nor catalase activity was affected by Ang II; the SOD present in VSMCs is sufficient to metabolize Ang II-stimulated superoxide to H2O2, which accumulates more rapidly than it is degraded by catalase. This increase in H2O2 was inhibited by extracellular catalase, diphenylene iodonium, an inhibitor of the NADH/NADPH oxidase, and the AT1 receptor blocker losartan. In VSMCs stably transfected with antisense p22phox, a critical component of the NADH/NADPH oxidase in which oxidase activity was markedly reduced, Ang II-induced production of H2O2 was almost completely inhibited, confirming that the source of Ang II-induced H2O2 was the NADH/NADPH oxidase. Using a novel cell line that stably overexpresses catalase, we showed that this increased H2O2 is a critical step in VSMC hypertrophy, a hallmark of many vascular diseases. Inhibition of intracellular superoxide dismutase by diethylthiocarbamate (1 mmol/L) also resulted in attenuation of Ang II-induced hypertrophy (62+/-2% inhibition). These data indicate that AT1 receptor-mediated production of superoxide generated by the NADH/NADPH oxidase is followed by an increase in intracellular H2O2, suggesting a specific role for these oxygen species and scavenging systems in modifying the intracellular redox state in vascular growth.

Angiotensin II, a hypertrophic/anti-apoptotic hormone, utilizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) as growth-related signaling molecules in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Recently, the cell survival protein kinase Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) was proposed to be involved in protein synthesis. Here we show that angiotensin II causes rapid phosphorylation of Akt/PKB (6- +/- 0.4-fold increase). Exogenous H(2)O(2) (50-200 microM) also stimulates Akt/PKB phosphorylation (maximal 8- +/- 0.2-fold increase), suggesting that Akt/PKB activation is redox-sensitive. Both angiotensin II and H(2)O(2) stimulation of Akt/PKB are abrogated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002 (2(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one), suggesting that PI3-K is an upstream mediator of Akt/PKB activation in VSMCs. Furthermore, diphenylene iodonium, an inhibitor of flavin-containing oxidases, or overexpression of catalase to block angiotensin II-induced intracellular H(2)O(2) production significantly inhibits angiotensin II-induced Akt/PKB phosphorylation, indicating a role for ROS in agonist-induced Akt/PKB activation. In VSMCs infected with dominant-negative Akt/PKB, angiotensin II-stimulated [(3)H]leucine incorporation is attenuated. Thus, our studies indicate that Akt/PKB is part of the remarkable spectrum of angiotensin II signaling pathways and provide insight into the highly organized signaling mechanisms coordinated by ROS, which mediate the hypertrophic response to angiotensin II in VSMCs.

Activation of phospholipase C (PLC) is one of the earliest events in angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT1) receptor (R)-mediated signal transduction in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The coupling mechanisms of AT1 Rs to PLC, however, are controversial, because both tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-gamma and G protein-dependent PLC-beta activation pathways have been reported. The expression of PLC-beta1, furthermore, has not been consistently demonstrated in VSMCs. Here we identified the PLC subtypes and subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins involved in AT1 R-PLC coupling using cultured rat VSMCs. Western analysis revealed the expression of PLC-beta1, -gamma1, and -delta1 in VSMCs. Ang II-stimulated inositol trisphosphate (IP3) formation measured at 15 s, which corresponds to the peak response, was significantly inhibited by electroporation of antibodies against PLC-beta1, but not by anti-PLC-gamma and -delta antibodies. Electroporation of anti-Galphaq/11 and -Galpha12 antibodies also showed significant inhibition of the Ang II-induced IP3 generation at 15 s, while anti-Galphai and Galpha13 antibodies were ineffective. Furthermore, in VSMCs electroporated with anti-Gbeta antibody and cells stably transfected with the plasmid encoding the Gbetagamma-binding region of the carboxyl terminus of beta-adrenergic receptor kinase1, the peak Ang II-stimulated PLC activity (at 15 s) was significantly inhibited. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, had no effect on the peak response to Ang II stimulation, but significantly inhibited IP3 production after 30 s, a time period which temporally correlated with PLC-gamma tyrosine phosphorylation in response to Ang II. Moreover, electropor-ation of anti-PLC-gamma antibody markedly inhibited the IP3 production measured at 30 s, indicating that tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-gamma contributes mainly to the later phase of PLC activation. Thus, these results suggest that: 1) AT1 receptors sequentially couple to PLC-beta1 via a heterotrimeric G protein and to PLC-gamma via a downstream tyrosine kinase; 2) the initial AT1 receptor-PLC-beta1 coupling is mediated by Galphaq/11beta gamma and Galpha12 beta gamma; 3) Gbeta gamma acts as a signal transducer for activation of PLC in VSMCs. The sequential coupling of AT1 receptors to PLC-beta1 and PLC-gamma, as well as dual coupling of AT1 receptors to distinct Galpha proteins, suggests a novel mechanism for a temporally controlled, highly organized and convergent Ang II-signaling network in VSMCs.