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Respiratory Research
Published in: Respiratory Research 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research

Dexamethasone induces apoptosis in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells

Authors: Laura C. Price, Dongmin Shao, Chao Meng, Frederic Perros, Benjamin E. Garfield, Jie Zhu, David Montani, Peter Dorfmuller, Marc Humbert, Ian M. Adcock, Stephen J. Wort

Published in: Respiratory Research | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Dexamethasone suppressed inflammation and haemodynamic changes in an animal model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A major target for dexamethasone actions is NF-κB, which is activated in pulmonary vascular cells and perivascular inflammatory cells in PAH. Reverse remodelling is an important concept in PAH disease therapy, and further to its anti-proliferative effects, we sought to explore whether dexamethasone augments pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) apoptosis.

Methods

Analysis of apoptosis markers (caspase 3, in-situ DNA fragmentation) and NF-κB (p65 and phospho-IKK-α/β) activation was performed on lung tissue from rats with monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH), before and after day 14–28 treatment with dexamethasone (5 mg/kg/day). PASMC were cultured from this rat PH model and from normal human lung following lung cancer surgery. Following stimulation with TNF-α (10 ng/ml), the effects of dexamethasone (10−8–10−6 M) and IKK2 (NF-κB) inhibition (AS602868, 0–3 μM (0-3×10−6 M) on IL-6 and CXCL8 release and apoptosis was determined by ELISA and by Hoechst staining. NF-κB activation was measured by TransAm assay.

Results

Dexamethasone treatment of rats with MCT-induced PH in vivo led to PASMC apoptosis as displayed by increased caspase 3 expression and DNA fragmentation. A similar effect was seen in vitro using TNF-α-simulated human and rat PASMC following both dexamethasone and IKK2 inhibition. Increased apoptosis was associated with a reduction in NF-κB activation and in IL-6 and CXCL8 release from PASMC.

Conclusions

Dexamethasone exerted reverse-remodelling effects by augmenting apoptosis and reversing inflammation in PASMC possibly via inhibition of NF-κB. Future PAH therapies may involve targeting these important inflammatory pathways.
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Metadata
Title
Dexamethasone induces apoptosis in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells
Authors
Laura C. Price
Dongmin Shao
Chao Meng
Frederic Perros
Benjamin E. Garfield
Jie Zhu
David Montani
Peter Dorfmuller
Marc Humbert
Ian M. Adcock
Stephen J. Wort
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Respiratory Research / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1465-993X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-015-0262-y

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