Abstract
Purpose: Increases in cytosolic calcium levels trigger smooth muscle contraction while nuclear calcium increases are thought to regulate gene expression. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) affects both. The goal of these studies was to further investigate the importance of ET-1 to corporal physiology by examining its actions on proliferation and immediate early gene (IEG) expression in cultured human corporal smooth muscle cells. Materials and Methods: Early passage (1-3) smooth muscle cells were grown in culture and exposed to either phenylephrine (PE) or ET-1 in the absence and presence of serum, the ET(A) or ET(B) selective antagonist BQ123 or IRL1038, or the L- type Ca2+ channel blocker, verapamil. Cell proliferation was assessed with a hemocytometer. The effects of ET-1 on c-myc and c-fos were evaluated using Northern blot analysis. Parametric or nonparametric statistics were used as appropriate. Results: Addition of ET-1 (100 nM) to serum-starved cultured corporal smooth muscle cells was associated with a nearly 2-fold increase in cell number, as well as 2 to 6-fold increases in c-myc and c-fos levels. Cellular proliferation was inhibited by ET(A)- or ET(B)-receptor subtype blockade with BQ123 (1 μM) or IRL1038 (1 μM), respectively, or blockade of Ca2+ channels with verapamil (10 μM). PE (3 μM) had no detectable effect on smooth muscle proliferation. Conclusions: Cell proliferation was mediated by activation of the ETA and ET(B) receptor subtypes, dependent on transmembrane Ca2+ flux, and correlated with significant increases in c-myc and c-fos mRNA levels. These studies extend previous observations to indicate the potential pleotropic actions of this peptide in the regulation of human corporal smooth muscle physiology in vivo.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1856-1862 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Urology |
Volume | 160 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1998 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Cell Division/drug effects
- Cells, Cultured
- Culture Media
- Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
- Endothelin-1/physiology
- Gene Expression Regulation/physiology
- Genes, Immediate-Early/genetics
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Muscle, Smooth/cytology
- Penis/cytology
- Phenylephrine/pharmacology
- RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis