Connexin43 siRNA promotes HUVEC proliferation and inhibits apoptosis induced by ox-LDL: an involvement of ERK signaling pathway.

In this study, we investigated the effects of ox-LDL on connexin43 and the mechanisms of connexin43 siRNA-inhibited apoptosis induced by ox-LDL in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC), to clarify the role of connexin43 in atherosclerosis. Our results showed that ox-LDL significantly inhibited the growth and promoted apoptosis of HUVEC in a dose-dependent manner. Also, ox-LDL upregulated the expression of connexin43. Furthermore, knockdown connexin43 by siRNA promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in ox-LDL-stimulated HUVEC. Moreover, the level of phosphor-ERK1/2 and connexin43 was remarkably attenuated by a ERK pathway inhibitor (PD98059). These results suggest that connexin43 siRNA promotes HUVEC proliferation and inhibits apoptosis induced by ox-LDL, and ERK signaling pathway appears to be involved in these processes.
PMID: 24833468 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - May 16, 2014 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Yin G, Yang X, Li B, Yang M, Ren M Tags: Mol Cell Biochem Source Type: research