Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound prevents angiotensin II-induced aortic smooth muscle cell phenotypic switch via hampering miR-17-5p and enhancing PPAR- γ

Eur J Pharmacol. 2021 Sep 18:174509. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174509. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTVascular events can trigger a pathological phenotypic switch in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), decreasing and disrupting the plasticity and diversity of vascular networks. The development of novel therapeutic approaches is necessary to prevent these changes. We aimed to investigate the effects and associated mechanisms of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) irradiation on the angiotensin II (AngII)-induced phenotypic switch in VSMCs. In vivo, AngII was infused subcutaneously for 4 weeks to stimulate vascular remodeling in mice, and LIPUS irradiation was applied for 20 minutes every 2 days for 4 weeks. In vitro, cultured rat aortic VSMCs (RAVSMCs) were pretreated once with LIPUS irradiation for 20 minutes before 48-hour AngII stimulation. Our results showed that LIPUS irradiation prevents AngII-induced vascular remodeling of the whole wall artery without discriminating between adventitia and media in vivo and RAVSMC phenotypic switching in vitro. LIPUS irradiation downregulated miR-17-5p expression and upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) expression. The PPAR-γ activator rosiglitazone could mimic the favorable effects of LIPUS irradiation on AngII-treated RAVSMCs. In contrast, GW9662 could impede the LIPUS-mediated downregulation of RAVSMC proliferation and inflammation under AngII stimulation conditions in vivo and in vitro. Also,...
Source: European Journal of Pharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Source Type: research