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Role of integrin-linked kinase in vascular smooth muscle cells: Regulation by statins and angiotensin II

Journal Article · · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [2]
  1. Klinik fuer Innere Medizin III - Kardiologie, Angiologie, Internistische Intensivmedizin, Universitaetskliniken des Saarlandes, 66421 Homburg (Germany)
  2. Klinik fuer Innere Medizin II, Universitaetsklinikum Bonn, 53105 Bonn (Germany)
Our goal was to characterize the role of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), which play a crucial role in atherogenesis. Transfection of VSMC with wild-type and dominant-negative ILK cDNA constructs revealed that ILK mediates migration and proliferation of VSMC but has no effect on VSMC survival. The pro-atherogenic mediator angiotensin II increases ILK protein expression and kinase activity while statin treatment down-regulates ILK in VSMC. Functionally, ILK is necessary for angiotensin II-mediated VSMC migration and proliferation. In VSMC transduced with dominant-negative ILK, statins mediate an additive inhibition of VSMC migration and proliferation, while transfection with wild-type ILK is sufficient to overcome the inhibitory effects of statin treatment on VSMC migration and proliferation. In vivo, ILK is expressed in VSMC of aortic sections from wild-type mice where it is down-regulated following statin treatment and up-regulated following induction of atherosclerosis in apoE-/- mice. These data identify ILK as a novel target in VSMC for anti-atherosclerotic therapy.
OSTI ID:
20854536
Journal Information:
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Journal Name: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 349; ISSN 0006-291X; ISSN BBRCA9
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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