Synthesis of Reactive Sulfur Species in Cultured Vascular Endothelial Cells after Exposure to TGF-β1: Induction of Cystathionine γ-Lyase and Cystathionine β-Synthase Expression Mediated by the ALK5-Smad2/3/4 and ALK5-Smad2/3-ATF4 Pathways |
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| Authors: | Musubu Takahashi Tomoya Fujie Tsuyoshi Nakano Takato Hara Yasuhiro Shinkai Ryoko Takasawa Yasushi Hara Yoshito Kumagai Chika Yamamoto Toshiyuki Kaji |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510, Japan; (M.T.); (T.N.); (R.T.);2.Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan; (T.F.); (T.H.);3.Environmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; (Y.S.); (Y.K.);4.Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2669 Yamazaki, Noda 278-0022, Japan; |
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| Abstract: | Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) occurs at high levels at damage sites of vascular endothelial cell layers and regulates the functions of vascular endothelial cells. Reactive sulfur species (RSS), such as cysteine persulfide, glutathione persulfide, and hydrogen persulfide, are cytoprotective factors against electrophiles such as reactive oxygen species and heavy metals. Previously, we reported that sodium trisulfide, a sulfane sulfur donor, promotes vascular endothelial cell proliferation. The objective of the present study was to clarify the regulation and significance of RSS synthesis in vascular endothelial cells after exposure to TGF-β1. Bovine aortic endothelial cells in a culture system were treated with TGF-β1 to assess the expression of intracellular RSS, the effect of RSS on cell proliferation in the presence of TGF-β1, induction of RSS-producing enzymes by TGF-β1, and intracellular signal pathways that mediate this induction. The results suggest that TGF-β1 increased intracellular RSS levels to modulate its inhibitory effect on proliferation. The increased production of RSS, probably high-molecular-mass RSS, was due to the induction of cystathionine γ-lyase and cystathionine β-synthase, which are RSS-producing enzymes, and the induction was mediated by the ALK5-Smad2/3/4 and ALK5-Smad2/3-ATF4 pathways in vascular endothelial cells. TGF-β1 regulates vascular endothelial cell functions such as proliferation and fibrinolytic activity; intracellular high-molecular-mass RSS, which are increased by TGF-β1, may modulate the regulation activity in vascular endothelial cells. |
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| Keywords: | endothelial cell cystathionine γ -lyase cystathionine β -synthase transforming growth factor-β 1 reactive sulfur species |
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