AJP - Lung Track the topics, authors and articles important to you
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 291: L668-L676, 2006. First published May 12, 2006; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00491.2005
1040-0605/06 $8.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
291/4/L668    most recent
00491.2005v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (21)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Taraseviciene-Stewart, L.
Right arrow Articles by Voelkel, N. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Taraseviciene-Stewart, L.
Right arrow Articles by Voelkel, N. F.

Simvastatin causes endothelial cell apoptosis and attenuates severe pulmonary hypertension

Laimute Taraseviciene-Stewart,1 Robertas Scerbavicius,1 Kang-Hyeon Choe,1 Carlyne Cool,2 Kathy Wood,2 Rubin M. Tuder,3 Nana Burns,1 Michael Kasper,4 and Norbert F. Voelkel1

1Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine and 2Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado; 3Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and 4Department of Anatomy, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany

Submitted 21 November 2005 ; accepted in final form 5 May 2006

Severe pulmonary hypertension (SPH) is characterized by precapillary arteriolar lumen obliteration, dramatic right ventricular hypertrophy, and pericardial effusion. Our recently published rat model of SPH recapitulates major components of the human disease. We used this model to develop new treatment strategies for SPH. SPH in rats was induced using VEGF receptor blockade in combination with chronic hypoxia. A large variety of drugs used in this study, including anticancer drugs (cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel), the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor lisinopril, the antiangiogenic agent thalidomide, and the peroxisome proliferator-actived receptor-{gamma} agonist PGJ2, failed to decrease mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) or right ventricular hypertrophy. In contrast, treatment of rats with established SPH with simvastatin markedly reduced mean PAP and right ventricular hypertrophy, and this reduction was associated with caspase-3 activation and pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell apoptosis. Simvastatin partially restored caveolin-1, caveolin-2, and phospho-caveolin expression in vessel walls. In rat primary pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, simvastatin induced caspase 3 activation and Rac 1 expression while suppressing Rho A and attenuated levels of Akt and ERK phosphorylation. We conclude that simvastatin is effective in inducing apoptosis in hyperproliferative pulmonary vascular lesions and could be considered as a potential drug for treatment of human SPH.

statins



Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: N. F. Voelkel, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Hypertension Center, 4200 E. Ninth Ave, C272, Denver, CO 80262 (e-mail: Norbert.Voelkel{at}uchsc.edu)




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
N. Homma, T. Nagaoka, V. Karoor, M. Imamura, L. Taraseviciene-Stewart, L. A. Walker, K. A. Fagan, I. F. McMurtry, and M. Oka
Involvement of RhoA/Rho kinase signaling in protection against monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in pneumonectomized rats by dehydroepiandrosterone
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, July 1, 2008; 295(1): L71 - L78.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Postgrad. Med. J.Home page
B Wojciak-Stothard
New drug targets for pulmonary hypertension: Rho GTPases in pulmonary vascular remodelling
Postgrad. Med. J., July 1, 2008; 84(993): 348 - 353.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
A. Churg, M. Cosio, and J. L. Wright
Mechanisms of cigarette smoke-induced COPD: insights from animal models
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, April 1, 2008; 294(4): L612 - L631.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
HypertensionHome page
V. A. Korshunov, M. Daul, M. P. Massett, and B. C. Berk
Axl Mediates Vascular Remodeling Induced by Deoxycorticosterone Acetate Salt Hypertension
Hypertension, December 1, 2007; 50(6): 1057 - 1062.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
C. M. Carlin, A. J. Peacock, and D. J. Welsh
Fluvastatin Inhibits Hypoxic Proliferation and p38 MAPK Activity in Pulmonary Artery Fibroblasts
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., October 1, 2007; 37(4): 447 - 456.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
M. S. McMurtry, S. Bonnet, E. D. Michelakis, S. Bonnet, A. Haromy, and S. L. Archer
Statin therapy, alone or with rapamycin, does not reverse monocrotaline pulmonary arterial hypertension: the rapamcyin-atorvastatin-simvastatin study
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2007; 293(4): L933 - L940.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
N. R. Bauer, T. M. Moore, and I. F. McMurtry
Rodent models of PAH: are we there yet?
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): L580 - L582.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
M. Li, Y. Liu, P. Dutt, B. L. Fanburg, and D. Toksoz
Inhibition of serotonin-induced mitogenesis, migration, and ERK MAPK nuclear translocation in vascular smooth muscle cells by atorvastatin
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, August 1, 2007; 293(2): L463 - L471.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
P. B. Sehgal and S. Mukhopadhyay
Dysfunctional Intracellular Trafficking in the Pathobiology of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., July 1, 2007; 37(1): 31 - 37.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
P. B. Sehgal and S. Mukhopadhyay
Pulmonary arterial hypertension: a disease of tethers, SNAREs and SNAPs?
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): H77 - H85.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
P. B. Sehgal, S. Mukhopadhyay, F. Xu, K. Patel, and M. Shah
Dysfunction of Golgi tethers, SNAREs, and SNAPs in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, June 1, 2007; 292(6): L1526 - L1542.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
B. Thebaud and S. H. Abman
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Where Have All the Vessels Gone? Roles of Angiogenic Growth Factors in Chronic Lung Disease
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., May 15, 2007; 175(10): 978 - 985.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
R. E. Girgis, S. Mozammel, H. C. Champion, D. Li, X. Peng, L. Shimoda, R. M. Tuder, R. A. Johns, and P. M. Hassoun
Regression of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension by simvastatin
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, May 1, 2007; 292(5): L1105 - L1110.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
M. S. McMurtry, R. Moudgil, K. Hashimoto, S. Bonnet, E. D. Michelakis, and S. L. Archer
Overexpression of human bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 does not ameliorate monocrotaline pulmonary arterial hypertension
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, April 1, 2007; 292(4): L872 - L878.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Circ. Res.Home page
M. Oka, N. Homma, L. Taraseviciene-Stewart, K. G. Morris, D. Kraskauskas, N. Burns, N. F. Voelkel, and I. F. McMurtry
Rho Kinase-Mediated Vasoconstriction Is Important in Severe Occlusive Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats
Circ. Res., March 30, 2007; 100(6): 923 - 929.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
N. F. Voelkel, I. S. Douglas, and M. Nicolls
Angiogenesis in Chronic Lung Disease
Chest, March 1, 2007; 131(3): 874 - 879.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Am Coll CardiolHome page
M. Levy, C. Maurey, D. S. Celermajer, P. R. Vouhe, C. Danel, D. Bonnet, and D. Israel-Biet
Impaired Apoptosis of Pulmonary Endothelial Cells Is Associated With Intimal Proliferation and Irreversibility of Pulmonary Hypertension in Congenital Heart Disease
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., February 20, 2007; 49(7): 803 - 810.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online
Copyright © 2006 by the American Physiological Society.