Alteration of mevalonate pathway in proliferated vascular smooth muscle from diabetic mice: possible role in high-glucose-induced atherogenic process

J Diabetes Res. 2015:2015:379287. doi: 10.1155/2015/379287. Epub 2015 Mar 30.

Abstract

The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is one of the main features of atherosclerosis induced by high glucose. Mevalonate pathway is an important metabolic pathway that plays a key role in multiple cellular processes. The aim of this study was to define whether the enzyme expression in mevalonate pathway is changed in proliferated VSMCs during atherogenic process in diabetic mice. Diabetes was induced in BALB/c mice with streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg/day for 5 days). Induction of diabetes with STZ was associated with an increase of lesion area and media thickness after 8 and 16 weeks of diabetes. In aorta, there were overexpressions of some enzymes, including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS), geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GGPPS), farnesyltransferase (FNT), and geranylgeranyltransferase-1 (GGT-1), and unchanged expression of squalene synthase (SQS) and phosphor-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (P-HMGR) in 8 and 16 weeks of diabetes. In vitro, VSMCs were cultured and treated with different glucose concentrations for 48 h. High glucose (22.2 mM) induced VSMC proliferation and upregulation of HMGR, FPPS, GGPPS, FNT, and GGT-1 but did not change the expressions of SQS and P-HMGR. In conclusion, altered expression of several key enzymes in the mevalonate pathway may play a potential pathophysiological role in atherogenic process of diabetes macrovascular complication.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyl Coenzyme A / metabolism
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Atherosclerosis / metabolism*
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / therapy
  • Farnesyltranstransferase / metabolism
  • Female
  • Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase / metabolism
  • Geranyltranstransferase / metabolism
  • Glucose / metabolism*
  • Inflammation
  • Lipids / chemistry
  • Mevalonic Acid / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / metabolism*

Substances

  • Acyl Coenzyme A
  • Blood Glucose
  • Lipids
  • 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases
  • geranylgeranyltransferase type-I
  • p21(ras) farnesyl-protein transferase
  • Geranyltranstransferase
  • Farnesyltranstransferase
  • Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase
  • Glucose
  • Mevalonic Acid