| 1. |
- Mårtensson, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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Deletion of the G protein-coupled receptor 30 impairs glucose tolerance, reduces bone growth, increases blood pressure, and eliminates estradiol-stimulated insulin release in female mice.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Endocrinology. - : The Endocrine Society. - 1945-7170 .- 0013-7227. ; 150:2, s. 687-98
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In vitro studies suggest that the G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 30 is a functional estrogen receptor. However, the physiological role of GPR30 in vivo is unknown, and it remains to be determined whether GPR30 is an estrogen receptor also in vivo. To this end, we studied the effects of disrupting the GPR30 gene in female and male mice. Female GPR30((-/-)) mice had hyperglycemia and impaired glucose tolerance, reduced body growth, increased blood pressure, and reduced serum IGF-I levels. The reduced growth correlated with a proportional decrease in skeletal development. The elevated blood pressure was associated with an increased vascular resistance manifested as an increased media to lumen ratio of the resistance arteries. The hyperglycemia and impaired glucose tolerance in vivo were associated with decreased insulin expression and release in vivo and in vitro in isolated pancreatic islets. GPR30 is expressed in islets, and GPR30 deletion abolished estradiol-stimulated insulin release both in vivo in ovariectomized adult mice and in vitro in isolated islets. Our findings show that GPR30 is important for several metabolic functions in female mice, including estradiol-stimulated insulin release.
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| 2. |
- Alajbegovic, Azra, et al.
(författare)
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Regulation of microRNA expression in vascular smooth muscle by MRTF-A and actin polymerization
- 2017
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4889. ; 1864:6, s. 1088-1098
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dynamic properties of the actin cytoskeleton in smooth muscle cells play an important role in a number of cardiovascular disease states. The state of actin does not only mediate mechanical stability and contractile function but can also regulate gene expression via myocardin related transcription factors (MRTFs). These transcriptional co-activators regulate genes encoding contractile and cytoskeletal proteins in smooth muscle. Regulation of small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) by actin polymerization may mediate some of these effects. MiRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression by post-transcriptional regulation of target messenger RNA.In this study we aimed to determine a profile of miRNAs that were 1) regulated by actin/MRTF-A, 2) associated with the contractile smooth muscle phenotype and 3) enriched in muscle cells. This analysis was performed using cardiovascular disease-focused miRNA arrays in both mouse and human cells. The potential clinical importance of actin polymerization in aortic aneurysm was evaluated using biopsies from mildly dilated human thoracic aorta in patients with stenotic tricuspid or bicuspid aortic valve.By integrating information from multiple qPCR based miRNA arrays we identified a group of five miRNAs (miR-1, miR-22, miR-143, miR-145 and miR-378a) that were sensitive to actin polymerization and MRTF-A overexpression in both mouse and human vascular smooth muscle. With the exception of miR-22, these miRNAs were also relatively enriched in striated and/or smooth muscle containing tissues. Actin polymerization was found to be dramatically reduced in the aorta from patients with mild aortic dilations. This was associated with a decrease in actin/MRTF-regulated miRNAs.In conclusion, the transcriptional co-activator MRTF-A and actin polymerization regulated a subset of miRNAs in vascular smooth muscle. Identification of novel miRNAs regulated by actin/MRTF-A may provide further insight into the mechanisms underlying vascular disease states, such as aortic aneurysm, as well as novel ideas regarding therapeutic strategies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: ECS Meeting edited by Claus Heizmann, Joachim Krebs and Jacques Haiech.
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| 3. |
- Albinsson, Sebastian, et al.
(författare)
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Arterial remodeling and plasma volume expansion in caveolin-1 deficient mice.
- 2007
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0363-6119 .- 1522-1490. ; 293, s. 1222-1231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Caveolin- 1 ( Cav- 1) is essential for the morphology of membrane caveolae and exerts a negative influence on a number of signaling systems, including nitric oxide ( NO) production and activity of the MAP kinase cascade. In the vascular system, ablation of caveolin- 1 may thus be expected to cause arterial dilatation and increased vessel wall mass ( remodeling). This was tested in Cav- 1 knockout ( KO) mice by a detailed morphometric and functional analysis of mesenteric resistance arteries, shown to lack caveolae. Quantitative morphometry revealed increased media thickness and media- to- lumen ratio in KO. Pressure- induced myogenic tone and flow- induced dilatation were decreased in KO arteries, but both were increased toward wild- type ( WT) levels following NO synthase ( NOS) inhibition. Isometric force recordings following NOS inhibition showed rightward shifts of passive and active length- force relationships in KO, and the force response to alpha 1- adrenergic stimulation was increased. In contrast, media thickness and force response of the aorta were unaltered in KO vs. WT, whereas lumen diameter was increased. Mean arterial blood pressure during isoflurane anesthesia was not different in KO vs. WT, but greater fluctuation in blood pressure over time was noted. Following NOS inhibition, fluctuations disappeared and pressure increased twice as much in KO ( 38 +/- 6%) compared with WT ( 17 +/- 3%). Tracer- dilution experiments showed increased plasma volume in KO. We conclude that NO affects blood pressure more in Cav- 1 KO than in WT mice and that restructuring of resistance vessels and an increased responsiveness to adrenergic stimulation compensate for a decreased tone in Cav- 1 KO mice.
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| 4. |
- Albinsson, Sebastian, et al.
(författare)
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Differential dependence of stretch and shear stress signaling on caveolin-1 in the vascular wall
- 2008
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 1522-1563 .- 0363-6143. ; 294, s. 271-279
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The role of caveolae in stretch- vs. flow-induced vascular responses was investigated using caveolin-1 deficient (KO) mice. Portal veins were stretched longitudinally for 5 min (acute) or 72 h (organ culture). Basal ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation were increased in organ-cultured KO veins, as were protein synthesis and vessel wall cross-section. Stretch stimulated acute phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and long-term phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and cofilin, but did not affect Akt phosphorylation. Protein synthesis, and particularly synthesis of smooth muscle differentiation markers, was increased by stretch. These effects did not differ in portal veins from KO and control mice, which also showed the same contractile response to membrane depolarization and inhibition by the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632. KO carotid arteries had increased wall cross-section and responded to pressurization (120 mmHg) for 1 h with increased ERK1/2 but not Akt phosphorylation, similar to control arteries. Shear stress by flow for 15 min, on the other hand, increased phosphorylation of Akt in carotids from control but not KO mice. In conclusion, caveolin-1 contributes to a low basal ERK1/2 and Akt activity and is required for Akt-dependent signals in response to shear stress (flow), but is not essential for trophic effects of stretch (pressure) in the vascular wall. Key words: Hypertrophy, vasoconstriction, vascular smooth muscle, endothelium, nitric oxide.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Kristina E, et al.
(författare)
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Diverse effects of oats on cholesterol metabolism in C57BL/6 mice correlate with expression of hepatic bile acid-producing enzymes.
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Journal of Nutrition. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1436-6215 .- 1436-6207. ; 52:7, s. 1755-1769
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: We previously reported that two substrains of C57BL/6 mice respond differently to oats with respect to reduction in plasma cholesterol. Analysis of this difference might offer clues to mechanisms behind the cholesterol-lowering effect of oats. Here, we address the possible roles of hepatic steroid metabolism and the intestinal microbiota in this respect. METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice were fed an atherogenic diet with oat bran (27 %) or control fibres for 4 weeks. RESULTS: C57BL/6 NCrl mice responded to oat bran with 19 ± 1 % (P < 0.001) lower plasma cholesterol, 40 ± 5 % (P < 0.01) higher excretion of bile acids and increased expression of the bile acid-producing hepatic enzymes CYP7A1 and CYP8B1, but none of these effects were found in C57BL/6JBomTac mice. However, on control diet, C57BL/6JBomTac had tenfold higher expression of CYP7A1 and levels of hepatic cholesterol esters than C57BL/6NCrl mice. Plasma levels of fructosamine indicated improved glycemic control by oat bran in C57BL/6NCrl but not in C57BL/6JBomTac. C57BL/6JBomTac had higher intestinal microbiota diversity, but lower numbers of Enterobacteriaceae, Akkermansia and Bacteroides Fragilis than C57BL/6NCrl mice. Oat bran increased bacterial numbers in both substrains. Microbiota diversity was reduced by oats in C57BL/6JBomTac, but unaffected in C57BL/6NCrl. CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not support a connection between altered microbiota diversity and reduced plasma cholesterol, but the bacterial composition in the intestine may influence the effects of added fibres. The cholesterol-lowering properties of oats involve increased production of bile acids via the classical pathway with up-regulation of CYP7A1 and CYP8B1. Altered cholesterol or bile acid metabolism may interfere with the potential of oats to reduce plasma cholesterol.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Kristina E, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of oats on plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins in C57BL/6 mice are substrain specific.
- 2010
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Ingår i: British Journal of Nutrition. - 1475-2662. ; 103, s. 513-521
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cholesterol-lowering effects of oats have been demonstrated in both animals and human subjects. However, the crucial properties of oat-containing diets that determine their health effects need to be further investigated to optimise their use. A mouse model would be a valuable tool, but few such studies have been published to date. We investigated the effects of oat bran on plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins in two substrains of C57BL/6 mice. Western diet was made atherogenic by the addition of 0.8 % cholesterol and 0.1 % cholic acid. After 4 weeks on atherogenic diet, total plasma cholesterol had increased from 1.86-2.53 to 3.77-4.40 mmol/l. In C57BL/6NCrl mice, inclusion of 27 and 40 % oat bran reduced total plasma cholesterol by 19 and 24 %, respectively, reduced the shift from HDL to LDL+VLDL and caused increased faecal cholesterol excretion. There was no effect of oat bran on plasma levels of the inflammatory markers fibrinogen, serum amyloid A or TNF-alpha. Contrary to findings in C57BL/6NCrl mice, there was no sustained effect of oat bran (27 or 40 %) on plasma cholesterol in C57BL/6JBomTac mice after 4 weeks of feeding. Thus, C57BL/6NCrl mice fed an atherogenic diet are a good model for studies of physiological effects of oats, whereas a substrain derived from C57BL/6J, raised in a different breeding environment and likely possessing functional genetic differences from C57BL/6N, is considerably less responsive to oats. The present finding that two substrains of mice respond differently to oats is of practical value, but can also help to elucidate mechanisms of the cholesterol-lowering effect of oats.
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| 7. |
- Bergdahl, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Cholesterol depletion impairs vascular reactivity to endothelin-1 by reducing store-operated Ca2+ entry dependent on TRPC1.
- 2003
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Ingår i: Circulation Research. - 0009-7330. ; 93:9, s. 839-847
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The reactivity of the vascular wall to endothelin-1 (ET-1) is influenced by cholesterol, which is of possible importance for the progression of atherosclerosis. To elucidate signaling steps affected, the cholesterol acceptor methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (mßcd, 10 mmol/L) was used to manipulate membrane cholesterol and disrupt caveolae in intact rat arteries. In endothelium-denuded caudal artery, contractile responsiveness to 10 nmol/L ET-1 (mediated by the ETA receptor) was reduced by mßcd and increased by cholesterol. Neither ligand binding nor colocalization of ETA and caveolin-1 was affected by mßcd. Ca2+ inflow via store-operated channels after depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores was reduced in mßcd-treated caudal arteries, as shown by Mn2+ quench rate and intracellular [Ca2+] response. Expression of TRPC1, 3, and 6 was detected by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction, and colocalization of TRPC1 with caveolin-1 was reduced by mßcd, as seen by immunofluorescence. Part of the contractile response to ET-1 was inhibited by Ni2+ (0.5 mmol/L) and by a TRPC1 blocking antibody. In the basilar artery, exhibiting less store-operated channel activity than the caudal artery, ET-1–induced contractions were insensitive to the TRPC1 blocking antibody and to mßcd. Increased store-operated channel activity in basilar arteries after organ culture correlated with increased sensitivity of ET-1 contraction to mßcd. These results suggest that cholesterol influences vascular reactivity to ET-1 by affecting the caveolar localization of TRPC1.
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| 8. |
- Bergdahl, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Lovastatin Induces Relaxation and Inhibits L-Type Ca2+ Current in the Rat Basilar Artery.
- 2003
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Ingår i: Pharmacology and Toxicology. - : Wiley. - 1600-0773 .- 0901-9928. ; 93:3, s. 128-134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Statins inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis and protect against ischaemic stroke. It has become increasingly apparent that the beneficial effects of statin therapy may extend beyond lowering of serum cholesterol. The present study was done to explore possible pleiotropic statin effects at the level of the cerebral vascular smooth muscle. Lovastatin, lovastatin acid, simvastatin and pravastatin, were added to segments of the rat basilar artery and effects on contraction and Ca2+ handling were examined. Pravastatin had no effect on contraction. Simvastatin, lovastatin, and, to a lesser degree, lovastatin acid, caused relaxation (IC50=0.8, 1.9 and 22 μmol/l) of both intact and denuded arteries precontracted with 5-HT or high-K+. This effect was not reversed by mevalonate, suggesting that it was not related to cholesterol or isoprenoid metabolism. Relaxation was associated with a reduction of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration measured with Fura 2 and with a reduced Mn2+ quench rate, suggesting a direct effect on ion channels in the smooth muscle cell membrane. Current measurements in isolated and voltage clamped basilar artery muscle cells demonstrated that both lovastatin and lovastatin acid inhibit L-type Ca2+ current. We propose that lipophilicity is an important factor behind the effects of statins on vascular tone and that Ca2+ current inhibition is the likely mechanism of action.
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| 9. |
- Bhattachariya, Anirban, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of microRNAs is essential for arterial myogenic tone and pressure-induced activation of the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Cardiovascular Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1755-3245 .- 0008-6363. ; 101:2, s. 288-296
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The myogenic response is the intrinsic ability of small arteries to constrict in response to increased intraluminal pressure. Although microRNAs have been shown to play a role in vascular smooth muscle function, their importance in the regulation of the myogenic response is not known. In this study, we investigate the role of microRNAs in the regulation of myogenic tone by using smooth muscle-specific and tamoxifen-inducible deletion of the endonuclease Dicer in mice.
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| 10. |
- Bhattachariya, Anirban, et al.
(författare)
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Spontaneous activity and stretch-induced contractile differentiation are reduced in vascular smooth muscle of miR-143/145 knockout mice.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Acta Physiologica. - : Wiley. - 1748-1716 .- 1748-1708. ; 215:3, s. 133-143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stretch is essential for maintaining the contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells, and small non-coding microRNAs are known to be important in this process. Using a Dicer knockout model, we have previously reported that microRNAs are essential for stretch-induced differentiation and regulation of L-type calcium channel expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of the smooth muscle-enriched miR-143/145 microRNA cluster for stretch-induced differentiation of the portal vein.
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