Published online before print July 10, 2008, doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.107.168682
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Submitted on November 26, 2007
Revised on June 24, 2008
Accepted on June 26, 2008
Activation Transcription Factor-4 Induced by Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 Regulates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Transcription in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Mediates Intimal Thickening in Rat Arteries Following Balloon Injury
Kristine P. Malabanan ;
From the Centre for Vascular Research (K.P.M., L.M.K.), School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney; and Baker Heart Research Institute (P.K., A.B.), Melbourne, Australia.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: L.Khachigian{at}unsw.edu.au.
Activation transcription factor (ATF)-4 is a member of the ATF/CREB family of basic leucine zipper transcription factors that regulates cellular responses to a variety of stresses. The role of ATF-4 in smooth muscle cells of the vessel wall is completely unknown. Here, we show that ATF-4 expression is induced in smooth muscle cells in response to injury, both in vitro using a model of mechanical injury and in the media of balloon-injured rat carotid arteries. We demonstrate that ATF-4 is activated by fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2, an injury-induced mitogen, through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. Injury also activates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, whose expression is stimulated by ATF-4 overexpression and exposure to FGF-2. FGF-2 induces ATF-4 binding to a recognition element located in the VEGF-A gene at +1767 bp and luciferase reporter gene expression dependent on this site. Moreover, ATF-4 knockdown with small interfering RNA or ATF-4 deficiency ameliorates FGF-2–inducible VEGF-A expression. Intraluminal delivery of ATF-4 small interfering RNA in rat carotid arteries blocks balloon injury–inducible ATF-4 and VEGF-A expression after 4 hours and intimal thickening after 14 days. These findings reveal, for the first time, the induction of ATF-4 by both vascular injury and FGF-2. ATF-4 serves as a conduit for the inducible expression of 1 growth factor by another during the process of intimal thickening.
Key words: ATF-4 • FGF-2 • VEGF-A • intimal thickening
Related Article:
- ATF-4 and Vascular Injury: Integration of Growth Factor Signaling and the Cellular Stress Response
- Michael T. Chin
Circ. Res. 2008 103: 331-333.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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