Abstract
Background: The adipokine chemerin has been recently reported to increase aortic contractile response to endothelin-1, which is a potent pulmonary vasoconstrictor. In the present study, we hypothesized that chemerin could potentiate pulmonary artery contractile response to endothelin-1.
Methods: Vascular reactivity to chemerin (10-16- 10-7mol/L) and to phenylephrine (10-10- 10-5mol/L), serotonin (10-8- 10-3mol/L) and endothelin-1 (3.10-10- 1.10-7mol/L) after 1-hour pre-treatment with chemerin (10-8mol/L) was evaluated in endothelium-intact and -denuded pulmonary artery (PA) and thoracic aorta (TA) from male 18-week old Wistar rats. Arteries were also sampled for pathobiological evaluation.
Results: Relative gene expression of chemerin, chemR23 and GPR1 were similar in PA and TA, while CCRL2 mRNA content was higher in PA. Chemerin alone did not alter pulmonary or aortic vascular tone. Pre-treatment with chemerin did not modify phenylephrine- and serotonin-induced vasoconstriction in both PA and TA. However, chemerin pre-treatment potentiated endothelin-1-induced vasoconstriction in both endothelium-intact and -denuded TA and PA (p<0.01). Chemerin increased the sensitivity to endothelin-1 in endothelium-intact (EC50: vehicle = 1.4.10-8M, chemerin = 8.5.10-9M) and -denuded PA (EC50: vehicle = 7.6.10-9M, chemerin = 4.6.10-9M). The maximal contraction (Emax) was 162% and 168% in vehicle treated endothelium-intact and -denuded vessels respectively, while it was 171% and 194% in chemerin pre-treated vessels.
Conclusion: Chemerin potentiates pulmonary artery vasoconstriction induced by endothelin-1.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015