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Electroacupuncture Attenuated Phenotype Transformation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells via PI3K/Akt and MAPK Signaling Pathways in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats

  • Acupuncture Research
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Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To investigate whether the antihypertensive mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) is associated with attenuating phenotype transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) via phosphoinositide3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways.

Methods

Eight Wistar-ktoyo (WKY) rats were set as normal blood pressure group (normal group). A total of 32 spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) were randomly divided into 4 groups using random number tables: a model group, an EA group, an EA+PI3K antagonist group (EA+P group), and an EA+p38 MAPK agonist+extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) agonist group (EA+M group) (n=8/group). SHRs in EA group, EA+P group and EA+M group received EA treatment 5 sessions per week for continuous 4 weeks, while rats in the normal and model groups were bundled in same condition. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) of each rat was measured at 0 week and the 4th week. After 4-week intervention, thoracic aorta was collected for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry [the contractile markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and calponin and the synthetic marker osteopontin (OPN)] and Western blot [α-SMA, calponin, OPN, PI3K, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), Akt, p-p42/44 ERK, total p42/44 ERK, p-p38 MAPK and total p38 MAPK].

Results

EA significantly reduced SBP, DBP and MAP (P<0.01). HE staining showed that the wall thickness of thoracic aorta in EA group was significantly decreased (P<0.01). From results of immunohistochemistry and Western blot, EA increased the expression of α-SMA and calponin, and decreased the expression of OPN (P<0.01). In addition, the expression of PI3K and p-Akt increased (P<0.01), while the expression of p-p42/44 ERK and p-p38 MAPK decreased in EA group (P<0.01). However, these effects were reversed by PI3K antagonist, p38 MAPK agonist and ERK agonist.

Conclusions

EA was an effective treatment for BP management. The antihypertensive effect of EA may be related with inhibition of phenotypic transformation of VSMCs, in which the activation of PI3K/Akt and the repression of MAPK pathway were involved.

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Availability of Data and Materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor ZHENG Hui to help us copyedit the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Preservation and Rehabilitation, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610072, China

    Xin-yu Chen, Lu-ping Yang, Dong-ling Zhong, Rong-jiang Jin &  Juan Li

  2. Food Science and Nutrition School, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Xin-yu Chen

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, the Second People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610072, China

    Ya-ling Zheng

  4. School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610072, China

    Yu-xi Li

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Contributions

The experiment was carried out by all the authors. Chen XY, Yang LP and Zheng YL drafted the manuscript. Li YX and Zhong DL analyzed the data. Jin RJ and Li J revised the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juan Li.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81704137, 82074516) and Sichuan Science and Technology Department (No. 2019YJ0331)

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Chen, Xy., Yang, Lp., Zheng, Yl. et al. Electroacupuncture Attenuated Phenotype Transformation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells via PI3K/Akt and MAPK Signaling Pathways in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 28, 357–365 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-2883-y

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