Expression of Nitric Oxide-Transporting Aquaporin-1 Is Controlled by KLF2 and Marks Non-Activated Endothelium In Vivo
Fig 2
KLF2 dependency of AQP1 expression.
(A, B) Expression of KLF2 was induced in HUVEC by laminar flow (shear), lentiviral transduction (KLF2) or incubation with atorvastatin (statin). mRNA levels were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR for AQP1 (A) and eNOS (B), normalized to P0 and shown as mean and SEM of the fold induction (grey) relative to the corresponding control (white). The following conditions are depicted: shear; exposure to laminar shear stress for ≥ 4 days at an average of 18 dyne/cm2, induction relative to static control (N = 6), KLF2; transduction with a lentiviral vector carrying KLF2 under control of the PGK promoter and subsequent growth for ≥ 4 days, induction relative to mock transduced cells (N = 7), statin; incubation with atorvastatin at a final concentration of 10 μM during 24 hours, induction relative to vehicle control (N = 5). *P<0.05, **P<0.01. (C) HUVECs were transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding an shRNA targeting KLF2. 24 hours later, expression of KLF2 was induced by incubation with atorvastatin at a final concentration of 10 μM during 24 hours. mRNA levels were determined for KLF2, AQP1 and eNOS, normalized to P0 and shown as mean and SEM mRNA level (grey) relative to control cells transduced with a non-targeting construct (white)(N = 3). *P<0.05, **P<0.01.