Abstract 429: PTP1B, a Link Between Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Endothelial Dysfunction

Abstract

Endothelial dysfunction is a common feature of diabetes and a major contributor to diabetic vascular complications. Despite aggressive diabetes management strategies, preventing diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction remains a difficult challenge. Endothelium insulin resistance and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress have been reported to contribute to endothelial dysfunction. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a phosphatase bound to the ER known to regulate insulin sensitivity and ER stress. We hypothesize that diabetes alters PTP1B regulation of endothelial cell function and that inhibiting PTP1B may allow a strategy to prevent diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction. Using immuno-histochemistry we showed that PTP1B is expressed in the endothelial cells of human saphenous vein, and in human primary aortic endothelial cells. Western-blot and quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that diabetes increased PTP1B and ER stress markers expression (CHOP: 1.4±0.2, GRP78: 1.5±0.2, XBP1spliced: 2.1±0.3, XBP1: 1.4±0.2 fold changes), in human saphenous veins. Deletion of PTP1B in obese diabetic mice (db/db) significantly reduced the level of expression (mRNA) of ER stress markers in mouse aorta. Incubation of mouse aortic rings with tunicamycin (tunica) or thapsigargin (thapsi), two ER stress inducers, increased the level of expression of ER stress markers (mRNA) and significantly reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation. (Tunica: -17±5%, thapsi: -30±6%, vs. DMSO). NO synthase inhibition with LNAME completely abolished endothelium-dependent relaxation in vehicle and tunica-treated rings. Neither the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger tempol, nor catalase restored endothelial function, in tunica-treated rings. This suggests that ER stress induces a reduction in NO bioavailability independent of ROS. Aortic rings from PTP1B KO mice were protected against ER stress-induced endothelial dysfunction and exhibited a modest increase in ER stress markers compared to control rings, in response to tunica. All together these data demonstrate that PTP1B deletion prevents ER stress-induced endothelial dysfunction and that targeting PTP1B might be a beneficial approach to restore diabetic endothelial dysfunction.