Abstract
Chemerin is an adipokine associated with inflammation, increased blood pressure, and may be a link between the pathologies of obesity and hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that chemerin-induced contraction of the vasculature occurs via the chemerin receptor and calcium flux in smooth muscle cells. Known mediators of the amplified arterial responsiveness seen in hypertension (L-type Ca 2+ channels, Src, and Rho kinase) were interrogated by isometric contraction of rat aortic rings in parallel with calcium kinetics of rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Western blots were also used to observe phosphorylation of Erk/MAPK. Chemerin-9 (nonapeptide of the chemerin S 157 isoform) caused a concentration-dependent contraction of isolated aorta (EC 50 100 nM) and elicited a concentration-dependent intracellular calcium response (EC 50 10 nM). Both calcium influx and isometric contraction, respectively, were reduced (units of “% of vehicle response”) by Pertussis toxin (G i inhibitor; 0±3% and 23±9%), verapamil (L-type Ca 2+ channel inhibitor; 38±20% and 23±4%), PP1 (Src inhibitor; 43±23% and 15±4%), and Y27632 (Rho Kinase inhibitor; 58±23% and 22±4%) but U73122 (PLC inhibitor) had little to no effect (71±31% and 71±12%). PD098059 (Erk/MAPK inhibitor) did not inhibit chemerin-9 induced contraction (117±19%) and phosphorylation did not change after chemerin-9 stimulation [1.12±0.14 (44 kDa) and 1.11±0.29 (42 kDa) fold-increase with chemerin-9 contraction compared to vehicle, p>0.05]. The chemerin receptor-selective antagonist CCX832 inhibited chemerin-9-induced calcium flux and aortic contraction and calcium flux (0.1±10.3% and 10±7%). These data support a chemerin-induced contractile mechanism in vascular smooth muscle that functions through the G i -linked chemerin receptor to activate L-type Ca 2+ channels, Src, and Rho kinase. There is mounting evidence linking chemerin to hypertension and this mechanism brings us one step closer to targeting chemerin as a unique form of therapy.
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