Polyamines in Pulmonary Vascular Biology

Abstract

Polyamines are essential for cell growth and development. They regulate many functions, including cell division, migration, ion channel regulation, apoptosis, and the cellular synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins. A recent review on the roles of polyamines in the lung emphasized studies on respiratory cell biology and polyamine uptake (1). The primary goal of this chapter is to review evidence that polyamines contribute to phenotypical changes in pulmonary vascular cells that underlie the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Because arginases can regulate polyamines, their potential role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and asthma also will be reviewed. The data suggest polyamines may be future therapeutic targets for pulmonary hypertension, although clinical trials measuring polyamines and their regulation are lacking.KeywordsPulmonary HypertensionPulmonary Arterial HypertensionArginase ActivityLung WeightPolyamine ContentThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.