Abstract
To examine the direct effects of steroids on vascular smooth muscle, we have incubated rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells in culture either steroid-free, or with natural and synthetic corticosteroids (RU26988, dexamethasone, corticosterone, 9 alpha-fluorocortisol, aldosterone, deoxycorticosterone) or sex steroids (estradiol, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone). At the end of 24 h, cultures were pulsed with [35S]methionine for 2 h, the cells lysed, and patterns of incorporation of isotope into protein determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Neither estradiol nor 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone altered protein synthetic profiles compared with control (steroid-free) incubations. In contrast, cultures exposed to the six corticosteroids at 10(-7) M showed an identical pattern of response (6 proteins increased, 6 proteins decreased). This response appears to be glucocorticoid specific, since the mineralocorticoids (9 alpha-fluorocortisol, aldosterone, and deoxycorticosterone) did not have any effects over and above those seen with the pure glucocorticoid RU26988. We interpret these data as evidence for a putative glucocorticoid domain of at least 12 proteins in rat vascular smooth muscle cells. In contrast, there appear to be no comparable estrogen-, androgen-, or mineralocorticoid-specific changes in these cells.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.