Involvement of NAD(P)H Oxidase in a Potential Link between Diabetes and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

Involvement of NAD(P)H Oxidase in a Potential Link between Diabetes and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

The cellular mechanisms that contribute to the acceleration of atherosclerosis in diabetes are poorly understood. Therefore, the potential mechanisms involved in the diabetes-dependent increase in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation was investigated. Using primary culture of VSMC from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat aorta, cell proliferation assay showed two-fold increase in cell number accompanied with enhanced superoxide generation compared to normal VSMC, 2 days after plating. Both the increased superoxide production and cell proliferation in diabetic VSMC were significantly attenuated by not only tiron (1 mM), a superoxide scavenger, but also by diphenyleneiodonium (DPI; 10μM), an NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor. NAD(P)H oxidase activity in diabetic VSMC was significantly higher than that in control cell, accompanied with increased mRNA expression of p22phox, a membrane subunit of oxidase. Furthermore, inhibition of p22phox expression by transfection of antisense p22phox oligonucleotides into diabetic VSMC resulted in a decrease in superoxide production, which was accompanied by a significant inhibition of cell proliferation. Based on these results, it is suggested that diabetes-associated increase in NAD(P)H oxidase activity via enhanced expression of p22phox contributes to augmented VSMC proliferation in diabetic rats.