smooth muscle cells

[Science Translational Medicine] Researchers found that erythropoietin (EPO) promoted the formation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in both Apoe−/− and wild type mice by enhancing angiogenesis, inflammation, collagen degradation, and apoptosis of smooth muscle cells and that EPO/EPO receptor signaling was essential for angiotensin II-induced AAA.

[Cardiovascular Research] Researchers investigated the effects of nicotine on initiation of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) calcification. In vitro, nicotine induced human primary VSMC calcification, increased osteogenic gene expression, and extracellular vesicle secretion.

[American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology] The authors examined the role of Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) in Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced overexpression of Giα proteins and hyperproliferation of aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Ang II treatment of VSMCs increased the expression of Sirt1 which was attenuated by AT1 and AT2 receptor antagonists, losartan and PD123319 respectively.

[Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine] The expression of long non-coding RNA PAXIP1-AS1 and RhoA was remarkably higher in both lung tissues and serum of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension rats, as well as in hypoxia-induced human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

[Molecular Medicine] CircMTO1 inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells by regulating the miR-182-5p/RASA1 axis, suggesting that circMTO1 has potential in atherosclerosis treatment.

[Reproduction] The authors reconceptualize fibroids, benign tumors caused by the proliferation of myometrial smooth muscle cells in the uterus, as a systemic vascular disorder, and discuss how pharmaceutical agents and other interventions targeting the vasculature may aid in the novel treatment of fibroids.