Chen Yilan, Xu Hong, Liu Jin, Zhang Chongjie, Leutz Achim, Mo Xianming
Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Aug 24;360(2):433-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.06.078. Epub 2007 Jun 21.
Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) is one of the major pathologic features in atherosclerosis. The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) pathway has been shown to provide survival signals in VSMCs and PDGF receptors are also highly expressed in VSMCs contained in the plaques of atherosclerosis. However, the downstream targets of PDGF signaling are unclear. In the current study, we show that PDGF signals stimulate the protein expression of c-Myb in human arterial VSMCs. Inhibition of c-Myb function in VSMCs enhanced apoptosis in PDGF treated VSMCs. Our data suggest that c-Myb functions as a downstream target of the PDGF survival pathway and suggest that c-Myb plays an essential role in adult VSMC survival.
血管平滑肌细胞（VSMC）凋亡是动脉粥样硬化的主要病理特征之一。血小板衍生生长因子（PDGF）通路已被证明能为VSMC提供生存信号，并且PDGF受体在动脉粥样硬化斑块中的VSMC中也高度表达。然而，PDGF信号的下游靶点尚不清楚。在本研究中，我们发现PDGF信号刺激人动脉VSMC中c-Myb的蛋白表达。抑制VSMC中c-Myb的功能可增强PDGF处理的VSMC的凋亡。我们的数据表明，c-Myb作为PDGF生存通路的下游靶点发挥作用，并表明c-Myb在成年VSMC生存中起重要作用。
