Regulation of serotonin-induced DNA synthesis of bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

We have previously reported that serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] stimulates DNA synthesis of bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (SMC) by its high-affinity uptake. Uptake inhibitors, but not selective 5-HT receptor antagonists, prevented the stimulatory effect (S.-L. Lee and B. L. Fanburg. J. Cell. Physiol. 150:396-405, 1992). We have now further evaluated the mechanism by which 5-HT enhances SMC DNA synthesis. Although some serotonergic agonists mimicked this stimulation, selective 5-HT receptor agonists produced no or only minor and variable stimulatory effects. The action of 5-HT was not inhibited by inhibitors of phospholipases C and A2, the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors dihydrosphingosine and 1-(-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2 methylpiperazine (H-7), or down-regulation of PKC with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate. Staurosporine, a reputed PKC and tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor, and genistein, a selective TK inhibitor, reversed the stimulatory effect of 5-HT in a dose-dependent manner. Before stimulation of thymidine incorporation into cellular DNA, 5-HT elevated c-myc and actin mRNAs. Imipramine, fluoxetine, staurosporine, and cholera toxin inhibited the stimulations of both DNA synthesis and c-myc and actin mRNA expressions by 5-HT. Thus the data support a concept that 5-HT-induced thymidine incorporation by SMC involves membrane transport of 5-HT that initiates tyrosine phosphorylation.