High glucose and palmitate increases bone morphogenic protein 4 expression in human endothelial cells

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Oak-Kee Hong, The Catholic University of Korea; Soon-Jib Yoo, The Catholic University of Korea; Jang-Won Son, The Catholic University of Korea; Mee-Kyoung Kim, The Catholic University of Korea; Ki-Hyun Baek, The Catholic University of Korea; Ki-Ho Song, The Catholic University of Korea; Bong-Yun Cha, The Catholic University of Korea; Hanjoong Jo, Emory University; Hyuk-Sang Kwon, The Catholic University of Korea
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-03-01
• Publisher: The Korean Physiological Society and The Korean Society of Pharmacology
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 The Korean Physiological Society and The Korean Society of Pharmacology
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2016.20.2.169
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 169
• End Page: 175
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2012R1A1A2007098).
• Keywords: ATHEROSCLEROSIS; VASCULAR-DISEASES; OXYGEN SPECIES PRODUCTION; Science & Technology; SMOOTH-MUSCLE-CELLS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; NADPH OXIDASE; CORONARY; ACTIVATION; Free fatty acid; Physiology; INFLAMMATION; SHEAR-STRESS; Bone morphogenic protein 4; Diabetes mellitus; High glucose; Pharmacology & Pharmacy; OXIDATIVE STRESS
• Research Categories: Biology, Physiology; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Pharmacology

Abstract

Here, we investigated whether hyperglycemia and/or free fatty acids (palmitate, PAL) affect the expression level of bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4), a proatherogenic marker, in endothelial cells and the potential role of BMP4 in diabetic vascular complications. To measure BMP4 expression, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to high glucose concentrations and/or PAL for 24 or 72 h, and the effects of these treatments on the expression levels of adhesion molecules and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were examined. BMP4 loss-of-function status was achieved via transfection of a BMP4-specific siRNA. High glucose levels increased BMP4 expression in HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. PAL potentiated such expression. The levels of adhesion molecules and ROS production increased upon treatment with high glucose and/or PAL, but this effect was negated when BMP4 was knocked down via siRNA. Signaling of BMP4, a proinflammatory and pro-atherogenic cytokine marker, was increased by hyperglycemia and PAL. BMP4 induced the expression of inflammatory adhesion molecules and ROS production. Our work suggests that BMP4 plays a role in atherogenesis induced by high glucose levels and/or PAL.