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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 1999;19:1608-1614.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.

Vascular Biology

Protein Kinase C Mediates Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor–Induced Proliferation Through Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Coronary Smooth Muscle Cells

Adriane Skaletz-Rorowski; Johannes Waltenberger; Joachim G. Müller; Ewa Pawlus; Kai Pinkernell; Günter Breithardt

From the Institute for Arteriosclerosis Research (A.S.-R., J.G.M., E.P., K.P., G.B.), University of Münster , Münster, Germany; the Department of Internal Medicine II (Cardiology [J.W.]), Ulm University Medical Centre, Ulm,Germany; and the Department of Cardiology and Angiology (J.G.M., E.P., G.B.), University of Münster, Münster, Germany.

Correspondence to Dr Adriane Skaletz-Rorowski, Institute for Arteriosclerosis Research, University of Münster, Domagkstr.3, D-48149 Münster, Germany. E-mail skaletz{at}uni-muenster.de

Abstract—Proliferation of coronary smooth muscle cells (cSMCs) contributes to the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a powerful mitogen for cSMCs. In this study, we investigated the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase C (PKC), and the transcription factor c-myc in bFGF-stimulated mitogenesis, as well as the functional relationship between these factors. cSMC stimulation with bFGF resulted in phosphorylation of p42 MAPK, as well as the phosphorylation and increased expression of c-myc. The MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059 blocked bFGF-stimulated MAPK phosphorylation and resulted in both a decrease of c-myc expression and inhibition of bFGF-stimulated DNA synthesis in cSMCs. bFGF also increased PKC activity in cSMCs in a time-dependent manner. The inhibition of PKC by chelerythrine or its downregulation by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) inhibited bFGF-induced DNA synthesis and blocked the phosphorylation of MAPK and c-myc expression in response to bFGF. This indicates an involvement of phorbol ester–sensitive PKC isoforms in MAPK activation and mitogenic signaling by bFGF. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of the phorbol ester–sensitive isoforms PKC , , and as well as the PKC isoforms , , µ, and in cSMCs. In this study, we show that the MAPK cascade is required for bFGF-induced proliferation and that phorbol ester–sensitive PKC isoforms contribute to the bFGF-induced cSMC mitogenesis in cSMCs.

Key Words: basic fibroblast growth factor • coronary artery smooth muscle cells • mitogen-activated protein kinase • protein kinase C • c-myc • arteriosclerosis

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