Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 289: H1744-H1751, 2005.
First published June 17, 2005; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.01088.2004
0363-6135/05 $8.00
Hyperglycemia alters PI3k and Akt signaling and leads to endothelial cell proliferative dysfunction
Shubha Varma,2,*
Brajesh K. Lal,1,2,*
Ruifang Zheng,2
Jerome W. Breslin,1
Satoshi Saito,1,2
Peter J. Pappas,1,2
Robert W. Hobson, II,1,2 and
Walter N. Durán1,2
1Program in Vascular Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, and 2Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
Submitted 25 October 2004
; accepted in final form 1 June 2005
Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for the development of vascular complications. We hypothesized that hyperglycemia decreases endothelial cell (EC) proliferation and survival via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k) and Akt signaling pathways. We cultured human umbilical vein ECs (HUVEC) in 5, 20, or 40 mM D-glucose. Cells grown in 5, 20, and 40 mM mannitol served as a control for osmotic effects. We measured EC proliferation for up to 15 days. We assessed apoptosis by annexin V and propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry, analyzed cell lysates obtained on culture day 8 for total and phosphorylated PI3k and Akt by Western blot analysis, and measured Akt kinase activity using a GSK fusion protein. HUVEC proliferation was also tested in the presence of pharmacological inhibitors of PI3k-Akt (wortmannin and LY294002) and after transfection with a constitutively active Akt mutant. ECs in media containing 5 mM D-glucose (control) exhibited log-phase growth on days 710. D-Glucose at 20 and 40 mM significantly decreased proliferation versus control (P < 0.05 for both), whereas mannitol did not impair EC proliferation. Apoptosis increased significantly in HUVEC exposed to 40 mM D-glucose. D-Glucose at 40 mM significantly decreased tyrosine-phosphorylated PI3k, threonine 308-phosphorylated-Akt, and Akt activity relative to control 5 mM D-glucose. Pharmacological inhibition of PI3k-Akt resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in EC proliferation. Transfection with a constitutively active Akt mutant protected ECs by enhancing proliferation when grown in 20 and 40 mM D-glucose. We conclude that D-glucose regulates Akt signaling through threonine phosphorylation of Akt and that hyperglycemia-impaired PI3k-Akt signaling may promote EC proliferative dysfunction in diabetes.
endothelial cell proliferation; diabetes mellitus; phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; protein kinase B; Akt; endothelial cell apoptosis
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: B. K. Lal, Dept. of Surgery, UMDNJNew Jersey Medical School, 185 S. Orange Ave., MSB H570, PO Box 1709, Newark, NJ 071011709 (e-mail: lalbk{at}umdnj.edu)
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Whee Park, H. Wook Kim, J. Hee Lim, K. Dong Yoo, S. Chung, S. Joon Shin, H. Wha Chung, S. Ju Lee, C.-B. Chae, Y.-S. Kim, et al.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibition by dRK6 Causes Endothelial Apoptosis, Fibrosis, and Inflammation in the Heart via the Akt/eNOS Axis in db/db Mice
Diabetes,
November 1, 2009;
58(11):
2666 - 2676.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. M. Whetzel, D. T. Bolick, and C. C. Hedrick
Sphingosine-1-phosphate inhibits high glucose-mediated ERK1/2 action in endothelium through induction of MAP kinase phosphatase-3
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol,
February 1, 2009;
296(2):
C339 - C345.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Q. Huang and N. Sheibani
High glucose promotes retinal endothelial cell migration through activation of Src, PI3K/Akt1/eNOS, and ERKs
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol,
December 1, 2008;
295(6):
C1647 - C1657.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. M. van Golde, M. S. Ruiter, N. C. Schaper, S. Voo, J. Waltenberger, W. H. Backes, M. J. Post, and M. S. Huijberts
Impaired Collateral Recruitment and Outward Remodeling in Experimental Diabetes
Diabetes,
October 1, 2008;
57(10):
2818 - 2823.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y.-J. Choi, H.-S. Lim, J.-S. Choi, S.-Y. Shin, J.-Y. Bae, S.-W. Kang, I.-J. Kang, and Y.-H. Kang
Blockade of Chronic High Glucose-Induced Endothelial Apoptosis by Sasa borealis Bamboo Extract
Experimental Biology and Medicine,
May 1, 2008;
233(5):
580 - 591.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. Olszanecki, R. Rezzani, S. Omura, D. E. Stec, L. Rodella, F. T. Botros, A. I. Goodman, G. Drummond, and N. G. Abraham
Genetic suppression of HO-1 exacerbates renal damage: reversed by an increase in the antiapoptotic signaling pathway
Am J Physiol Renal Physiol,
January 1, 2007;
292(1):
F148 - F157.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. M. Davidson, D. M. Yellon, B. K. Lal, S. Varma, R. Zheng, P. J. Pappas, and W. N. Duran
Does Hyperglycemia Reduce Proliferation or Increase Apoptosis?
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol,
September 1, 2006;
291(3):
H1486 - H1487.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Copyright © 2005 by the American Physiological Society.