Granzyme B deficiency promotes osteoblastic differentiation and calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Cell Death Dis. 2018 Feb 14;9(2):221. doi: 10.1038/s41419-018-0315-5.

Abstract

Calcification is a major risk factor for vascular integrity. This pathological symptom and the underlying mechanisms in hypoxic pulmonary artery hypertension remain elusive. Here we report that pulmonary vascular medial calcification is elevated in pulmonary artery hypertension models as a result of an osteoblastic phenotype change of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells induced by hypoxia. Notably, inhibiting store-operated calcium channels significantly decreased osteoblastic differentiation and calcification of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells under hypoxia. We identified granzyme B, a major constituent of cytotoxic T lymphocytes/natural killer cell granules involved in apoptosis, as the main regulator of pulmonary arterial calcification. Overexpression of granzyme B blocked the mineralization through its effect on store-operated calcium channels in cultured pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells under hypoxic conditions. Mice with overexpression of granzyme B exposed to hypoxia for 3 weeks showed attenuated vascular calcification and pathological progression of hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Our findings emphasize the central function of granzyme B in coordinating vascular calcification in hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Calcinosis / chemically induced
  • Calcinosis / enzymology*
  • Calcinosis / genetics
  • Calcinosis / pathology
  • Calcium Channels
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Granzymes / deficiency
  • Granzymes / genetics*
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / chemically induced
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / enzymology*
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / genetics
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / pathology
  • Hypoxia / chemically induced
  • Hypoxia / enzymology*
  • Hypoxia / genetics
  • Hypoxia / pathology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / enzymology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Monocrotaline / administration & dosage
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / enzymology
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / pathology
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / enzymology*
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / pathology
  • Osteoblasts / enzymology*
  • Osteoblasts / pathology
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Pulmonary Artery / enzymology
  • Pulmonary Artery / pathology
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Signal Transduction
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / enzymology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / pathology

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • Monocrotaline
  • Granzymes