An antiproliferative BMP-2/PPARgamma/apoE axis in human and murine SMCs and its role in pulmonary hypertension.

Loss-of-function mutations in bone morphogenetic protein receptor II (BMP-RII) are linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); the ligand for BMP-RII, BMP-2, is a negative regulator of SMC growth. Here, we report an interplay between PPARgamma and its transcriptional target apoE downstream of BMP-2 signaling. BMP-2/BMP-RII signaling prevented PDGF-BB-induced proliferation of human and murine pulmonary artery SMCs (PASMCs) by decreasing nuclear phospho-ERK and inducing DNA binding of PPARgamma that is independent of Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation. Both BMP-2 and a PPARgamma agonist stimulated production and secretion of apoE by SMCs. Using a variety of methods, including short hairpin RNAi in human PASMCs, PAH patient-derived BMP-RII mutant PASMCs, a PPARgamma antagonist, and PASMCs isolated from PPARgamma- and apoE-deficient mice, we demonstrated that the antiproliferative effect of BMP-2 was BMP-RII, PPARgamma, and apoE dependent. Furthermore, we created mice with targeted deletion of PPARgamma in SMCs and showed that they spontaneously developed PAH, as indicated by elevated RV systolic pressure, RV hypertrophy, and increased muscularization of the distal pulmonary arteries. Thus, PPARgamma-mediated events could protect against PAH, and PPARgamma agonists may reverse PAH in patients with or without BMP-RII dysfunction.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is linked to insulin resistance and reversed by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma activation.

BACKGROUND: Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have reduced expression of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma in lung tissues, and deficiency of both has been linked to insulin resistance. ApoE deficiency leads to enhanced platelet-derived growth factor signaling, which is important in the pathobiology of PAH. We therefore hypothesized that insulin-resistant apoE-deficient (apoE-/-) mice would develop PAH that could be reversed by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist (eg, rosiglitazone). METHODS AND RESULTS: We report that apoE-/- mice on a high-fat diet develop PAH as judged by elevated right ventricular systolic pressure. Compared with females, male apoE-/- were insulin resistant, had lower plasma adiponectin, and had higher right ventricular systolic pressure associated with right ventricular hypertrophy and increased peripheral pulmonary artery muscularization. Because male apoE-/- mice were insulin resistant and had more severe PAH than female apoE-/- mice, we treated them with rosiglitazone for 4 and 10 weeks. This treatment resulted in markedly higher plasma adiponectin, improved insulin sensitivity, and complete regression of PAH, right ventricular hypertrophy, and abnormal pulmonary artery muscularization in male apoE-/- mice. We further show that recombinant apoE and adiponectin suppress platelet-derived growth factor-BB-mediated proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells harvested from apoE-/- or C57Bl/6 control mice. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that insulin resistance, low plasma adiponectin levels, and deficiency of apoE may be risk factors for PAH and that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma activation can reverse PAH in an animal model.