Regulation of cerebrovascular endothelial peroxisome proliferator activator receptor alpha expression and nitric oxide production by clofibrate.

BACKGROUND: Peroxisome proliferator activator receptor alpha (PPAR alpha), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is known to increase nitric oxide (NO) production and the mechanisms by which PPAR alpha activation alleviates vascular dysfunction may predicate its activation and possible expression. OBJECTIVES: We have evaluated the effects of acute clofibrate, a PPAR alpha ligand and the role of PKC on PPAR alpha expression and NO production in cultured cerebral microvascular endothelial cell (CMVEC). METHODS: Confluent CMVEC derived from pig brain were cultured and the role of PKC in acute clofibrate-induced PPAR alpha expression and NO production was determined in the presence or absence of PKC activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or inhibitor (calphostin C). RESULTS: Incubation of CMVEC with clofibrate or PMA increased NO production by 40% or 27%, respectively, whereas co-incubation of cells with PMA and clofibrate had no effect on NO production. Incubation of cells with Calphostin C blunted PMA but not clofibrate-induced increase in NO production. L-NAME (0.1 mM), an inhibitor of NO synthase, reduced basal (47%; p<0.01) and abolished clofibrate-induced increase in NO production. Clofibrate increased PPAR alpha expression (26%; p<0.05) while PMA with or without clofibrate reduced PPAR alpha expression (p<0.01). On the other hand, calphostin C reduced basal (69%, ap<0.01) as well as clofibrate-induced increase (59%, p<0.01) in PPAR expression, and further reduced PMA-induced down regulation of PPAR expression. eNOS expression was not significantly affected by either clofibrate or PMA, alone or in combination. CONCLUSION: These results show that in the brain microvascular endothelial cell, PPAR alpha activation increases NO production-independent of eNOS and PKC signaling pathways, a regulates PPAR alpha expression through a complex PKC signaling mechanism(s) as both PKC activation and inhibition reduced clofibrate-induced activation of PPAR expression (Fig. 4, Ref. 32). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha activation-mediated regulation of endothelin-1 production via nitric oxide and protein kinase C signaling pathways in piglet cerebral microvascular endothelial cell culture.

Elevated endothelin (ET)-1 has been implicated in cerebrovascular complications following brain trauma characterized by dysregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), protein kinase C (PKC), and cerebral function. Recently, vascular expression of PPARalpha has been observed and suggested to improve vascular dysfunction. We speculate that activation of PPARalpha in cerebral microvessels can improve cerebral dysfunction following trauma, and we tested the hypothesis that activation of cerebral endothelial peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)alpha will attenuate ET-1 production via a mechanism involving nitric oxide (NO) and PKC. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) (1 microM), bradykinin (BK, 1 microM), angiotensin II (AII, 1 microM), or hemoglobin (Hem, 10 microM) increased ET-1 levels by 24-, 11.4-, 3.6-, or 1.3-fold increasing ET-1 levels from 0.36 +/- 0.08 to 8.6 +/- 0.8, 4.1 +/- 0.7, 1.30 +/- 0.1, or 0.47 +/- 0.03 fmol/microg protein (p < 0.05), respectively. Clofibrate (10 microM) reduced basal ET-1 from 0.36 +/- 0.08 (control) to 0.03 +/- 0.01 and blunted vasoactive agent-induced increase to 0.12 +/- 0.07 (PMA), 0.6 +/- 0.04 (BK), 0.25 +/- 0.03 (AII), or 0.12 +/- 0.03 (Hem) fM/microg protein (p < 0.05). L-arginine methyl ester (100 microM) inhibited clofibrate-induced reduction in basal ET-1 production. Clofibrate increased PPARalpha expression, accompanied by increased NO production and eNOS expression. PKC inhibition by calphostin C (10 microM) blocked these effects, whereas activation by PMA reduced basal PPARalpha expression. Thus, PPARalpha activation attenuated ET-1 production by agents that mediate brain injury through mechanisms that probably result from PPARalpha-induced increase in eNOS expression/NO production and complex PKC signaling pathways. Therefore, PPARalpha activators can be appropriate therapeutic agents to alleviate cerebrovascular dysfunction following cerebral vasospasm.