RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Evidence That Gαq-Coupled Receptor-Induced Interleukin-6 mRNA in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Involves the Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells JF Molecular Pharmacology JO Mol Pharmacol FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 946 OP 953 DO 10.1124/mol.58.5.946 VO 58 IS 5 A1 Abbott, Karen L. A1 Loss, James R. A1 Robida, Aaron M. A1 Murphy, T. J. YR 2000 UL http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/58/5/946.abstract AB The immunosuppressant cyclosporin A inhibits transcription mediated by the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT), a key regulator of cytokine gene expression in lymphocytes that integrates phospholipase C signaling. NFAT is also expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells, but the genes it regulates there are unknown. Here we show that Gαq-coupled P2Y nucleotide receptor signaling in rat vascular smooth muscle cells increases NFAT-mediated luciferase reporter expression. It also induces interleukin (IL)-6 gene expression but not other cytokine mRNAs including IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-10, γ-interferon, tumor necrosis factor-α, or tumor necrosis factor-β. IL-6 mRNA induction by UTP is more rapid and transient then that caused by IL-1β stimulation and is partially blocked by cyclosporin A or by expression of atrans-dominant NFAT inhibitor. Expression of recombinant NFATc1 markedly augments IL-6 mRNA induction by these and other agonists, which is partially attributable to NFAT-regulated paracrine mediators. However, trans-dominant NFκB inhibitors strongly interfere with IL-6 mRNA induction both by IL-1β and by UTP, which synergistically evoke IL-6 mRNA expression. These findings suggest that NFAT is among the cofactors involved in NFκB-dependent IL-6 gene induction by Ca2+-mobilizing receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells.