TY - JOUR T1 - Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Impairs Endothelin-1-Mediated Contraction of Brain Vessels by Inducing Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) Kinase Phosphatase-1 and Inhibiting p38 MAP Kinase JF - Molecular Pharmacology JO - Mol Pharmacol SP - 1476 LP - 1483 DO - 10.1124/mol.107.039602 VL - 72 IS - 6 AU - Xin-Kang Tong AU - Edith Hamel Y1 - 2007/12/01 UR - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/72/6/1476.abstract N2 - Brain levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) are increased in Alzheimer's disease and have been implicated in the associated cerebrovascular pathology. We recently reported that transgenic mice that overexpress TGF-β1 (TGF+ mice) display, with aging, selectively reduced endothelin-1 (ET-1)-mediated contractions. Because ET-1 is a key regulator of cerebrovascular tone and homeostasis, we investigated how increased levels of TGF-β1 could selectively alter this contractile response. We found that ETA receptors, via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, mediate the ET-1-induced contraction in mouse cerebral arteries, a response significantly decreased in aged TGF+ mice (-39%; p < 0.01) despite unaltered ETA receptor levels or affinity. In cerebrovascular smooth muscle cell cultures, long-term treatment with TGF-β1 significantly decreased (>50%; p < 0.05) the ET-1-induced activation of the p38 MAPK/27-kDa heat shock protein (HSP27) signaling pathway. This occurred with no effect upstream to p38 MAP kinase but with the concomitant induction of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) expression. Inhibition of MKP-1 expression with Ro-31-8220 or suppression of MKP-1 expression by short interfering RNA restored the ET-1-mediated p38 MAP kinase response. These results disclose a new role for long-term increases of TGF-β1in modulating cerebrovascular tone by dampening ET-1-mediated activation of the p38 MAPK/HSP27 signaling pathway. Such changes in ET-1-mediated signaling may help maintain vascular wall homeostasis by compensating for the diminished dilatory function induced by TGF-β1 and amyloid-β; brain levels of these two molecules are increased in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -