The role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans and heparanase in the control of vascular remodeling

Arterial remodeling is a major pathophysiological mechanism underlying clinical cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and restenosis. We examined heparan sulfate proteoglycan homeostasis as a mechanism of regulation of arterial vascular remodeling in response to altered mechanical environments such as hypertension and injury. We first studied the effect of in-vitro mechanical strain on the ability of endothelial cells to inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. Under these conditions we found mechanical strain increased endothelial inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation through increased production of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Using inhibitors to p38 MAPK and ERK, we showed that activation of both of these pathways was essential for load-induced heparan sulfate production, TGF-,f1 activation, smad-2 activation and increased FGF-2 uptake. Further, we exposed cells to strain in the presence of a neutralizing antibody to TGF-P 1 and demonstrated that autocrine TGF-1l signaling was essential for load-induced HSPG production and sustained p38 MAPK and ERK activation.

Department dc:contributor.department

Harvard University--MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Baker, Aaron Blair

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Elazer R. Edelman.

• Harvard University--MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36164

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/36164