The effect of ferulic acid ethyl ester on leptin-induced proliferation and migration of aortic smooth muscle cells

• Published in: Experimental & molecular medicine 2015-08, Vol.47 (8), p.e180-e180
• Main Authors: Tsai, Yung-Chieh, Lee, Yen-Mei, Hsu, Chih-Hsiung, Leu, Sy-Ying, Chiang, Hsiao-Yen, Yen, Mao-Hsiung, Cheng, Pao-Yun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 14/28; 692/163; 82/29; 82/80; Animals; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Aorta - cytology; Aorta - drug effects; beta Catenin - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Caffeic Acids - pharmacology; Cell Line; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Leptin - metabolism; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - metabolism; Medical Biochemistry; Molecular Medicine; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - cytology; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - drug effects; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle - cytology; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle - drug effects; Original; original-article; Rats; Stem Cells
• ISSN: 2092-6413; 1226-3613; 2092-6413
• DOI: 10.1038/emm.2015.56

Leptin is a peptide hormone, which has a central role in the regulation of body weight; it also exerts many potentially atherogenic effects. Ferulic acid ethyl ester (FAEE) has been approved for antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate whether FAEE can inhibit the atherogenic effects of leptin and the possible molecular mechanism of its action. Both of cell proliferation and migration were measured when the aortic smooth muscle cell (A10 cell) treated with leptin and/or FAEE. Phosphorylated p44/42MAPK, cell cycle-regulatory protein (for example, cyclin D1, p21, p27), β-catenin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) proteins levels were also measured. Results demonstrated that leptin (10, 100 ng ml −1 ) significantly increased the proliferation of cells and the phosphorylation of p44/42MAPK in A10 cells. The proliferative effect of leptin was significantly reduced by the pretreatment of U0126 (0.5 μ M ), a MEK inhibitor, in A10 cells. Meanwhile, leptin significantly increased the protein expression of cyclin D1, p21, β-catenin and decreased the expression of p27 in A10 cells. In addition, leptin (10 ng ml −1 ) significantly increased the migration of A10 cells and the expression of MMP-9 protein. Above effects of leptin were significantly reduced by the pretreatment of FAEE (1 and 10 μ M ) in A10 cells. In conclusion, FAEE exerts multiple effects on leptin-induced cell proliferation and migration, including the inhibition of p44/42MAPK phosphorylation, cell cycle-regulatory proteins and MMP-9, thereby suggesting that FAEE may be a possible therapeutic approach to the inhibition of obese vascular disease. Vascular disease: Antioxidant prevents plaque build-up in arteries Researchers in Taiwan have shown that a common antioxidant from plants could help prevent the build-up of fatty plaques in arteries. When Pao-Yun Cheng from the National Defense Medical Center in Taipei and colleagues grew aortic smooth muscle cells in culture in the presence of leptin, a hormone involved in regulating body weight, the cells proliferated and migrated rapidly. But when they added ferulic acid ethyl ester (FAEE), a compound derived from an antioxidant found in many plants, proliferation and migration was greatly reduced. FAEE seems to work by inhibiting the activation of several different proteins that regulate the cell-cycle, and one protein involved in cell migration. The results indicate FAEE could be a potential candidate to prevent or treat vascula