Increased neointimal formation in cystathionine gamma-lyase deficient mice: Role of hydrogen sulfide in α5β1-integrin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression in smooth muscle cells

The physiological and pathological roles of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the regulation of cardiovacular functions have been recognized. Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) express cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE) and produce significant amount of H2S. Although growing evidence demonstated the anti-atherosclerotic effect of H2S, less is known about the contribution of the endogenous CSE/H2S pathway to the development of vascular remodeling. This study investigated the roles of the CSE/H2S pathway on SMC migration and neoimtimal formation by using CSE knockout (KO) mice. SMCs and aortic explants isolated from CSE KO mice exhibited more migration and outgrowth compared with that from wild-type (WT) mice, and exogenously applied NaHS (a H2S donor) at 100 mu M significantly inhibited SMC migration and outgrowth. SMCs became more elongated and spread in the absence of CSE, and fibronectin significantly stimulated adhesion and migration of SMCs from CSE KO mice (KO-SMCs) in comparison with SMCs from WT mice (WT-SMCs). The expressions of alpha 5- and beta 1-integrins were significantly higher in KO-SMCs, and functional blocking of alpha 5 beta 1-integrin effectively abrogated KO-SMC migration. CSE deficiency also enhanced matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression, and the selective blocking of MMP-2 decreased KO-SMC migration. NaHS treatment decreased both the expressions of alpha 5- and beta 1-integrins and MMP-2. We further found that the expressions of alpha 5- and beta 1-integrins as well as MMP-2, were stimulated by fibronectin, and that the blockage of alpha 5 beta 1-integrin reduced but overexpression of alpha 5 beta 1-integrin induced MMP-2 expression in both WT-SMCs and KO-SMCs. We also noticed that CSE deficiency in mice led to increased neointima formation in carotid arteries 4 weeks after ligation, which were attenuated by NaHS administration. In conclusion, inhibition of SMC migration by H2S may be a novel target for the treatment of vascular occlusive disorder. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.