Calcifying Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells Express Different Bone Alkaline Phosphatase Isoforms, Including the Novel B1x Isoform

Background: Vascular calcification, causing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, is associated with hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). In vitro, phosphate induces transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells to osteoblast-like cells that express alkaline phosphatase (ALP). In vivo, raised serum ALP activities are associated with increased mortality. A new bone ALP isoform (B1x) has been identified in serum from CKD patients. The present study investigated the different ALP isoforms in calcifying human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAoSMCs). Methods: HAoSMCs were cultured for 30 days in medium containing 5 or 10 mmol/l beta-glycerophosphate in the presence or absence of the ALP-specific inhibitor tetramisole. Results: All known bone-specific ALP (BALP) isoforms (B/I, B1x, B1 and B2) were identified in HAoSMCs. beta-Glycerophosphate stimulated calcification of HAoSMCs, which was associated with increased BALP isoforms B/I, B1x and B2. Tetramisole inhibited the beta-glycerophosphate-induced HAoSMC calcification, which was paralleled by the inhibition of the B1x and B/I, but not the other isoforms. Conclusions: HAoSMCs express the four known BALP isoforms. B/I, B1x and B2 could be essential for soft tissue calcification. B/I and B1x were more affected by tetramisole than the other isoforms, which suggests different biological functions during calcification of HAoSMCs. Copyright (c) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel