Suppression of the JNK pathway by induction of a metabolic stress response prevents vascular injury and dysfunction

Background - Oxidative injury and dysfunction of the vascular endothelium are early and causal features of many vascular diseases. Single antioxidant strategies to prevent vascular injury have met with mixed results. Methods and Results - Here, we report that induction of a metabolic stress response with adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) prevents oxidative endothelial cell injury. This response is characterized by stabilization of the mitochondrion and increased mitochondrial biogenesis, resulting in attenuation of oxidative c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. We report that peroxisome proliferator coactivator 1 alpha is a key downstream target of AMPK that is both necessary and sufficient for the metabolic stress response and JNK attenuation. Moreover, induction of the metabolic stress response in vivo attenuates reactive oxygen species - mediated JNK activation and endothelial dysfunction in response to angiotensin II in wild-type mice but not in animals lacking either the endothelial isoform of AMPK or peroxisome proliferator coactivator 1 alpha. Conclusion - These data highlight AMPK and peroxisome proliferator coactivator 1 alpha as potential therapeutic targets for the amelioration of endothelial dysfunction and, as a consequence, vascular disease.