Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibition alleviates pulmonary arterial remodeling in experimental pulmonary hypertension

Lab Invest. 2018 Oct;98(10):1333-1346. doi: 10.1038/s41374-018-0080-1. Epub 2018 May 22.

Abstract

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) is well known for its role in glucose homeostasis, and DPP-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) exhibits multiple actions in cardiovascular diseases. However, the effect of DPP-4i on pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of DPP-4i on pulmonary arterial remodeling in rats with PH and the potential underlying mechanisms. Our results show that DPP-4 was expressed in epithelial cells, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and inflammatory cells in lung. DPP-4i (Sitagliptin) attenuated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), right ventricle remodeling, hypertrophy of pulmonary arterial medial layer, inflammatory cell infiltration, and endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PH rats. Similarly, DPP-4i also alleviated bleomycin- and chronic hypoxia-induced PH in rats. In cultured human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), DPP-4i inhibited platelet derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferation and migration, which was abolished by phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) knockout. These results demonstrate that DPP-4 inhibition alleviates pulmonary arterial remodeling in experimental PH by inhibiting proliferation and migration of PASMCs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Becaplermin
  • Bleomycin
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 / metabolism
  • Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / drug therapy*
  • Lung / metabolism
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System
  • Male
  • Monocrotaline
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / drug effects
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / metabolism
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Sitagliptin Phosphate / pharmacology
  • Sitagliptin Phosphate / therapeutic use*
  • Tunica Intima / cytology
  • Tunica Intima / drug effects
  • Vascular Remodeling / drug effects*
  • Ventricular Remodeling / drug effects

Substances

  • Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors
  • Bleomycin
  • Becaplermin
  • Monocrotaline
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • Pten protein, rat
  • DPP4 protein, rat
  • Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4
  • Sitagliptin Phosphate