Effects of high glucose on expression of OPG and RANKL in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells

Abstract

Objective: To explore effect of high glucose on expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of NF- κ B ligand (RANKE) in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells.

Methods: SD rats were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin, OPG and RANKL expression in rat thoracic aortas were detected by immunohistochemical staining. In cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) (A7r5), qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis were used to examine the mRNA and protein levels of OPG and RANKL.

Results: Our results demonstrated that OPG expression was increased in hyperglycemic rat aortic VSMCs, while RANKL expression was decreased. Besides, in vitro experiments high glucose induced OPG expression, but depressed RANKL expression by dose- and time-dependent manner in cultured A7r5.

Conclusions: Our findings suggested that high glucose could promote the expression of OPG, and inhibit the expression of RANKL in VSMCs, which may be partly be the molecular mechanism of diabetic vascular calcification.

Keywords: High glucose; Osteoprotegerin; Receptor activator of NF– κ B ligand; Vascular smooth muscle cells.