Dihydroartemisinin Attenuates Pulmonary Hypertension Through Inhibition of Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling in Rats

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2020 Sep;76(3):337-348. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000862.

Abstract

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a malignant disease characterized by pulmonary arterial remodeling because of the abnormal proliferation and migration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an artemisinin derivative used to treat malaria, is able to inhibit fibrosis, neovascularization, and tumor proliferation. In this study, we hypothesized that DHA can be beneficial in treating PAH. To test this hypothesis, a rat model of pulmonary hypertension induced with monocrotaline (MCT) was used. Compared with MCT treatment alone, treatment with 50 or 100 mg/kg DHA significantly reduced the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (30.11 ± 2.48 mm Hg vs. 21.35 ± 3.04 mm Hg and 19.18 ± 1.98 mm Hg, respectively, both P < 0.01), right ventricular transverse diameter (4.36 ± 0.41 mm vs. 3.72 ± 0.24 mm and 3.67 ± 0.27 mm, respectively, both P < 0.01), pulmonary artery medial wall thickness (57.93 ± 11.14% vs. 34.45 ± 4.39% and 25.01 ± 6.66%, respectively, both P < 0.01), and increased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (1.34 ± 0.17 mm vs. 1.62 ± 0.3 mm and 1.62 ± 0.16 mm, respectively, both P < 0.05). We also found that DHA inhibited platelet-derived growth factor-BB-mediated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells proliferation and migration in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, DHA downregulated β-catenin levels while upregulating the levels of axis inhibition protein 2 (Axin2) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β). Our findings suggest that DHA, which may be a potential candidate for PAH therapy, attenuates experimental pulmonary hypertension possibly by inhibiting pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Antihypertensive Agents / pharmacology*
  • Artemisinins
  • Arterial Pressure / drug effects*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta / metabolism
  • Male
  • Monocrotaline
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / drug effects
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / metabolism
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / physiopathology
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / chemically induced
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / physiopathology
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / prevention & control*
  • Pulmonary Artery / drug effects*
  • Pulmonary Artery / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Artery / physiopathology
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Vascular Remodeling / drug effects*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Artemisinins
  • Axin2 protein, rat
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Ctnnb1 protein, rat
  • beta Catenin
  • artenimol
  • Monocrotaline
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Gsk3b protein, rat