Echinacoside‑induced nitric oxide production in endothelial cells: Roles of androgen receptor and the PI3K‑Akt pathway

  • Authors:
    • Li Gu
    • Danhong Lian
    • Yimei Zheng
    • Wei Zhou
    • Jinlei Gu
    • Xin Liu
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 27, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2020.4476
  • Pages: 1195-1202
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Abstract

Echinacoside (ECH) is a natural compound with an endothelium‑dependent vasodilatory effect. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important vasorelaxant released from endothelial cells. In order to examine the molecular mechanism of ECH‑induced NO production in endothelial cells, the present study investigated the involvement of androgen receptor (AR) and the phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in the phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Using the fluorescent probe DAF‑FM, the production of NO was found to be significantly increased, and eNOS was phosphorylated at Ser1177 in a concentration‑​dependent manner under 0.01‑10 µM ECH treatment in HUVECs. In addition, NO production and eNOS phosphorylation induced by ECH were diminished when pretreated with the AR antagonist nilutamide, or when transfected with AR small interfering RNAs. Furthermore, the ECH‑induced phosphorylation of the Akt at Ser473 was abrogated by 5 µM wortmannin (a PI3K inhibitor). These data indicated that ECH stimulated NO production via the AR‑dependent activation of eNOS in HUVECs, and that the PI3K/Akt pathway may be involved in eNOS phosphorylation induced by ECH.
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April-2020
Volume 45 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Gu L, Lian D, Zheng Y, Zhou W, Gu J and Liu X: Echinacoside‑induced nitric oxide production in endothelial cells: Roles of androgen receptor and the PI3K‑Akt pathway. Int J Mol Med 45: 1195-1202, 2020
APA
Gu, L., Lian, D., Zheng, Y., Zhou, W., Gu, J., & Liu, X. (2020). Echinacoside‑induced nitric oxide production in endothelial cells: Roles of androgen receptor and the PI3K‑Akt pathway. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 45, 1195-1202. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2020.4476
MLA
Gu, L., Lian, D., Zheng, Y., Zhou, W., Gu, J., Liu, X."Echinacoside‑induced nitric oxide production in endothelial cells: Roles of androgen receptor and the PI3K‑Akt pathway". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 45.4 (2020): 1195-1202.
Chicago
Gu, L., Lian, D., Zheng, Y., Zhou, W., Gu, J., Liu, X."Echinacoside‑induced nitric oxide production in endothelial cells: Roles of androgen receptor and the PI3K‑Akt pathway". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 45, no. 4 (2020): 1195-1202. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2020.4476