Angiotensin II and α v β 3 Integrin Expression in Rat Neonatal Cardiac Fibroblasts

Abstract
—We recently demonstrated that αvβ3 integrins are involved in the mechanisms of angiotensin II (Ang II)–induced DNA synthesis and collagen gel contractions in rat cardiac fibroblasts (CFBs), cellular mechanisms that are relevant for cardiac remodeling. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the effect of Ang II and other growth factors on the regulation of the αvβ3 integrins in fibroblasts from neonatal rat hearts. The αvβ3 integrin receptor expression was significantly increased (P<0.05) at the mRNA level after treatment with Ang II, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) for 8 and 16 hours. The surface expression of the αv and β3 integrin subunits was elevated after 32 and 48 hours (P<0.05) as determined with flow cytometry. To investigate fibroblast motility, we performed chemotaxis experiments with transwell chambers. Ang II was chemotactic for CFBs, as tested with checkerboard experiments. The chemotactic effect was concentration dependent and...

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