Abstract
The purpose of this study was to observe the protective effects of α-boswellic acids
on hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular structural remodeling in pulmonary arterial
smooth muscle cells in a hypertensive rat model. Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle
cells were cultured and then randomly divided into four groups: normoxia, hypoxia
(3 % O2; 24 h), hypoxia plus α-boswellic acids, and hypoxia plus DMSO (as a positive
control), according to the different concentrations of α-boswellic acids (21.90 µM,
43.79 µM, and 87.58 µM). Apoptosis and proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth
muscle cells significantly decreased in the hypoxia plus α-boswellic acids group compared
with the hypoxia and hypoxia plus DMSO groups (n = 8, p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein
phosphorylation levels of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 and extracellular regulated protein
kinase 1 were significantly elevated in hypoxic cells compared with normal cells.
However, the mRNA and protein phosphorylation levels of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1
and extracellular regulated protein kinase 1 markedly decreased in the hypoxia plus
α-boswellic acids group compared with the hypoxia plus DMSO group (n = 8, p < 0.05;
n = 13, p < 0.05, respectively). Our findings suggest that α-boswellic acids can inhibit
inappropriate apoptosis and excessive proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle
cells and pulmonary vascular remodeling by repressing the expression of c-Jun N-terminal
kinase 1 and extracellular regulated protein kinase 1 under hypoxic conditions.
Key words
α-boswellic acids - pulmonary arterial hypertension - apoptosis - PASMCs - c-Jun N-terminal
kinase 1 - extracellular regulated protein kinase 1
