Differential regulation of Na+/H+ exchange and DNA synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells

Na+/H+ exchange has been proposed to be involved in the regulation of cell growth. However, little is known about the regulatory pathway and relationship between Na+/H+ exchange and DNA synthesis. In vascular smooth muscle cells, platelet-derived growth factor (a tyrosine kinase-coupled receptor agonist) and thrombin (a G protein-coupled receptor agonist) stimulate both activation of Na+/H+ exchange and DNA synthesis. In this study, we compared the effect of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and thrombin on the signal transduction pathway leading to the activation of these responses in A10 cells, clonal rat thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells. To investigate the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase as potential mediators, we examined the effect of pharmacological kinase inhibitors on these responses. The Na+/H+ exchange activity induced by thrombin was inhibited by a specific inhibitor of MAPK kinase, 2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone (PD98059), but was not affected by a specific phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor, 2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (LY294002). Thrombin-induced DNA synthesis was inhibited by LY294002, but not by PD98059. In contrast, the Na+/H+ exchange activity induced by PDGF was inhibited by neither LY294002 nor PD98059, but PDGF-induced DNA synthesis was inhibited by both LY294002 and PD98059. These data suggest that, in A10 cells, Na+/H+ exchange activation and DNA synthesis are differently regulated by the two extracellular stimuli.