Role of the lipoxygenase pathway in phenylephrine-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration

We studied the effects of phenylephrine-stimulated proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells and the role of 12-lipoxygenase-mediated pathways under normal as well as high glucose conditions. Phenylephrine-induced increases in cellular proliferation and migration were attenuated by the specific 12-lipoxygenase inhibitor baicalein. In contrast, neither of the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors, indomethacin or ibuprofen, had any effect. Direct addition of the 12-lipoxygenase product, 12-S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), increased the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells treated with both phenylephrine and nordihydroguaiaretic acid. Furthermore, we observed that phenylephrine induced greater increases in the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells and also that the 12-lipoxygenase inhibitor prevented the enhancement of proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells induced by phenylephrine in the presence of high glucose (25 mmol/l). These results suggest that 12-lipoxygenase activation plays a key role in phenylephrine-induced responses of vascular smooth muscle cells under normal and hyperglycemic conditions. 12-lipoxygenase may be a good pharmacological target for treatment of vascular disease of hypertension and diabetes mellitus.