Effects of bioactive ceramics on the pathogenesis of rat vascular smooth muscle cells treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate.

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play a pivotal role in vascular injury through proliferation and migration. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) are highly associated with the pathogenesis of VSMCs. We investigated the effect of bioactive ceramics on the expression of inflammatory cytokines, COX-2, and inducible NOS (iNOS) induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in rat VSMCs. The ceramics inhibited mRNA expression of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS. Prostaglandin release was also diminished by the ceramics. The bioactive ceramics effect on cytokines, COX-2, and iNOS expression was achieved by inhibition of NF-kappaB activity. Interestingly, the ceramics-induced up-regulation of expression of endothelial NOS resulted in an increase of nitric oxide production. Thus, bioactive ceramics may have dual effects on the pathogenesis of VSMCs by regulation of NF-kappaB activity and NO production.