Gene transfer of redox factor-1 inhibits neointimal formation: involvement of platelet-derived growth factor-beta receptor signaling via the inhibition of the reactive oxygen species-mediated Syk pathway.

The role of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease-1/redox factor-1 (Ref-1) in vascular smooth muscle cells has yet to be clearly elucidated. Therefore, we attempted to determine the roles of Ref-1 in the migration induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB and in its signaling in rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs). Cellular migration, superoxide (O(2)(-*)) production, Rac-1 activity, and neointima formation were determined in cells transfected with adenoviruses encoding for Ref-1 (AdRef-1) and small interference RNA of Ref-1. Overexpression of Ref-1 induced by treatment with RASMCs coupled with AdRef-1 inhibited the migration induced by PDGF-BB. PDGF-BB also increased the phosphorylation of the PDGFbeta receptor, spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), mitogen-activated protein kinase, and heat shock protein 27, but these increases were significantly inhibited by AdRef-1 treatment. PDGF-BB increased O(2)(-*) production and Rac-1 activity, and these were diminished in cells transfected with AdRef-1. In contrast, RASMC migration, phosphorylation of Syk and O(2)(-*) production in response to PDGF-BB were increased by the knock down of Ref-1 with small interference RNA. The phosphorylation of PDGFbeta receptor in response to PDGF-BB was inhibited completely by the Syk inhibitor and was partly attenuated by a NADPH oxidase inhibitor. PDGF-BB increased the sprout outgrowth of the aortic ring ex vivo, which was inhibited in the AdRef-1-infected RASMCs as compared with the controls. Balloon injury-induced neointimal formation was significantly attenuated by the gene transfer of AdRef-1. These results indicate that Ref-1 inhibits the PDGF-mediated migration signal via the inhibition of reactive oxygen species-mediated Syk activity in RASMCs.