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Role of Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in the Arterial Medial Calcification and Its Effect on the OPG/RANKL System

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Abstract

In this study, the hypothesis that Wnt/β-catenin pathway is involved in the arterial calcification by regulating the osteoprotegerin (OPG)/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) system was tested. The β-catenin expression was measured in the warfarin-induced calcified arteries and the osteoblast-like cells differentiating from smooth muscle cells (SMCs) by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway was activated or inhibited by lithium chloride (LiCl) or dickkopf 1 (DKK1) in vitro and in vivo. Then the calcification level was determined by von Kossa staining, Ca2+ content assay, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay. The expression levels of osteocalcin, OPG and RANKL were detected by Western blotting or real-time PCR. The results showed that in calcified arteries and OBL cells, the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway significantly enhanced the calcification as evidenced by increased von Kossa stains, Ca2+ contents, ALP activities, and osteocalcin expression levels (P<0.05), and it promoted the RANKL expression (P<0.05), but slightly affected the OPG expression. These results indicated that the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway worsens the arterial calcification, probably by promoting the RANKL expression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, China

    Bin Nie & Shao-ying Zhang

  2. Department of Geriatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China

    Si-ming Guan, Shao-qiong Zhou & Xin Fang

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  1. Bin Nie
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  2. Shao-ying Zhang
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  3. Si-ming Guan
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  4. Shao-qiong Zhou
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  5. Xin Fang
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Correspondence to Shao-ying Zhang or Si-ming Guan.

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Nie, B., Zhang, Sy., Guan, Sm. et al. Role of Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in the Arterial Medial Calcification and Its Effect on the OPG/RANKL System. CURR MED SCI 39, 28–36 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-019-1996-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-019-1996-4

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