Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 Promotes Pulmonary Endothelial Cell Migration and Angiogenesis
Authors: Barnes Elizabeth A. , Cornfield David N. 
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is an incurable disease and remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adults. In PAH, pulmonary arteries narrow in diameter which increases blood flow resistance in the lungs. Eventually the increase in pulmonary blood pressure causes irreversible damage to the heart. There are a variety of reasons why the pulmonary arteries become obstructed, known and unknown; yet, the molecular mechanisms driving this disease remain to be elucidated. Approximately 1000 new cases of PAH are diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone. The average survival rate for patients diagnosed with PAH is 7 years. Therefore, any insight into the molecular mechanisms that promote PAH progression may represent new strategies to treat patients with PAH.

OBJECTIVE

Up to 20% of PAH patients with no family history of PAH carry a bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) mutation, whereas in patients with a family history of PAH up to 82% carry a BMPR2 mutation. Therefore, it appears extremely likely that BMPR2 loss of function promotes the dysfunctional angio‐proliferative phenotype of PAH. In fact, it has recently been shown that in endothelial cells (EC) deficient in BMPR2 exposed to exogenous bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), a ligand for BMPR2, are migratory compared to control cells. To determine if the loss of BMPR2 promotes the PAEC dysfunctional angiogenesis observed in patients with PAH, we used cells from control and PAH patients to determine the role of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) secreted BMP2 in promoting the migration of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) and angiogenesis.

METHODS

PASMC and PAEC from control and PAH patients were examined for the expression of BMPR2 and BMP2. Cell migration, cell invasion, and angiogenetic assays were performed using PASMC and PAEC from control and PAH patients to assess differences in migration, invasion, and angiogenesis.

RESULTS

PAEC from PAH patients have a significant reduction in the expression of BMPR2, consistent with published reports. PASMC from PAH secrete BMP2, while BMP2 is undetectable in control cells. Co‐culturing PAH PASMC with PAH PAEC promotes PAEC migration. This migration is further enhanced in the presence of exogenous BMP2. PAH PASMC co‐cultured with PAH PAEC promote the development of PAEC‐derived angiogenetic masses. This dysfunctional angiogenetic response is further amplified in the presence of exogenous BMP2. In contrast, control PAEC exposed to control PASMC respond normally and do not form disorganized masses of vessels. Control PAEC exposed to exogenous BMP2 further promotes a normal angiogenetic response.

CONCLUSIONS

PASMC from PAH patients secrete BMP2. BMP2 exposure promotes the migration of PAH PAEC and a dysfunctional angiogenetic response. In contrast, BMP2 promotes a normal angiogenetic response when added to co‐cultures of control PASMC and PAEC. These data suggest that in PAH, angiogenesis becomes dysfunctional in part due to PAEC exposure to BMP2; therefore, inhibitors of BMP2 may represent a therapeutic strategy to pursue in the treatment of PAH.