DDAH1 Overexpression in Human Pulmonary Vascular Endothelial Cells Co‐Cultured with Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Trittmann Jennifer K. , Almazroue Hanadi , Jin Yi , Barba John , Milton Avante D. , Nelin Leif D. 
Published: April 2020

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common chronic lung disease of preterm infants. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) develops in 25–40% of BPD patients as a result of pathologic vascular remodeling, and PH is an independent predictor of death in BPD patients. Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent vasodilator and apoptotic mediator made in the pulmonary endothelium by nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous competitive NOS inhibitor. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) metabolizes the majority of ADMA in vivo and there are two isoforms, DDAH1 and DDAH2. Translational studies from our group analyzed a cohort of BPD patients and identified a potential biomarker, DDAH1 single nucleotide polymorphism (rs480414), that decreased the risk of PH in BPD by 61%. In the present study, we hypothesized that overexpression of DDAH1 in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (hPMVEC) would lead to greater apoptosis and lower proliferation of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (hPASMC) via effects in hPMVEC. We utilized a co‐culture system where hPMVEC were transfected with AdDDAH1 or AdGFP control for 24h and then incubated in co‐culture with hPASMC for 24h. Analysis included 1) western blot analysis for cleaved and total caspase‐3, ‐8, ‐9, p21, PCNA, and β‐actin and 2) trypan blue exclusion for viable cell numbers. Transfection of hPMVEC with AdDDAH1 resulted in greater DDAH1 protein expression (n=6, p=0.003) as compared to control. After AdDDAH1 transfection of hPMVEC and co‐culture with hPASMC, we found greater cleaved caspase‐3 (n=6, p=0.01), greater cleaved caspase‐8 (n=6, p=0.03), similar cleaved caspase‐9 (n=6, p=0.94), similar p21 (n=6, p=0.7), and similar PCNA (n=3, p=0.82) protein expression as compared to control. After AdDDAH1 transfection of hPMVEC and co‐culture with hPASMC, we found lower hPASMC viable cell numbers (n=3, p=0.008) as compared to control. After AdDDAH1 transfection of hPMVEC and co‐culture with hPASMC treated with DETA NONOate 250μM or DETA NONOate 250μM + Hemoglobin 100μM, the hPASMC viable cell numbers were lower compared to control (n=3, p=0.001; n=3, p=0.003, respectively). There was no difference detected between DETA NONOate 250μM and DETA NONOate 250μM + Hemoglobin 100μM groups (n=3, p=0.429). In conclusion, DDAH1 overexpression in hPMVEC resulted in greater apoptosis and lower proliferation in hPASMC, consistent with our hypothesis. We propose that DDAH1 is a potential new therapy for BPD‐PH via relieving pulmonary vascular endothelial ADMA‐inhibition of eNOS, resulting in greater endogenous NO production, greater pulmonary vascular wall apoptosis, and potentially less pathologic vascular remodeling. Future studies will determine if DDAH1 endothelial knockout mice have worse lung function as compared to wild‐type, after exposure to BPD‐PH model of LPS and hyperoxia.Support or Funding InformationK08 HL129080 (PI: Trittmann)