PAI-1 Regulates the Cytoskeleton and Intrinsic Stiffness of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.
Hekmat B KhoukazManisha VadaliAlex SchoenherrFrancisco I Ramirez-PerezMariana Morales-QuinonesZhe SunShumpei FujieChristopher A FooteZhen LyuShuai ZengMarc A AugenreichDunpeng CaiShi-You ChenTrupti JoshiYan JiMichael A HillLuis A Martinez-LemusWilliam P FayPublished in: Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology (2024)
PAI-039 decreases intrinsic SMC stiffness and cytoplasmic stress fiber content. These effects are mediated by AMPK-dependent activation of cofilin. PAI-039 also decreases aortic stiffness in vivo. These findings suggest that PAI-1 is an important regulator of the SMC cytoskeleton and that pharmacological inhibition of PAI-1 has the potential to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases involving arterial stiffening.