- 著者
 
          - 
             
             Hiroaki Shiraishi
             
             Kazuhisa Ikemoto
             
             Shin Tada
             
             Yasuhiro Udagawa
             
             Masatsugu Ohtsuki
             
             Chiho Sumi-Ichinose
             
             Kazunao Kondo
             
             Takahide Nomura
             
          
 
          
          
          - 出版者
 
          - Japan Atherosclerosis Society
 
          
          
          - 雑誌
 
          - Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (ISSN:13403478)
 
          
          
          - 巻号頁・発行日
 
          - vol.18, no.4, pp.312-317, 2011 (Released:2011-04-27)
 
          
          
          - 参考文献数
 
          - 25
 
          
          
          - 被引用文献数
 
          - 
             
             5
             
             
             5
             
             
          
        
 
        
        
        Aims: Cilostazol, a type III phosphodiesterase inhibitor, is utilized for the treatment of intermittent claudication and is considered to have the beneficial effects against the atherogenic process. In the present study, we examined the effects of cilostazol on BH4 biosynthesis in HUVEC treated with a mixture of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α.Methods: Isolated HUVECs were grown to confluence and treated with IFN-γ (300 units/mL) and TNF-α (300 units/mL) for 16 h in order to stimulate BH4 biosynthesis. The BH4 levels were mea-sured by HPLC. The mRNA expression of GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH), the rate-limiting enzyme of BH4 biosynthesis, and GTPCH feedback regulatory protein (GFRP) were quantified by real-time PCR. The GTPCH protein expression was assessed by western blot analysis.Results: Cilostazol significantly reduced the BH4 levels in cytokine-stimulated HUVEC. Cilostazol produced a concomitant increase in the cAMP levels in HUVEC. Cilostazol decreased the GTPCH activity as well as the expression of GTPCH mRNA and protein. 8-bromo-cAMP (8Br-cAMP), a cell-permeable cAMP analogue, did not reproduce the effects of cilostazol. Cilostazol did not affect the cytokine-induced inhibition of GFRP mRNA expression.Conclusions: We conclude that cilostazol inhibited cytokine-stimulated BH4 biosynthesis via a cAMP-independent mechanism in HUVEC. Our data indicate that cilostazol reduced GTPCH activity and did so by suppressing the GTPCH protein levels.