Vascular gene expression in mice overexpressing human endothelin-1 targeted to the endothelium

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), an endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor peptide, plays a role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. Transgenic mice that overexpress human preproET-1 selectively in the endothelium (eET-1) exhibit endothelial dysfunction, hypertrophic remodeling and vascular inflammation of resistance-size arteries in the absence of blood pressure elevation. To understand the mechanisms whereby ET-1 induces vascular damage, vascular gene expression using DNA microarrays was employed. RNA from mesenteric arteries of female and male young (6-7 weeks) and mature (6-8 months) eET-1 and wild type (WT) mice was isolated and changes in gene expression were determined by genome-wide expression profiling using Illumina microarray. This study revealed a set of genes potentially regulated by ET-1, which might be implicated in ET-1 induced-vascular damage. Samples 1-8: Total RNA obtained from the entire mesenteric arterial tree of young (6-7 weeks) female preproendothelin-1 overexpressing mice compared to age and sex matched wild type littermate controls. Samples 9-16: Total RNA obtained from the entire mesenteric arterial tree of mature (6-8 months) female preproendothelin-1 overexpressing mice compared to age and sex matched wild type littermate controls. Samples 17-24: Total RNA obtained from the entire mesenteric arterial tree of young (6-7 weeks) male preproendothelin-1 overexpressing mice compared to age and sex matched wild type littermate controls. Samples 25-32: Total RNA obtained from the entire mesenteric arterial tree of mature (6-8 months) male preproendothelin-1 overexpressing mice compared to age and sex matched wild type littermate controls.