Expression data from WT and RGS5 KO mice treated with DOCA/salt. Mus musculus

The activation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during hypertension-induced arterial remodeling processes relies on a change of the gene expression program, i.e., up-regulation of genes to induce migration, proliferation and matrix degradation/synthesis. At the same time, genes controlling the quiescent, contractile VSMC phenotype are down-regulated. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression underlying hypertension-induced vascular remodeling in the presence and absence of regulator of G-protein signaling 5 (RGS5) and identified distinct classes of down-regulated genes during vascular remodeling when RGS5 was not present. Overall design: WT and RGS5 KO mice (littermates) were treated with deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA; 50 mg/kg, 21-day-release pellets) and 1% NaCl in the drinking water for 10 days or left untreated. Afterwards, 2 femoral arteries per animal were isolated and RNA was extracted and hybridized on Affymetrix microarrays.