RNA interference targeting embryonic myosin heavy chain isoform inhibited mRNA expressions of phenotype markers in rabbit cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.

To investigate whether the knockdown of SMemb gene expression induces phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells toward a contractile type, we constructed a siRNA targeting the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of SMemb gene (SMemb-siRNA). The SMemb-siRNA was introduced into cultured rabbit VSM cells for 48 h at 37°C by the lipofection method. The mRNA expressions were estimated by comparative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). SMemb-siRNA significantly decreased the ratio of SMemb to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01): 0 nM, 0.90 ± 0.08; 100 nM, 0.43 ± 0.07. Immunofluorescence and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that SMemb-siRNA markedly decreased SMemb protein expression to 56% ± 7.8% (P < 0.01). Other MHC isoform (SM1 and SM2) mRNA expressions were not changed. The relative mRNA expressions of other phenotype markers (plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 and β-actin) were significantly decreased by SMemb-siRNA to 71% ± 7.5% and 61% ± 7.5%, respectively (P < 0.01). Expression of smooth muscle (SM) α-actin protein and cell proliferation was not changed by SMemb-siRNA. Thus, SMemb gene might be involved in the transcription of PAI-1 and β-actin, but not involved in SM α-actin and cell proliferation in cultured VSM.