Prostaglandin E-EP4-Mediated Fibulin-1 Up-regulation Plays a Role in Intimal Thickening of the Ductus Arteriosus

The normal closure of the ductus arteriosus (DA) consists of two steps: vasoconstriction and intimal thickening (IT). We have revealed that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-EP4 signaling plays a critical role in IT formation via smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration through hyaluronic acid [1]. In this study, we found that fibulin-1 was the most significantly up-regulated gene by EP4 stimulation in DA smooth muscle cells (SMCs).