Effects of tautomycetin on proliferation and fibronectin secretion in vascular smooth muscle cells and glomerular mesangial cells

Tautomycetin (TMC), a newly developed immunosuppressive agent, induces T-lymphocyte apoptosis through the inhibition of tyrosine kinase and protein phosphatase 1. We examined the effects of TMC on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and mesangial cells (MCs) of Sprague-Dawley rats, and investigated the molecular mechanisms involved. Different concentrations of TMC were administered 1 hour before the addition of 10 ng/mL PDGF into the growth-arrested and synchronized cells. Cell proliferation was assessed by methylthiazoletetrazolium (MTT) assay, fibronectin secretion, and the activation of Akt, ERK, and p38 MAPK by Western blot analysis. PDGF increased cell proliferation, fibronectin secretion, and the activation of Akt, ERK, and p38 MAPK in both VSMCs and MCs. In both cultured cells, TMC at >1 μg/mL significantly reduced basal MTT. TMC at 100 ng/mL significantly decreased the PDGF-induced VSMC and MC proliferation. However, fibronectin secretion and the activation of Akt, ERK, and p38 MAPK were not affected by this nontoxic concentration of TMC. The present data demonstrate that low-dose TMC reduced PDGF-induced VSMC and MC proliferation without affecting the fibronectin secretion and cellular kinase activation.