PLoS ONE (Jan 2016)

Vinpocetine Attenuates the Osteoblastic Differentiation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

  • Yun-Yun Ma,
  • Lin Sun,
  • Xiu-Juan Chen,
  • Na Wang,
  • Peng-Fei Yi,
  • Min Song,
  • Bo Zhang,
  • Yu-Zhong Wang,
  • Qiu-Hua Liang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162295
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 9
p. e0162295

Abstract

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Vascular calcification is an active process of osteoblastic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells; however, its definite mechanism remains unknown. Vinpocetine, a derivative of the alkaloid vincamine, has been demonstrated to inhibit the high glucose-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells; however, it remains unknown whether vinpocetine can affect the osteoblastic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells. We hereby investigated the effect of vinpocetine on vascular calcification using a beta-glycerophosphate-induced cell model. Our results showed that vinpocetine significantly reduced the osteoblast-like phenotypes of vascular smooth muscle cells including ALP activity, osteocalcin, collagen type I, Runx2 and BMP-2 expression as well as the formation of mineralized nodule. Vinpocetine, binding to translocation protein, induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase and Akt and thus inhibited the translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B into the nucleus. Silencing of translocator protein significantly attenuated the inhibitory effect of vinpocetine on osteoblastic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Taken together, vinpocetine may be a promising candidate for the clinical therapy of vascular calcification.