SGK1 induces vascular smooth muscle cell calcification through NF-κB signaling
Jakob Voelkl, … , Florian Lang, Ioana Alesutan
Jakob Voelkl, … , Florian Lang, Ioana Alesutan
Published June 11, 2018
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2018;128(7):3024-3040. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI96477.
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Research Article Cell biology Vascular biology

SGK1 induces vascular smooth muscle cell calcification through NF-κB signaling

Abstract

Medial vascular calcification, associated with enhanced mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD), is fostered by osteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Here, we describe that serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) was upregulated in VSMCs under calcifying conditions. In primary human aortic VSMCs, overexpression of constitutively active SGK1S422D, but not inactive SGK1K127N, upregulated osteo-/chondrogenic marker expression and activity, effects pointing to increased osteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation. SGK1S422D induced nuclear translocation and increased transcriptional activity of NF-κB. Silencing or pharmacological inhibition of IKK abrogated the osteoinductive effects of SGK1S422D. Genetic deficiency, silencing, and pharmacological inhibition of SGK1 dissipated phosphate-induced calcification and osteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation of VSMCs. Aortic calcification, stiffness, and osteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation in mice following cholecalciferol overload were strongly reduced by genetic knockout or pharmacological inhibition of Sgk1 by EMD638683. Similarly, Sgk1 deficiency blunted vascular calcification in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice after subtotal nephrectomy. Treatment of human aortic smooth muscle cells with serum from uremic patients induced osteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation, effects ameliorated by EMD638683. These observations identified SGK1 as a key regulator of vascular calcification. SGK1 promoted vascular calcification, at least partly, via NF-κB activation. Inhibition of SGK1 may, thus, reduce the burden of vascular calcification in CKD.

Authors

Jakob Voelkl, Trang T.D. Luong, Rashad Tuffaha, Katharina Musculus, Tilman Auer, Xiaoming Lian, Christoph Daniel, Daniel Zickler, Beate Boehme, Michael Sacherer, Bernhard Metzler, Dietmar Kuhl, Maik Gollasch, Kerstin Amann, Dominik N. Müller, Burkert Pieske, Florian Lang, Ioana Alesutan

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Figure 7

Sgk1 deficiency ameliorates vascular osteoinductive signaling during vitamin D3 overload–induced calcification.

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Sgk1 deficiency ameliorates vascular osteoinductive signaling during vit...
(A) Representative confocal microscopy images (n = 4 per group) showing Sgk1 and Msx2 protein expression and scatter dot plots and arithmetic means ± SEM (n = 4 per group; AU) of normalized Sgk1 and Msx2 fluorescence intensity in aortic tissues of Sgk1-deficient mice (sgk1–/–) or corresponding WT mice (sgk1+/+) receiving vehicle or high-dosed cholecalciferol (vD). Green labeling, protein expression; magenta labeling, nuclei; red labeling, actin staining. Scale bars: 25 μm. (B) Scatter dot plots and arithmetic means ± SEM (n = 10–11 per group; AU) of Sgk1 relative mRNA expression in aortic tissue of sgk1+/+ mice receiving vehicle or high-dosed cholecalciferol (vD). (C–I) Scatter dot plots and arithmetic means ± SEM (n = 10–11 per group; AU) of Msx2 (C), Wnt7a (D), Wnt3a (E), Cbfa1 (F), Alpl (G), Zfp36 (H), and Ankh (I) relative mRNA expression in aortic tissue of sgk1–/– mice or sgk1+/+ mice receiving vehicle or high-dosed cholecalciferol (vD). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 statistically significant vs. control sgk1+/+ mice; †P < 0.05, ††P < 0.01, †††P < 0.001 statistically significant vs. vD-treated sgk1+/+ mice (unpaired 2-tailed t test for Sgk1 panel of A and for B; 1-way ANOVA with Games-Howell post hoc test for Msx2 panel of A and for C–F; and Steel-Dwass method for G–I).