Inhibition of ABCC1 Decreases cAMP Egress and Promotes Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cell Relaxation

Gaoyuan Cao, Hong Lam, Joseph A. Jude, Nikhil Karmacharya, Mengyuan Kan, William Jester, Cynthia Koziol-White, Blanca E. Himes, Geoffrey L. Chupp, Steven S. An, Reynold A. Panettieri

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In most living cells, the second-messenger roles for adenosine 39,59- cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) are short-lived, confined to the intracellular space, and tightly controlled by the binary switch-like actions of Gαs (stimulatory G protein)-activated adenylyl cyclase (cAMP production) and cAMP-specific PDE (cAMP breakdown). Here, by using human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells in culture as a model, we report that activation of the cell-surface β2AR (β2-adrenoceptor), a Gs-coupled GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor), evokes cAMP egress to the extracellular space. Increased extracellular cAMP levels ([cAMP]e) are long-lived in culture and are induced by receptor-dependent and receptor-independent mechanisms in such a way as to define a universal response class of increased intracellular cAMP levels ([cAMP]i). We find that HASM cells express multiple ATP-binding cassette (ABC) membrane transporters, with ABCC1 (ABC subfamily member C 1) being the most highly enriched transcript mapped to MRPs (multidrug resistance-associated proteins). We show that pharmacological inhibition or downregulation of ABCC1 with siRNA markedly reduces β2AR-evoked cAMP release from HASM cells. Furthermore, inhibition of ABCC1 activity or expression decreases basal tone and increases β-agonist-induced HASM cellular relaxation. These findings identify a previously unrecognized role for ABCC1 in the homeostatic regulation of [cAMP]i in HASM that may be conserved traits of the Gs-GPCRs (Gs-coupled family of GPCRs). Hence, the general features of this activation mechanism may uncover new disease-modifying targets in the treatment of airflow obstruction in asthma. Surprisingly, we find that serum cAMP levels are elevated in a small cohort of patients with asthma as compared with control subjects, which warrants further investigation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)96-106
Number of pages11
JournalAmerican journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology
Volume66
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2022

Keywords

  • Airway smooth muscle
  • Asthma
  • CAMP
  • Multidrug resistance-associated proteins
  • β2-adrenoceptor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

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