The EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity promotes pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Nat Commun. 2019 Sep 12;10(1):4143. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12226-1.

Abstract

In pulmonary hypertension vascular remodeling leads to narrowing of distal pulmonary arterioles and increased pulmonary vascular resistance. Vascular remodeling is promoted by the survival and proliferation of pulmonary arterial vascular cells in a DNA-damaging, hostile microenvironment. Here we report that levels of Eyes Absent 3 (EYA3) are elevated in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells from patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and that EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity promotes the survival of these cells under DNA-damaging conditions. Transgenic mice harboring an inactivating mutation in the EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase domain are significantly protected from vascular remodeling. Pharmacological inhibition of the EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity substantially reverses vascular remodeling in a rat model of angio-obliterative pulmonary hypertension. Together these observations establish EYA3 as a disease-modifying target whose function in the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension can be targeted by available inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Benzbromarone / analogs & derivatives
  • Benzbromarone / pharmacology
  • Cardiomegaly / complications
  • Cardiomegaly / pathology
  • Cardiomegaly / physiopathology
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • DNA Damage
  • DNA Repair / drug effects
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Heart Ventricles / drug effects
  • Heart Ventricles / pathology
  • Hypoxia / complications
  • Hypoxia / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / complications
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / enzymology*
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / physiopathology*
  • Pulmonary Artery / pathology
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Vascular Remodeling* / drug effects

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Eya3 protein, mouse
  • benzarone
  • Benzbromarone