Rationale Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) heme iron, in its oxidized state (Fe3+), is desensitized to nitric oxide (NO) and limits cyclic guanosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (cGMP) production needed for downstream activation of PKG-dependent signaling and blood vessel dilation. Objective While reactive oxygen species are known to oxidize the sGC heme iron, the basic mechanism(s) governing sGC heme iron recycling to its NO-sensitive, reduced state, remain poorly understood. Methods and Results Oxidant challenge studies show vascular smooth muscle cells have an intrinsic ability to reduce oxidized sGC heme iron and form protein-protein complexes between cytochrome b5 reductase 3 (Cyb5R3), also known as methemoglobin reductase, and oxidized sGC. Genetic knockdown and pharmacological inhibition in VSMCs reveal Cyb5R3 expression and activity is critical for NO-stimulated cGMP production and vasodilation. Mechanistically, we show Cyb5R3 directly reduces oxidized sGC required for NO sensitization as assessed by biochemical, cellular, and ex vivo assays. Conclusions Together, these findings identify new insights into NO-sGC-cGMP signaling and reveal Cyb5R3 as the first identified physiological sGC heme iron reductase in VSMCs, serving as a critical regulator of cGMP production and PKG dependent signaling.

Helicobacter cinaedi is the most common enterohepatic Helicobacter species that causes bacteremia in humans, but its pathogenicity is unclear. Here, we investigated the possible association of H. cinaedi with atherosclerosis in vivo and in vitro. We found that H. cinaedi infection significantly enhanced atherosclerosis in hyperlipidaemic mice. Aortic root lesions in infected mice showed increased accumulation of neutrophils and F4/80+ foam cells, which was due, at least partly, to bacteria-mediated increased expression of proinflammatory genes. Although infection was asymptomatic, detection of cytolethal distending toxin RNA of H. cinaedi indicated aorta infection. H. cinaedi infection altered expression of cholesterol receptors and transporters in cultured macrophages and caused foam cell formation. Also, infection induced differentiation of THP-1 monocytes. These data provide the first evidence of a pathogenic role of H. cinaedi in atherosclerosis in experimental models, thereby justifying additional investigations of the possible role of enterohepatic Helicobacter spp. in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

The vertebrate globins are a group of hemoproteins with the intrinsic capacity to regulate gaseous ligands and redox signaling required for cardiovascular biology. This graphical review will provide a comprehensive synopsis of somatic cardiovascular globins focusing on expression, function and redox signaling – an emerging area in both physiology and disease.

8-Nitroguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-nitro-cGMP) is a nitrated derivative of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) formed endogenously under conditions associated with production of both reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. It acts as an electrophilic second messenger in the regulation of cellular signaling by inducing a post-translational modification of redox-sensitive protein thiols via covalent adduction of cGMP moieties to protein thiols (protein S-guanylation). Here, we demonstrate that 8-nitro-cGMP potentially S-guanylates thiol groups of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), the enzyme that serves as one of the major receptor proteins for intracellular cGMP and controls a variety of cellular responses. S-Guanylation of PKG was found to occur in a site specific manner; Cys42 and Cys195 were the susceptible residues among 11 Cys residues. Importantly, S-guanylation at Cys195, which is located in the high-affinity cGMP binding domain of PKG, causes persistent enzyme activation as determined by in vitro kinase assay as well as by an organ bath assay. In vivo, S-guanylation of PKG was demonstrated to occur in mice without any specific treatment and was significantly enhanced by lipopolysaccharide administration. These findings warrant further investigation in terms of the physiological and pathophysiological roles of S-guanylation-dependent persistent PKG activation.

Impaired soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)-dependent nitric oxide (NO) signaling has been linked to numerous cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as hypertension, myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis. Despite emerging evidence indicating the importance of sGC function within the cardiovascular system, the basic mechanisms that regulate sGC activity remain incompletely understood. Herein, we provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that cytochrome b5 reductase 3 (Cyb5R3) is an sGC heme iron reductase and regulates downstream cGMP signaling. Of major significance, we also demonstrate that a Cyb5R3 T116S polymorphism with allele frequency of 0.23 in African Americans associates with increase blood pressure and is incapable of reducing sGC. Proximity ligation assay (PLA) experiments show that endogenous Cyb5R3 and oxidized sGC associate. Knockdown of Cyb5R3 results in reduced cGMP production and downstream signaling in rat aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC). Overexpression of Cyb5R3 not only rescues cGMP production but also increases baseline cGMP, whereas T116S mutant does not. Finally, inhibition of Cyb5R3 in mice significantly increases systemic blood pressure. Our studies are the first to identify an sGC heme iron reductase, provide evidence for Cyb5R3 as a key biological regulator of sGC activity and vascular tone in SMC, and link a human polymorphism of Cyb5R3 to increased blood pressure; all of which may lead to the development of novel therapeutics targeting Cyb5R3 for the treatment of CVD. Importantly, the co-expression of Cyb5R3 and sGC in multiple cells types suggests that this regulation of sGC activity may have broad applications for multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes. Results: Conclusions: