Abstract-Hypertension is a common complication in hemodialysis patients during erythropoietin (EPO) treatment. The underlying mechanisms of EPO-induced hypertension still remain to be determined. Key Words: transient receptor potential channel Ⅲ erythropoietin Ⅲ hypertension E levated arterial blood pressure is a common adverse effect of erythropoietin (EPO) administration in patients and animal models with chronic kidney disease. [1][2][3][4] Several observations indicate that EPO-induced hypertension is not only mediated by changes in erythrocyte mass but also by direct adverse effects of EPO. The underlying mechanisms of EPO-induced rise in blood pressure still remain to be determined. 4,5 Considerable evidence has been accumulated for impaired cellular calcium homeostasis in EPO-associated hypertension. EPO significantly increases cytosolic free calcium concentration and expands sarcoplasmic calcium stores in platelets from essential hypertensive or EPO-associated hypertension patients and cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from rats. 6 -8 Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels are calcium-permeable nonselective cation channels that had been identified in many cell types, including endothelial cells and peripheral blood cells. 9 We previously showed significantly increased expression of functional TRPC5 channel protein in patients with essential hypertension and in spontaneously hypertensive rats. 10 -12 In the present study, we hypothesized that EPO increases the expression and function of the TRPC5 gene, finally contributing to the pathogenesis of hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effects of EPO on TRPC5 channel expression and function in cultured human endothelial cells and peripheral blood cells.
Experimental Procedures Cell CultureHuman umbilical vein endothelial cell-derived EA.hy926 cells (American Type Culture Collection) were maintained at 37°C and 5% CO 2 in DMEM containing 10% FCS, 100 U/mL of penicillin, and 100 g/mL of streptomycin (BIOCHROM AG, Berlin, Germany). After detachment with 0.25% trypsin, cells were seeded in plates as appropriate, that is, 6-well plates for RNA and protein isolation, 12-well plates for patch clamp experiments, and 96-well