Atef ME, Anand-Srivastava MB. Enhanced expression of Gq␣ and PLC-1 proteins contributes to vascular smooth muscle cell hypertrophy in SHR: role of endogenous angiotensin II and endothelin-1. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 307: C97-C106, 2014. First published April 24, 2014 doi:10.1152 doi:10. /ajpcell.00337.2013 Gq␣ signaling has been shown to contribute to cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, angiotensin II (ANG II) was shown to induce vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hypertrophy through Gq␣ signaling; however, the studies on the role of Gq␣ and PLC-1 proteins in VSMC hypertrophy in animal model are lacking. The present study was therefore undertaken to examine the role of Gq␣/PLC-1 proteins and the signaling pathways in VSMC hypertrophy using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). VSMC from 16-wk-old SHR and not from 12-wk-old SHR exhibited enhanced levels of Gq␣/PLC-1 proteins compared with age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats as determined by Western blotting. However, protein synthesis as determined by [ 3 H]leucine incorporation was significantly enhanced in VSMC from both 12-and 16-wk-old SHR compared with VSMC from age-matched WKY rats. Furthermore, the knockdown of Gq␣/ PLC-1 in VSMC from 16-wk-old SHR by antisense and small interfering RNA resulted in attenuation of protein synthesis. In addition, the enhanced expression of Gq␣/PLC-1 proteins, enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and enhanced protein synthesis in VSMC from SHR were attenuated by the ANG II AT1 and endothelin-1 (ET-1) ETA receptor antagonists losartan and BQ123, respectively, but not by the ETB receptor antagonist BQ788. In addition, PD98059 decreased the enhanced expression of Gq␣/PLC-1 and protein synthesis in VSMC from SHR. These results suggest that the enhanced levels of endogenous ANG II and ET-1 through the activation of AT1 and ETA receptors, respectively, and MAP kinase signaling, enhanced the expression of Gq␣/PLC-1 proteins in VSMC from 16-wk-old SHR and result in VSMC hypertrophy.Gq␣ protein; PLC-1 protein; SHR; VSMC; hypertrophy THE HETEROTRIMERIC GUANINE nucleotide regulatory protein (G protein), composed of three subunits (␣, , and ␥), plays a crucial role in the regulation of cardiovascular functions through the activation of several signal transduction systems including adenylyl cyclase and phosphatidyl inositide system (39). Based on ␣-subunit sequence similarity, G␣ proteins are divided into four families G s , G i/o , G q/11 , and G 12/13 . G s and G i proteins regulate the activity of adenylyl cyclase whereas the activation of G q ␣ by a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) stimulates phospholipase C- (PLC-), which hydrolyzes inositol biphosphate (PIP2) and produces inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] (IP 3 ) and diacylglycerol (DAG) (23) and activates protein kinase C (PKC) (7,43).Alterations in the levels of G q ␣ protein and associated signaling pathways appear to contribute to the impaired cellular functions in several pathological states including diabetes, hyperglycemia, and cardiac hypertrophy (1, 12...