Effect And Mechanism Of Leptin On Aortic Valve Interstitial Cells(VICs)Osteoblastic Differentiation

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of Leptin on osteoblastic differentiation of aortic valve interstitial cells(VICs)and to clarify the effect of Leptin stimulation on phenotypic transformation of VICs in vitro.Methods:Porcine aortic VICs were separated and cultured via collagenase digestion.Cells were stimulated with 100 ng/ml Leptin for 24 h,and total RNA and protein were extracted with Trizol reagent.qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to determine RUNX-2 expression and NF-?B protein expression.VICs were also treated with Leptin and SN50,and the expression of Runx-2 was analyzed.Results:Leptin significant enhanced Runx-2 mRNA and protein expression.Western blot test results suggested no significant difference in the total protein expression of NF-?B between two groups,but the phosphorylation of NF-?B in the Leptin group was significantly increased(P<0.05).The expression of RUNX-2 protein in SN50 group was significantly lower than that in Leptin stimulation group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Leptin can induce VICs differentiate into osteoblasts,and this effect is achieved by NF-?B signaling pathway.