qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the mRNA and protein levels of SENCR, FOXO1 and TRPC6 in SMCs of db/db mice and SMCs exposed to high glucose. The regulation of SENCR on the expression of FoxO1 and TRPC6 were examined with luciferase report assays. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of SENCR on VSMCs proliferation and migration using MTT assay and cell migration assay, respectively.
Here, we found that SENCR was down-regulated in db/db mice and in SMCs exposed to high glucose. According to the result of luciferase assays, it was shown that SMCs knockdown enhanced the expression of FoxO1 and FoxO1 overexpression increased the expression of TRPC6. In addition, qRT-PCR revealed that SENCR overexpression reversed the effect of high glucose on mouse VSMCs proliferation and migration.
In this study, our data indicated that down-regulation of SENCR promoted smooth muscle cells proliferation and migration in db/db mice through up-regulation of FoxO1 and TRPC6.