Human pulmonary artery endothelial cells in the model of mucopolysaccharidosis VI present a prohypertensive phenotype.

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal disorder caused by a deficient activity of N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase (ARSB). Pulmonary hypertension (PH) occurs in MPS VI patients and is a marker of bad prognosis. Malfunction of endothelium, which regulates vascular tonus and stimulates angiogenesis, can contribute to the occurrence of PH in MPS VI.

Aim: The aim of the study was to establish a human MPS VI cellular model of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs) and evaluate how it affects factors that may trigger PH such as proliferation, apoptosis, expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), natriuretic peptide type C (NPPC), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA).

Results: Increasing concentrations of dermatan sulfate (DS) reduce the viability of the cells in both ARSB deficiency and controls, but hardly influence apoptosis. The expression of eNOS in HPAECs is reduced up to two thirds in the presence of DS. NPPC shows a biphasic expression reaction with an increase at 50 μg/mL DS and reduction at 0 and 100 μg/mL DS. The expression of VEGFA decreases with increasing DS concentrations and absence of elastin, and increases with increasing DS in the presence of elastin.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that MPS VI endothelium presents a prohypertensive phenotype due to the reduction of endothelium's proliferation ability and expression of vasorelaxing factors.