FIGURE 4.

Inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin downregulates protein expression of CALHM1/2 in proliferating PASMCs. (A): Representative Western blot analyses on phosphorylated (p) AKT (pAKT), AKT, pmTOR, mTOR, and PCNA as well as CALHM1 and CALHM2 in primary cultured PASMCs treated with vehicle (Control) or rapamycin (Rapamycin, 10 nM) for 24 h. (B): Summarized data (mean ± SE, n = 5–6 experiments) showing levels of pAKT, AKT, pmTOR, and mTOR in control and rapamycin-treated proliferating PASMCs. (C): Summarized data (mean ± SE, n = 6 experiments) showing the ratio of pAKT/AKT and pmTOR/mTOR in control and rapamycin-treated proliferating PASMCs. (D): Summarized data (mean ± SE, n = 6) showing the level of PCNA, a cell proliferation marker, in control and rapamycin-treated proliferating PASMCs. (E): Summarized data (mean ± SE, n = 6) showing protein expression levels of CALHM1 and CALHM2 in control and rapamycin-treated proliferating PASMCs. Data are presented as arbitrary units as well as normalized to PA tissue. *p < 0.05 vs. PA (Contractile PASMC).