Carnosine attenuates vascular smooth muscle cells calcification through mTOR signaling pathway

Objective: Vascular calcification is prevalent in the aging population, as we know that arterial calcification is associated with aging. Recent studies have demonstrated that carnosine, a naturally occurring dipeptide, performs the treatment of aging-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes. Here, we investigated the role of carnosine in a calcification model of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

Methods: In this research, we used an in vitro model of VSMC calcification to investigate the role of carnosine in the progression of rat VSMC calcification.

Results: Carnosine treatment attenuated calcium deposition in a dose-dependent manner, detected by Alizarin Red S staining and calcium content assay. Carnosine also reduced the protein level of Runx2, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Further, carnosine inhibited the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway.

Conclusion: Carnosine attenuated the VSMC calcification via inhibition of osteoblastic transdifferentiation and the mTOR signaling pathway.