Resumen: We have previously shown that NOR-1 (NR4A3) modulates the proliferation and survival of vascular cells in culture. However, in genetically modified animal models, somewhat conflicting results have been reported concerning the involvement of NOR-1 in neointimal formation after vascular injury. The aim of this study was to generate a transgenic mouse model over-expressing NOR-1 in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and assess the consequence of a gain of function of this receptor on intimal hyperplasia after vascular injury. The transgene construct (SM22-NOR1) was prepared by ligating the full-length human NOR-1 cDNA (hNOR-1) and a mouse SM22a minimal promoter able to drive NOR-1 expression to SMC. Two founders were generated and two stable transgenic mouse lines (TgNOR-1) were established by backcrossing the transgene-carrying founders with C57BL/6J mice. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry confirmed that hNOR-1 was mainly targeted to vascular beds such as aorta and carotid arteries, and was similar in both transgenic lines. Vascular SMC from transgenic animals exhibit increased NOR-1 transcriptional activity (assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and luciferase assays), increased mitogenic activity (deter- mined by [3H]-thymidine incorporation; 1.58-fold induction, P < 0.001) and increased expression of embryonic smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMemb) than wild-type cells from control littermates. Using the carotid artery ligation model, we show that neointima formation was increased in transgenic versus wild-type mice (2.36-fold induction, P < 0.01). Our in vivo data support a role for NOR-1 in VSMC proliferation and vascular remodelling. This NOR-1 transgenic mouse could be a useful model to study fibroproliferative vascular diseases. Idioma: Inglés DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt042 Año: 2013 Publicado en: HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS 22, 10 (2013), 1949-1959 ISSN: 0964-6906 Factor impacto JCR: 6.677 (2013) Categ. JCR: GENETICS & HEREDITY rank: 16 / 164 = 0.098 (2013) - Q1 - T1 Categ. JCR: BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY rank: 32 / 290 = 0.11 (2013) - Q1 - T1 Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/ISCIII/RD12-0042-0053 Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/SAF2009-11949 Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/SAF2012-40127 Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/PI12-01952 Tipo y forma: Artículo (PostPrint) Área (Departamento): Área Anatom.Anatom.Patológ.Com (Dpto. Anatom.,Embri.Genét.Ani.) Área (Departamento): Área Bioquímica y Biolog.Mole. (Dpto. Bioq.Biolog.Mol. Celular)