Does brain-derived neurotrophic factor stimulate production of prostacyclin in cerebral arteries?
Our results demonstrate that in cerebral arteries, BDNF-induced activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase B receptor signaling in vivo promotes prostacyclin biosynthesis. These findings provide novel mechanistic insight into the vascular protective effect of BDNF in cerebral circulation.
These data provide strong genetic evidence that COX-2 is an obligatory downstream effector of iNOS-dependent cardioprotection and that NF-kappaB is a critical link between iNOS and COX-2. Thus, iNOS imparts its protective effects, at least in part, by recruiting NF-kappaB, leading to COX-2 upregulation. However, COX-2 does not play an important cardioprotective role under basal conditions (when iNOS is not upregulated).