| Summary: | Proteoglycans synthesized by vascular endothelial cells are important for regulating cell function and the blood coagulation-fibrinolytic system. Since we recently reported that copper(II) bis(diethyldithiocarbamate) (Cu(edtc)<sub>2</sub>) modulates the expression of some molecules involving the antioxidant and blood coagulation systems, we hypothesized that Cu(edtc)<sub>2</sub> may regulate the expression of proteoglycans and examined this hypothesis using a bovine aortic endothelial cell culture system. The experiments showed that Cu(edtc)<sub>2</sub> induced the expression of syndecan-4, a transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This induction required the whole structure of Cu(edtc)<sub>2</sub>—the specific combination of intramolecular copper and a diethyldithiocarbamate structure—as the ligand. Additionally, the syndecan-4 induction by Cu(edtc)<sub>2</sub> depended on the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) but not the Smad2/3, NF-E2-related factor2 (Nrf2), or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathways. p38 MAPK may be a key molecule for inducing the expression of syndecan-4 in vascular endothelial cells.
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