Study identifies two proteins involved in toxin-related pulmonary hypertension

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20261113/Study-identifies-two-proteins-involved-in-toxin-related-pulmonary-hypertension.aspx A research team has identified two proteins that may help explain how a plant toxin damages the arteries that carry blood to the lungs. In rats exposed to monocrotaline, a reactive breakdown product of the toxin formed lasting chemical bonds with the prostacyclin receptor on platelets and with a protein called PTEN in lung tissue. These changes were associated with sustained platelet activation and increased activity in a pathway that drives blood vessel cells to multiply. The findings give researchers two molecular targets to investigate in studies of toxin-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension.