Browsing by Subject "Hypertrophy"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Delineation of Molecular Pathways Involved in Cardiomyopathies Caused by Troponin T Mutations
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2016-06) Gilda, Jennifer E.; Lai, Xianyin; Witzmann, Frank A.; Gomes, Aldrin V.; Cellular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine
    Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is associated with mild to severe cardiac problems and is the leading cause of sudden death in young people and athletes. Although the genetic basis for FHC is well-established, the molecular mechanisms that ultimately lead to cardiac dysfunction are not well understood. To obtain important insights into the molecular mechanism(s) involved in FHC, hearts from two FHC troponin T models (Ile79Asn [I79N] and Arg278Cys [R278C]) were investigated using label-free proteomics and metabolomics. Mutations in troponin T are the third most common cause of FHC, and the I79N mutation is associated with a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Most FHC-causing mutations, including I79N, increase the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the myofilament; however, the R278C mutation does not alter Ca(2+) sensitivity and is associated with a better prognosis than most FHC mutations. Out of more than 1200 identified proteins, 53 and 76 proteins were differentially expressed in I79N and R278C hearts, respectively, when compared with wild-type hearts. Interestingly, more than 400 proteins were differentially expressed when the I79N and R278C hearts were directly compared. The three major pathways affected in I79N hearts relative to R278C and wild-type hearts were the ubiquitin-proteasome system, antioxidant systems, and energy production pathways. Further investigation of the proteasome system using Western blotting and activity assays showed that proteasome dysfunction occurs in I79N hearts. Metabolomic results corroborate the proteomic data and suggest the glycolytic, citric acid, and electron transport chain pathways are important pathways that are altered in I79N hearts relative to R278C or wild-type hearts. Our findings suggest that impaired energy production and protein degradation dysfunction are important mechanisms in FHCs associated with poor prognosis and that cardiac hypertrophy is not likely needed for a switch from fatty acid to glucose metabolism.
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    Epigenetic and lncRNA regulation of cardiac pathophysiology
    (Elsevier, 2016-03-09) Chang, Ching-Pin; Han, Pei; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Our developmental studies provide an insight into the pathogenesis of heart failure in adults. These studies reveal a mechanistic link between fetal cardiomyocytes and pathologically stressed adult cardiomyocytes at the level of chromatin regulation. In embryos, chromatin-regulating factors within the cardiomyocytes respond to developmental signals to program cardiac gene expression to promote cell proliferation and inhibit premature cell differentiation. In the neonatal period, the activity of these developmental chromatin regulators is quickly turned off in cardiomyocytes, coinciding with the cessation of cell proliferation and advance in cell differentiation toward adult maturity. When the mature hearts are pathologically stressed, those chromatin regulators essential for cardiomyocyte development in embryos are reactivated, triggering gene reprogramming to a fetal-like state and pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Furthermore, in the study of chromatin regulation and cardiac gene expression, we identified a long noncoding RNA that interacts with chromatin remodeling factor to regulate the cardiac response to environmental changes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cardiomyocyte Biology: Integration of Developmental and Environmental Cues in the Heart edited by Marcus Schaub and Hughes Abriel.
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    Investigation of ERK inhibition and Hedgehog signaling in myogenesis and cancer-associated muscle wasting
    (2018-05) Au, Ernie Dennis; Zimmers, Teresa A.
    The ability to preserve, protect, or grow skeletal muscle would greatly benefit patients in health and disease. Understanding the molecular pathways that regulate muscle size is necessary to develop interventions. The extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and Hedgehog signaling pathways each play necessary roles in skeletal muscle development. The ERK pathway has been shown to both stimulate and inhibit muscle development at different stages, while Hedgehog signaling is vital for embryonic muscle development. Thus, these pathways represent prime targets for manipulation in diseases associated with muscle loss. In prior studies, cancer patients treated with the ERK inhibitor, Selumetinib, experienced significant gains in lean body mass. To study the mechanisms responsible, we tested the potential of Selumetinib to protect against muscle wasting in muscle cell cultures and in mice with experimental lung cancer. Selumetinib was able to induce hypertrophy of cultured muscle cells. In mice, we observed a reduction in tumor mass and in circulating mediators of muscle wasting including inflammatory cytokines. However, Selumetinib treatment did not prevent cancer-induced muscle loss. Together, these data suggest a diversity in the underlying molecular mechanisms and the need for careful consideration when extrapolating results across different disease states, clinical trials, and model systems. In separate studies, we found that the Hedgehog pathway was increased in mice and patients with cancer-associated muscle wasting and inflammation. In a series of studies in muscle cell cultures, in genetically modified mice, and in mice bearing tumors, we found that inflammatory cytokines activated Hedgehog expression in muscle. Hedgehog signaling promoted the replication of muscle stem cells but reduced the expression of genes that specify mature muscle. Inhibiting Hedgehog signaling promoted muscle growth, while activating it caused muscle wasting. Furthermore, we identified unique properties of two proteins activated by Hedgehog, Gli1 and Gli2, where Gli1 appears to promote muscle stem cell proliferation and Gli2 mature muscle gene expression. These data implicate the Hedgehog pathway, GLI1 and GLI2 as targets for treatment of muscle wasting diseases.
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    Muscle LIM Protein Force-Sensing Mediates Sarcomeric Biomechanical Signaling in Human Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
    (American Heart Association, 2022) Riaz, Muhammad; Park, Jinkyu; Sewanan, Lorenzo R.; Ren, Yongming; Schwan, Jonas; Das, Subhash K.; Pomianowski, Pawel T.; Huang, Yan; Ellis, Matthew W.; Luo, Jiesi; Liu, Juli; Song, Loujin; Chen, I-Ping; Qiu, Caihong; Yazawa, Masayuki; Tellides, George; Hwa, John; Young, Lawrence H.; Yang, Lei; Marboe, Charles C.; Jacoby, Daniel L.; Campbell, Stuart G.; Qyang, Yibing; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background: Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiac disease and is typically caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins that regulate cardiac contractility. HCM manifestations include left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure, arrythmias, and sudden cardiac death. How dysregulated sarcomeric force production is sensed and leads to pathological remodeling remains poorly understood in HCM, thereby inhibiting the efficient development of new therapeutics. Methods: Our discovery was based on insights from a severe phenotype of an individual with HCM and a second genetic alteration in a sarcomeric mechanosensing protein. We derived cardiomyocytes from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells and developed robust engineered heart tissues by seeding induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes into a laser-cut scaffold possessing native cardiac fiber alignment to study human cardiac mechanobiology at both the cellular and tissue levels. Coupled with computational modeling for muscle contraction and rescue of disease phenotype by gene editing and pharmacological interventions, we have identified a new mechanotransduction pathway in HCM, shown to be essential in modulating the phenotypic expression of HCM in 5 families bearing distinct sarcomeric mutations. Results: Enhanced actomyosin crossbridge formation caused by sarcomeric mutations in cardiac myosin heavy chain (MYH7) led to increased force generation, which, when coupled with slower twitch relaxation, destabilized the MLP (muscle LIM protein) stretch-sensing complex at the Z-disc. Subsequent reduction in the sarcomeric muscle LIM protein level caused disinhibition of calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cells signaling, which promoted cardiac hypertrophy. We demonstrate that the common muscle LIM protein-W4R variant is an important modifier, exacerbating the phenotypic expression of HCM, but alone may not be a disease-causing mutation. By mitigating enhanced actomyosin crossbridge formation through either genetic or pharmacological means, we alleviated stress at the Z-disc, preventing the development of hypertrophy associated with sarcomeric mutations. Conclusions: Our studies have uncovered a novel biomechanical mechanism through which dysregulated sarcomeric force production is sensed and leads to pathological signaling, remodeling, and hypertrophic responses. Together, these establish the foundation for developing innovative mechanism-based treatments for HCM that stabilize the Z-disc MLP-mechanosensory complex.
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    Phytoecdysteroids Do Not Have Anabolic Effects in Skeletal Muscle in Sedentary Aging Mice
    (MDPI, 2021-01-06) Lawrence, Marcus M.; Zwetsloot, Kevin A.; Arthur, Susan T.; Sherman, Chase A.; Huot, Joshua R.; Badmaev, Vladimir; Grace, Mary; Lila, Mary Ann; Nieman, David C.; Shanely, R. Andrew; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    Skeletal muscle mass and strength are lost with aging. Phytoecdysteroids, in particular 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), increase protein synthesis in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells and muscle strength in young rats. The objective of this study was to determine whether an extract from Ajuga turkestanica (ATE), enriched in phytoecdysteroids, and 20E affect skeletal muscle mass and fiber size, fiber type, activation of the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway, and the mRNA levels of MAFbx, MuRF-1, and myostatin in sedentary aging mice. Aging male C57BL/6 mice (20 months old) received ATE, 20E, or vehicle (CT) once per day for 28 days or a single acute dose. Treatment did not alter body, muscle, or organ mass; fiber cross-sectional area; or fiber type in the triceps brachii or plantaris muscles. Likewise, protein synthesis signaling markers (i.e., phosphorylation of AktSer473 and p70S6kThr389) measured after either 28 days or acutely were unchanged. Neither ATE nor 20E treatment for 28 days affected the mRNA levels of MAFbx, MuRF-1, and myostatin. In conclusion, these data indicate that phytoecdysteroid treatment does not alter muscle mass or fiber type, nor does it activate protein synthesis signaling in the skeletal muscle of sedentary aging mice.
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    Protein Kinase A Is a Master Regulator of Physiological and Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy
    (American Heart Association, 2024) Bai, Yingyu; Zhang, Xiaoying; Li, Ying; Qi, Fei; Liu, Chong; Ai, Xiaojie; Tang, Mingxin; Szeto, Christopher; Gao, Erhe; Hua, Xiang; Xie, Mingxing; Wang, Xuejun; Tian, Ying; Chen, Yongjie; Huang, Guowei; Zhang, Junping; Xiao, Weidong; Zhang, Lili; Liu, Xueyuan; Yang, Qing; Houser, Steven R.; Chen, Xiongwen; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background: The sympathoadrenergic system and its major effector PKA (protein kinase A) are activated to maintain cardiac output coping with physiological or pathological stressors. If and how PKA plays a role in physiological cardiac hypertrophy (PhCH) and pathological CH (PaCH) are not clear. Methods: Transgenic mouse models expressing the PKA inhibition domain (PKAi) of PKA inhibition peptide alpha (PKIalpha)-green fluorescence protein (GFP) fusion protein (PKAi-GFP) in a cardiac-specific and inducible manner (cPKAi) were used to determine the roles of PKA in physiological CH during postnatal growth or induced by swimming, and in PaCH induced by transaortic constriction (TAC) or augmented Ca2+ influx. Kinase profiling was used to determine cPKAi specificity. Echocardiography was used to determine cardiac morphology and function. Western blotting and immunostaining were used to measure protein abundance and phosphorylation. Protein synthesis was assessed by puromycin incorporation and protein degradation by measuring protein ubiquitination and proteasome activity. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) infected with AdGFP (GFP adenovirus) or AdPKAi-GFP (PKAi-GFP adenovirus) were used to determine the effects and mechanisms of cPKAi on myocyte hypertrophy. rAAV9.PKAi-GFP was used to treat TAC mice. Results: (1) cPKAi delayed postnatal cardiac growth and blunted exercise-induced PhCH; (2) PKA was activated in hearts after TAC due to activated sympathoadrenergic system, the loss of endogenous PKIα (PKA inhibition peptide α), and the stimulation by noncanonical PKA activators; (3) cPKAi ameliorated PaCH induced by TAC and increased Ca2+ influxes and blunted neonatal rat cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by isoproterenol and phenylephrine; (4) cPKAi prevented TAC-induced protein synthesis by inhibiting mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling through reducing Akt (protein kinase B) activity, but enhancing inhibitory GSK-3α (glycogen synthase kinase-3α) and GSK-3β signals; (5) cPKAi reduced protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system via decreasing RPN6 phosphorylation; (6) cPKAi increased the expression of antihypertrophic atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP); (7) cPKAi ameliorated established PaCH and improved animal survival. Conclusions: Cardiomyocyte PKA is a master regulator of PhCH and PaCH through regulating protein synthesis and degradation. cPKAi can be a novel approach to treat PaCH.
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    Rnd3/RhoE Modulates HIF1α/VEGF Signaling by Stabilizing HIF1α and Regulates Responsive Cardiac Angiogenesis
    (American Heart Association, 2016-03) Yue, Xiaojing; Yang, Tingli; Lin, Xi; Yang, Xiangsheng; Yi, Xin; Jiang, Xuejun; Li, Xiaoyan; Li, Tianfa; Guo, Junli; Dai, Yuan; Shi, Jianjian; Wei, Lei; Youker, Keith A.; Torre-Amione, Guillermo; Yu, Yanhong; Andrade, Kelsey C.; Chang, Jiang; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    The insufficiency of compensatory angiogenesis in the heart of patients with hypertension contributes to heart failure transition. The hypoxia-inducible factor 1α-vascular endothelial growth factor (HIF1α-VEGF) signaling cascade controls responsive angiogenesis. One of the challenges in reprograming the insufficient angiogenesis is to achieve a sustainable tissue exposure to the proangiogenic factors, such as HIF1α stabilization. In this study, we identified Rnd3, a small Rho GTPase, as a proangiogenic factor participating in the regulation of the HIF1α-VEGF signaling cascade. Rnd3 physically interacted with and stabilized HIF1α, and consequently promoted VEGFA expression and endothelial cell tube formation. To demonstrate this proangiogenic role of Rnd3 in vivo, we generated Rnd3 knockout mice. Rnd3 haploinsufficient (Rnd3(+/-)) mice were viable, yet developed dilated cardiomyopathy with heart failure after transverse aortic constriction stress. The poststress Rnd3(+/-) hearts showed significantly impaired angiogenesis and decreased HIF1α and VEGFA expression. The angiogenesis defect and heart failure phenotype were partially rescued by cobalt chloride treatment, a HIF1α stabilizer, confirming a critical role of Rnd3 in stress-responsive angiogenesis. Furthermore, we generated Rnd3 transgenic mice and demonstrated that Rnd3 overexpression in heart had a cardioprotective effect through reserved cardiac function and preserved responsive angiogenesis after pressure overload. Finally, we assessed the expression levels of Rnd3 in the human heart and detected significant downregulation of Rnd3 in patients with end-stage heart failure. We concluded that Rnd3 acted as a novel proangiogenic factor involved in cardiac responsive angiogenesis through HIF1α-VEGFA signaling promotion. Rnd3 downregulation observed in patients with heart failure may explain the insufficient compensatory angiogenesis involved in the transition to heart failure.