Adriamycin causes in vivo cardiac myocyte apoptosis

Increased sympathetic nerve activity to the myocardium is a central feature in patients with heart failure. Accumulation of catecholamines plays an important role in the pathogenesis of heart disease. Acting via β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR), catecholamines (norepinephrine and isoproterenol) increase cardiac myocyte apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, β1-AR and β2-AR coupled to Gαs exert a proapoptotic action, while β2-AR coupled to Gi exerts an antiapoptotic action. β1 integrin signaling protects cardiac myocytes against β-AR-stimulated apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Interaction of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) with β1 integrins interferes with the survival signals initiated by β1 integrins. This paper will discuss background information on β-AR and integrin signaling and summarize the role of β1 integrins in β-AR-stimulated cardiac myocyte apoptosis.

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Blockade of MyD88 attenuates cardiac hypertrophy and decreases cardiac myocyte apoptosis in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in vivo

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.00720.2005 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 290 (3) ◽

pp. H985-H994 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Tuanzhu Ha ◽

Fang Hua ◽

Yuehua Li ◽

Jing Ma ◽

Xiang Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiac Hypertrophy ◽

Cardiac Function ◽

Cardiac Myocyte ◽

Pressure Overload ◽

Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase ◽

Heart Weight ◽

Aortic Banding ◽

Myocyte Apoptosis ◽

Cardiac Myocyte Apoptosis

In this study, we evaluated whether blocking myeloid differentiation factor-88 (MyD88) could decrease cardiac myocyte apoptosis following pressure overload. Adenovirus expressing dominant negative MyD88 (Ad5-dnMyD88) or Ad5-green fluorescent protein (GFP) (Ad5-GFP) was transfected into rat hearts ( n = 8/group) immediately followed by aortic banding for 3 wk. One group of rats ( n = 8) was subjected to aortic banding for 3 wk without transfection. Sham surgical operation ( n = 8) served as control. The ratios of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW) and heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL) were calculated. Cardiomyocyte size was examined by FITC-labeled wheat germ agglutinin staining of membranes. Cardiac myocyte apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay, and myocardial interstitial fibrosis was examined by Masson's Trichrome staining. Aortic banding significantly increased the HW/BW by 41.0% (0.44 ± 0.013 vs. 0.31 ± 0.008), HW/TL by 47.2% (42.7 ± 1.30 vs. 29.0 ± 0.69), cardiac myocyte size by 49.6%, and cardiac myocyte apoptosis by 11.5%, and myocardial fibrosis and decreased cardiac function compared with sham controls. Transfection of Ad5-dnMyD88 significantly reduced the HW/BW by 18.2% (0.36 ± 0.006 vs. 0.44 ± 0.013) and HW/TL by 22.3% (33.2 ± 0.95 vs. 42.7 ± 1.30) and decreased cardiomyocyte size by 56.8%, cardiac myocyte apoptosis by 76.2%, as well as fibrosis, and improved cardiac function compared with aortic-banded group. Our results suggest that MyD88 is an important component in the Toll-like receptor-4-mediated nuclear factor-κB activation pathway that contributes to the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Blockade of MyD88 significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac myocyte apoptosis, and improved cardiac function in vivo.

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Burn plasma mediates cardiac myocyte apoptosis via endotoxin

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.00393.2001 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 282 (5) ◽

pp. H1907-H1914 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Deborah L. Carlson ◽

Ellis Lightfoot ◽

Debora D. Bryant ◽

Sandra B. Haudek ◽

David Maass ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Culture ◽

Caspase 3 ◽

Cardiac Myocyte ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Apoptotic Effect ◽

Myocyte Apoptosis ◽

Cardiac Myocyte Apoptosis ◽

Factor Α

Thermal trauma is associated with cardiac myocyte apoptosis in vivo. To determine whether cardiac myocyte apoptosis could be secondary to burn-induced cytokines or inflammatory mediators, we investigated the effects of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and burn plasma on a murine cardiac myocyte cell line and primary culture myocytes. HL-1 cells were exposed to plasma isolated from burned or sham rats. Burn, but not sham plasma, induced significant increases in caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation. Similar results were obtained in primary culture rat myocytes. A dose-dependent increase in caspase-3 activity was observed when HL-1 cells were incubated with increasing concentrations of TNF-α. Even though TNF-α increased apoptosis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected no TNF-α in burn plasma. Burn plasma also failed to induce TNF-α mRNA, eliminating an autocrine mechanism of TNF-α secretion and binding. Also, treatment of burn plasma containing rhuTNFR:Fc failed to inhibit apoptosis. To examine the possibility that endotoxin within burn plasma might account for the apoptotic effect, burn plasma was preincubated with rBPI21. Caspase-3 activity was reduced to control levels. These data indicate that burn plasma induces apoptosis in cardiac myocytes via an endotoxin-dependent mechanism and suggest that systemic inhibition of endotoxin may provide a therapeutic approach for treatment of burn-associated cardiac dysfunction.

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