scholarly journals Enhancing Fatty Acids Oxidation via L-Carnitine Attenuates Obesity-Related Atrial Fibrillation and Structural Remodeling by Activating AMPK Signaling and Alleviating Cardiac Lipotoxicity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yudi Zhang ◽  
Yuping Fu ◽  
Tiannan Jiang ◽  
Binghua Liu ◽  
Hongke Sun ◽  
...  

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in clinical setting. Its pathogenesis was associated with metabolic disorder, especially defective fatty acids oxidation (FAO). However, whether promoting FAO could prevent AF occurrence and development remains elusive. In this study, we established a mouse model of obesity-related AF through high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, and used l-carnitine (LCA, 150 mg/kg⋅BW/d), an endogenous cofactor of carnitine palmitoyl-transferase-1B (CPT1B; the rate-limiting enzyme of FAO) to investigate whether FAO promotion can attenuate the AF susceptibility in obesity. All mice underwent electrophysiological assessment for atrial vulnerability, and echocardiography, histology and molecular evaluation for AF substrates and underlying mechanisms, which were further validated by pharmacological experiments in vitro. HFD-induced obese mice increased AF vulnerability and exhibited apparent atrial structural remodeling, including left atrial dilation, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, connexin-43 remodeling and fibrosis. Pathologically, HFD apparently leads to defective cardiac FAO and subsequent lipotoxicity, thereby evoking a set of pathological reactions including oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Enhancing FAO via LCA attenuated lipotoxicity and lipotoxicity-induced pathological changes in the atria of obese mice, resulting in restored structural remodeling and ameliorated AF susceptibility. Mechanistically, LCA activated AMPK/PGC1α signaling both in vivo and in vitro, and pharmacological inhibition of AMPK via Compound C attenuated LCA-induced cardio-protection in palmitate-treated primary atrial cardiomyocytes. Taken together, our results demonstrated that FAO promotion via LCA attenuated obesity-mediated AF and structural remodeling by activating AMPK signaling and alleviating atrial lipotoxicity. Thus, enhancing FAO may be a potential therapeutic target for AF.

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 1293-1306
Author(s):  
Shinji Kondo ◽  
Shin-ichi Adachi ◽  
Fumiaki Yoshizawa ◽  
Kazumi Yagasaki

Muscle is the largest tissue in our body and plays an important role in glucose homeostasis and hence diabetes. In the present study, we examined the effects of taxifolin (TXF) on glucose metabolism in cultured L6 muscle cells (myotubes) and in type 2 diabetic (T2D) model KK-Ay/Ta mice. TXF dose-dependently increased glucose uptake (GU) in L6 myotubes under the condition of insulin absence. This increase in GU was partially, but significantly canceled by TXF treatment in combination with either LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), which phosphorylates protein kinase B (Akt) or Compound C, an inhibitor of 5’-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, TXF was demonstrated to activate (=phosphorylate) both Akt and AMPK, and promote glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane from cytosol of L6 myotubes via both PI3K/Akt and AMPK signaling pathways. Based on these in vitro findings, we conducted an in vivo experiment in KK-Ay/Ta mice with hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, uric acid levels and an index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) increased significantly in the T2D model mice compared with normal ones. Such rises in the T2D state were significantly suppressed by oral administration of TXF for four weeks. These results suggest that TXF is a potent antihyperglycemic and antihyperuricemic phytochemical in the T2D state.


Diabetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 92-OR ◽  
Author(s):  
WEI HUANG ◽  
YONG XU ◽  
YOUHUA XU ◽  
LUPING ZHOU ◽  
CHENLIN GAO

Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf Talaat Youssef

The pandemic of COVID-19 had started in Wuhan city china in late 2019 with a subsequent worldwide spread. The viral infection can seriousely affect multiple organs mainly lungs, kidneys, heart, liver and brain and may lead to respiratory, renal, cardiac or hepatic failure.Vascular thrombosis of unexplained mechanism that may lead to widespread blood clots in multiple organs and cytokine storms that result of overstimulation of the immune system subsequent of lung damage may lead to sudden decompensation due to hypotension and more damage to liver, kidney, brain or lungs.Until now no drug had proved efficient in getting rid of the problem and controlling the pandemic mainly depends on preventive measures.Many preventive measures can be considered to prevent the worldwide spread of viral transmission. Polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids (PUFAs) and the medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCSFAs) and their corresponding monoglycerides had high antiviral activities against the enveloped viruses which reach to more than 10,000 -fold reduction in the viral titres in vitro and in vivo after testing of its gastric aspirate, and can contribute to the systemic immunity against the enveloped viruses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
KyeongJin Kim ◽  
Jin Ku Kang ◽  
Young Hoon Jung ◽  
Sang Bae Lee ◽  
Raffaela Rametta ◽  
...  

AbstractIncreased adiposity confers risk for systemic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D), but mechanisms underlying this pathogenic inter-organ crosstalk are incompletely understood. We find PHLPP2 (PH domain and leucine rich repeat protein phosphatase 2), recently identified as the Akt Ser473 phosphatase, to be increased in adipocytes from obese mice. To identify the functional consequence of increased adipocyte PHLPP2 in obese mice, we generated adipocyte-specific PHLPP2 knockout (A-PHLPP2) mice. A-PHLPP2 mice show normal adiposity and glucose metabolism when fed a normal chow diet, but reduced adiposity and improved whole-body glucose tolerance as compared to Cre- controls with high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Notably, HFD-fed A-PHLPP2 mice show increased HSL phosphorylation, leading to increased lipolysis in vitro and in vivo. Mobilized adipocyte fatty acids are oxidized, leading to increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα)-dependent adiponectin secretion, which in turn increases hepatic fatty acid oxidation to ameliorate obesity-induced fatty liver. Consistently, adipose PHLPP2 expression is negatively correlated with serum adiponectin levels in obese humans. Overall, these data implicate an adipocyte PHLPP2-HSL-PPARα signaling axis to regulate systemic glucose and lipid homeostasis, and suggest that excess adipocyte PHLPP2 explains decreased adiponectin secretion and downstream metabolic consequence in obesity.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 805
Author(s):  
Christiane Ott ◽  
Tobias Jung ◽  
Sarah Brix ◽  
Cathleen John ◽  
Iris R. Betz ◽  
...  

Cardiac remodeling and contractile dysfunction are leading causes in hypertrophy-associated heart failure (HF), increasing with a population’s rising age. A hallmark of aged and diseased hearts is the accumulation of modified proteins caused by an impaired autophagy-lysosomal-pathway. Although, autophagy inducer rapamycin has been described to exert cardioprotective effects, it remains to be shown whether these effects can be attributed to improved cardiomyocyte autophagy and contractility. In vivo hypertrophy was induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC), with mice receiving daily rapamycin injections beginning six weeks after surgery for four weeks. Echocardiographic analysis demonstrated TAC-induced HF and protein analyses showed abundance of modified proteins in TAC-hearts after 10 weeks, both reduced by rapamycin. In vitro, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was mimicked by endothelin 1 (ET-1) and autophagy manipulated by silencing Atg5 in neonatal cardiomyocytes. ET-1 and siAtg5 decreased Atg5–Atg12 and LC3-II, increased natriuretic peptides, and decreased amplitude and early phase of contraction in cardiomyocytes, the latter two evaluated using ImageJ macro Myocyter recently developed by us. ET-1 further decreased cell contractility in control but not in siAtg5 cells. In conclusion, ET-1 decreased autophagy and cardiomyocyte contractility, in line with siAtg5-treated cells and the results of TAC-mice demonstrating a crucial role for autophagy in cardiomyocyte contractility and cardiac performance.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J Gonzalez-Gonzalez ◽  
Perike Srikanth ◽  
Andrielle E Capote ◽  
Alsina Katherina M ◽  
Benjamin Levin ◽  
...  

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia, with an estimated prevalence in the U.S.of 6.1 million. AF increases the risk of a thromboembolic stroke in five-fold. Although atrial hypocontractility contributes to stroke risk in AF, the molecular mechanisms reducing myofilament contractile function in AF remains unknown. We have recently identified protein phosphatase 1 subunit 12c (PPP1R12C) as a key molecule targeting myosin light-chain phosphorylation in AF. Objective: We hypothesize that the overexpression of PPP1R12C causes hypophosphorylation of atrial myosin light-chain 2 (MLC2a), thereby decreasing atrial contractility in AF. Methods and Results: Left and right atrial appendage tissues were isolated from AF patients versus sinus rhythm (SR). To evaluate the role of the PP1c-PPP1R12C interaction in MLC2a de-phosphorylation, we utilized Western blots, co-immunoprecipitation, and phosphorylation assays. In patients with AF, PPP1R12C expression was increased 3.5-fold versus SR controls with an 88% reduction in MLC2a phosphorylation. PPP1R12C-PP1c binding and PPP1R12C-MLC2a binding were significantly increased in AF. In vitro studies of either pharmacologic (BDP5290) or genetic (T560A), PPP1R12C activation demonstrated increased PPP1R12C binding with both PP1c and MLC2a, and dephosphorylation of MLC2a. Additionally, to evaluate the role of PPP1R12C expression in cardiac function, mice with lentiviral cardiac-specific overexpression of PPP1R12C (Lenti-12C) were evaluated for atrial contractility using echocardiography, versus wild-type and Lenti-controls. Lenti-12C mice demonstrated a 150% increase in left atrium size versus controls, with reduced atrial strain and atrial ejection fraction. Also, programmed electrical stimulation was performed to evaluate AF inducibility in vivo. Pacing-induced AF in Lenti-12C mice was significantly higher than controls. Conclusion: The overexpression of PPP1R12C increases PP1c targeting to MLC2a and provokes dephosphorylation, associated with a reduction in atrial contractility and an increase in AF inducibility. All these discoveries suggest that PP1 regulation of sarcomere function at MLC2a is a main regulator of atrial contractility in AF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 129 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J Gonzalez-Gonzalez ◽  
Srikanth Perike ◽  
Frederick Damen ◽  
Andrielle Capote ◽  
Katherina M Alsina ◽  
...  

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF), is the most common sustained arrhythmia, with an estimated prevalence in the U.S. of 2.7 million to 6.1 million and is predictive to increase to 12.1 million in 2030. AF increases the chances of a thromboembolic stroke in five-fold. Although atrial hypocontractility contributes to stroke risk in AF, the molecular mechanisms reducing myofilament contractile function in AF remains unknown. Objective: The overexpression of PPP1R12C, causes hypophosphorylation of atrial myosin light chain 2 (MLC2a), decreasing atrial contractility. Methods and Results: Left and right atrial appendage tissues were isolated from AF patients versus sinus rhythm (SR). To evaluated the role of PP1c-PPP1R12C interaction in MLC2a de-phosphorylation we used Western blots, coimmunoprecipitation, and phosphorylation assays. In patients with AF, PPP1R12C expression was increased 3.5-fold versus SR controls with an 88% reduction in MLC2a phosphorylation. PPP1R12C-PP1c binding and PPP1R12C-MLC2a binding were significantly increased in AF. In vitro studies of either pharmacologic (BDP5290) or genetic (T560A) PPP1R12C activation demonstrated increased PPP1R12C binding with both PP1c and MLC2a, and dephosphorylation of MLC2a. Additionally, to evaluate the role of PPP1R12C expression in cardiac function, mice with lentiviral cardiac-specific overexpression of PPP1R12C (Lenti-12C) were evaluated for atrial contractility using echocardiography, versus wild-type and Lenti-controls. Lenti-12C mice demonstrated a 150% increase in left atrium size versus controls, with reduced atrial strain and atrial ejection fraction. Also, programmed electrical stimulation was performed to evaluate AF inducibility in vivo. Pacing-induced AF in Lenti-12C mice was significantly higher than controls. Conclusion: The Overexpression of PPP1R12C increases PP1c targeting to MLC2a and provokes dephosphorylation, that cause a reduction in atrial contractility and increases AF inducibility. All these discoveries advocate that PP1 regulation of sarcomere function at MLC2a is a main regulator of atrial contractility in AF.


Hypertension ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastian Spallek ◽  
Christina Westphal ◽  
Anne Konkel ◽  
Gerd Wallukat ◽  
Darryl C Zeldin ◽  
...  

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in man. Small animal models of AF are rare, limiting the opportunities of mechanistic studies and of evaluating novel treatment strategies. We found that mice can be rendered susceptible to AF by chronic ß-adrenergic stimulation and used this model to test the hypothesis that dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and endogenously produced cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent epoxyeicosanoids protect against AF. Our study included male wild type C57BL/6 mice given either normal chow (WT-n6-group) or a diet supplemented with n-3 PUFAs (2.5% EPA/DHA added to normal chow; WT-n3-group), as well as transgenic littermates with cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of the human epoxygenase CYP2J2 (CYP-n6 group). All animal groups received 40mg/kg/d of isoproterenol (ISO) or vehicle over 14 days via osmotic mini-pumps. AF induction was tested in vivo by programmed electrical stimulation (PES) and reached 48% (13 of 27 protocols) in ISO-treated WT-n6, compared to 9% (2 of 22) in the vehicle group. ISO-treated WT-n6 mice also featured increased atrial fibrosis, decreased atrial connexin-40 expression, and significantly reduced atrial refractoriness (AERP: 13.1±0.5 vs. 21.7±0.9 ms in vehicle-infused controls). Ventricular refractoriness remained unchanged and ventricular arrhythmias were not inducible. EPA/DHA-supplementation as well as CYP2J2 overexpression significantly reduced ISO-stimulated AF inducibility to 17% (5 of 30 in WT-n3, and 4 of 24 in CYP-n6), decreased atrial fibrosis, and partially prevented connexin-40 down-regulation and AERP reduction (16,1±0,9 in WT-n3 and 17.5±0.5 ms in CYP-n6). Finally, we tested the antiarrhythmic potential of a synthetic analog of 17,18-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (17,18-EEQ), an EPA metabolite predominantly produced by CYP2J2 and other epoxygenases. Acute i.v. injection of the 17,18-EEQ compound decreased AF inducibility in ISO-stimulated WT-n6 mice from 67% (14 of 21 in vehicle control) to 33% (10 of 30) and also the mean duration of AF episodes. These results show that ISO-infusion allows establishing a suitable mouse model of AF and indicate an important role of CYP-dependent n-3 PUFA metabolites in preventing AF.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (4) ◽  
pp. E1062-E1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitor A. Lira ◽  
Quinlyn A. Soltow ◽  
Jodi H. D. Long ◽  
Jenna L. Betters ◽  
Jeff E. Sellman ◽  
...  

Nitric oxide (NO) and 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are involved in glucose transport and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle. Here, we examined whether NO regulates the expression of the major glucose transporter in muscle (GLUT4) and whether it influences AMPK-induced upregulation of GLUT4. At low levels, the NO donor S-nitroso- N-penicillamine (SNAP, 1 and 10 μM) significantly increased GLUT4 mRNA (∼3-fold; P < 0.05) in L6 myotubes, and cotreatment with the AMPK inhibitor compound C ablated this effect. The cGMP analog 8-bromo-cGMP (8-Br-cGMP, 2 mM) increased GLUT4 mRNA by ∼50% ( P < 0.05). GLUT4 protein expression was elevated 40% by 2 days treatment with 8-Br-cGMP, whereas 6 days treatment with 10 μM SNAP increased GLUT4 expression by 65%. Cotreatment of cultures with the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one prevented the SNAP-induced increase in GLUT4 protein. SNAP (10 μM) also induced significant phosphorylation of α-AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase and translocation of phosphorylated α-AMPK to the nucleus. Furthermore, L6 myotubes exposed to 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR) for 16 h presented an approximately ninefold increase in GLUT4 mRNA, whereas cotreatment with the non-isoform-specific NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, prevented ∼70% of this effect. In vivo, GLUT4 mRNA was increased 1.8-fold in the rat plantaris muscle 12 h after AICAR injection, and this induction was reduced by ∼50% in animals cotreated with the neuronal and inducible nitric oxide synthases selective inhibitor 1-(2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-imidazole. We conclude that, in skeletal muscle, NO increases GLUT4 expression via a cGMP- and AMPK-dependent mechanism. The data are consistent with a role for NO in the regulation of AMPK, possibly via control of cellular activity of AMPK kinases and/or AMPK phosphatases.


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