Myocyte Hypertrophy (myocyte + hypertrophy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


AMP-activated protein kinase: a core signalling pathway in the heart

ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 1 2009
A. S. Kim
Abstract Over the past decade, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has emerged as an important intracellular signalling pathway in the heart. Activated AMPK stimulates the production of ATP by regulating key steps in both glucose and fatty acid metabolism. It has an inhibitory effect on cardiac protein synthesis. AMPK also interacts with additional intracellular signalling pathways in a coordinated network that modulates essential cellular processes in the heart. Evidence is accumulating that AMPK may protect the heart from ischaemic injury and limit the development of cardiac myocyte hypertrophy to various stimuli. Heart AMPK is activated by hormones, cytokines and oral hypoglycaemic drugs that are used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The tumour suppressor LKB1 is the major regulator of AMPK activity, but additional upstream kinases and protein phosphatases also contribute. Mutations in the regulatory ,2 subunit of AMPK lead to an inherited syndrome of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and ventricular pre-excitation, which appears to be due to intracellular glycogen accumulation. Future research promises to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for AMPK activation, novel downstream AMPK targets, and the therapeutic potential of targeting AMPK for the prevention and treatment of myocardial ischaemia or cardiac hypertrophy. [source]


Heme oxygenase-1 gene transfer inhibits angiotensin II-mediated rat cardiac myocyte apoptosis but not hypertrophy,

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
Roger S.Y. Foo
Cardiac myocyte apoptosis underlies the pathophysiology of cardiomyopathy, and plays a critical role in the transition from myocardial hypertrophy to heart failure. Angiotensin II (Ang II) induces cardiac myocyte apoptosis and hypertrophy which contribute to heart failure possibly through enhanced oxidative stress; however, the mechanisms underlying the activation of both pathways and their interactions remain unclear. In the present study, we have investigated whether overexpression of the antioxidant protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protects against apoptosis and hypertrophy in cultured rat cardiac myocytes treated with Ang II. Our findings demonstrate that Ang II (100 nM, 24 h) alone upregulates HO-1 expression and induces both myocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis, assessed by measuring terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) staining, caspase-3 activity and mitochondrial membrane potential. Ang II elicited apoptosis was augmented in the presence of tin protoporphyrin, an inhibitor of HO activity, while HO-1 gene transfer to myocytes attenuated Ang II-mediated apoptosis but not hypertrophy. Adenoviral overexpression of HO-1 was accompanied by a significant increase in Ang II induced phosphorylation of Akt, however, Ang II-mediated p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation was attenuated. Inhibition of phosphotidylinositol-3-kinase enhanced myocyte apoptosis elicited by Ang II, however, p38MAPK inhibition had no effect, suggesting that overexpression of HO-1 protects myocytes via augmented Akt activation and not through modulation of p38MAPK activation. Our findings identify the signalling pathways by which HO-1 gene transfer protects against apoptosis and suggest that overexpression of HO-1 in cardiomyopathies may delay the transition from myocyte hypertrophy to heart failure. J. Cell. Physiol. 209: 1,7, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Adrenergic regulation of cardiac myocyte apoptosis

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2001
Krishna Singh
The direct effects of catecholamines on cardiac myocytes may contribute to both normal physiologic adaptation and pathologic remodeling, and may be associated with cellular hypertrophy, apoptosis, and alterations in contractile function. Norepinephrine (NE) signals via ,- and ,-adrenergic receptors (AR) that are coupled to G-proteins. Pharmacologic studies of cardiac myocytes in vitro demonstrate that stimulation of ,1 -AR induces apoptosis which is cAMP-dependent and involves the voltage-dependent calcium influx channel. In contrast, stimulation of ,2 -AR exerts an anti-apoptotic effect which appears to be mediated by a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Stimulation of ,1 -AR causes myocyte hypertrophy and may exert an anti-apoptotic action. In transgenic mice, myocardial overexpression of either ,1 -AR or G,s is associated with myocyte apoptosis and the development of dilated cardiomyopathy. Myocardial overexpression of ,2 -AR at low levels results in improved cardiac function, whereas expression at high levels leads to dilated cardiomyopathy. Overexpression of wildtype ,1B -AR does not result in apoptosis, whereas overexpression of G,q results in myocyte hypertrophy and/or apoptosis depending on the level of expression. Differential activation of the members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) superfamily and production of reactive oxygen species appear to play a key role in mediating the actions of adrenergic pathways on myocyte apoptosis and hypertrophy. This review summarizes current knowledge about the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the regulation of cardiac myocyte apoptosis via stimulation of adrenergic receptors and their coupled effector pathways. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Differential Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases 1 and 2 Activation by the Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Supports Distinct Phenotypes of Cardiac Myocytes

BASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
Mark Aplin
The biological importance of this, however, remains obscure. Application of the modified analogue [Sar1, Ile4, Ile8]-AngII ([SII] AngII) allowed us to dissect the two pathways of ERK1/2 activation in native cardiac myocytes. Although cytosol-retained, the ,-arrestin2-bound pool of ERK1/2 represents an active signalling component that phosphorylates p90 Ribosomal S6 Kinase, a ubiquitous and versatile mediator of ERK1/2 signal transduction. Moreover, the ,-arrestin2-dependent ERK1/2 signal supports intact proliferation of cardiac myocytes. In contrast to Gq -activated ERK1/2, and in keeping with its failure to translocate to the nucleus, the ,-arrestin2-scaffolded pool of ERK1/2 does not phosphorylate the transcription factor Elk-1, induces no increased transcription of the immediate-early gene c-Fos, and does not entail myocyte hypertrophy. These results clearly demonstrate the biological significance of differential signalling by the AT1R. The opportunity to separate desirable cardiac myocyte division from detrimental hypertrophy holds promise that novel pharmacological approaches will allow targeting of pathway-specific actions. [source]


Downregulation of survival signalling pathways and increased apoptosis in the transition of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 11 2009
Xiao-Mei Li
Summary 1.,Transition from compensated left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy to decompensated heart failure was characterized using a pressure-overload induced model to elucidate the temporal relationship between cardiomyocyte apoptosis and survival signalling in this transition. 2.,Mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) or sham operation for 1,16 weeks and were studied by echocardiography, catheterization and histology. Relevant gene expression and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3, were determined. 3.,Transverse aortic constriction resulted in myocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis from Week 4 and a progressive increase in left ventricular (LV) dimensions and wall thicknesses with maintained contractile function by Week 12. However, a sharp decline in contractile function and elevated LV end-diastolic pressure from 12 to 16 weeks were observed after TAC, indicating functional decompensation. 4.,Following TAC, mRNA levels of atrial natriuretic peptide, B-type natriuretic peptide, ,-myosin heavy chain (MHC) and transforming growth factor-,1 were increased time dependently, whereas mRNA expression of ,-MHC, sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2a and Bcl-2 were decreased. The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased and this was consistent with progressively increased myocyte apoptosis demonstrated by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP,digoxigenin nick end-labelling staining. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was increased by Week 4, but decreased thereafter. Levels of phosphorylated Akt declined from Week 8, whereas GSK3, phosphorylation increased from 1 to 8 weeks, then decreased from Week 12 after TAC. 5.,In conclusion, TAC resulted in early concentric and late eccentric hypertrophy with eventual development of LV dysfunction. This transition was temporally associated with a progressive increase in cell size, fibrosis and myocyte apoptosis. Downregulation of ERK1/2, Akt and GSK3, and enhanced cardiomyocyte apoptosis are implicated as important mechanisms in the transition from compensated hypertrophy to heart failure. [source]


DOPAMINE D2 RECEPTOR STIMULATION INHIBITS ANGIOTENSIN II-INDUCED HYPERTROPHY IN CULTURED NEONATAL RAT VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
Hong Li
SUMMARY 1Myocardial hypertrophy is a common pathological change that accompanies cardiovascular disease. Dopamine D2 receptors have been demonstrated in cardiovascular tissues. However, the pathophysiological involvement of D2 receptors in myocardial hypertrophy is unclear. Therefore, the effects of the D2 receptor agonist bromocriptine and the D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol on angiotensin (Ang) II- or endothelin (ET)-1-induced hypertrophy of cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes were investigated in the present study. 2Protein content and protein synthesis, determined by examining [3H]-leucine uptake, were used as estimates of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The expression of D2 receptor protein in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes was determined using western blotting. Changes in [Ca2+]i in cardiomyocytes were observed by laser scanning confocal microscopy. 3Angiotensin II and ET-1, both at 10 nmol/L, induced myocyte hypertrophy, as demonstrated by increased protein content and synthesis, [Ca2+]i levels, protein kinase C (PKC) activity and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 (p38). Concomitant treatment of cells with 10 nmol/L AngII plus 10 µmol/L bromocriptine significantly inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, MAPK phosphorylation and PKC activity in the membrane, as well as [Ca2+]i signalling pathways, compared with the effects of AngII alone. In addition, 10 µmol/L bromocriptine significantly inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by 10 nmol/L ET-1. However, pretreatment with haloperidol (10 µmol/L) had no significant effects on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by either AngII or ET-1. 4In conclusion, D2 receptor stimulation inhibits AngII-induced hypertrophy of cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes via inhibition of MAPK, PKC and [Ca2+]i signalling pathways. [source]


Transforming growth factor ,1 genotype and change in left ventricular mass during antihypertensive treatment,results from the swedish irbesartan left ventricular hypertrophy investigation versus atenolol (Silvhia)

CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
Pär Hallberg M.D.
Abstract Background: Angiotensin II, via the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor, may mediate myocardial fibrosis and myocyte hypertrophy seen in hypertensive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy through production of transforming growth factor ,1(TGF-,1); AT1-receptor antagonists reverse these changes. The TGF-(,1 G + 915C polymorphism is associated with in-terindividual variation in TGF- ,1 production. No study has yet determined the impact of this polymorphism on the response to antihypertensive treatment. Hypothesis: We aimed to determine whether the TGF- ,1 G + 915C polymorphism was related to change in LV mass during antihypertensive treatment with either an AT1 -receptor antagonists or a beta1 -adrenoceptor blocker. The polymorphism was hypothesized to have an impact mainly on the irbesartan group. Methods: We determined the association between the TGF-,1 genotype and regression of LV mass in 90 patients with essential hypertension and echocardiographically diagnosed LV hypertrophy, randomized in a double-blind study to receive treatment for 48 weeks with either the AT1 -receptor antagonist irbesartan or the beta1 -adrenoceptor blocker atenolol. Results: Irbesartan-treated patients who were carriers of the C-allele, which is associated with low expression of TGF-,1, responded with a markedly greater decrease in LV mass index (LVMI) than subjects with the G/G genotype (adjusted mean change in LVMI ,44.7 g/m2 vs. ,22.2 g/m2, p = 0.007), independent of blood pressure reduction. No association between genotype and change in LVMI was observed in the atenolol group. Conclusions: The TGF- ,1 G + 915C polymorphism is related to the change in LVMI in response to antihypertensive treatment with the AT1 -receptor antagonist irbesartan. [source]