scholarly journals Chronic Stress Promotes the Progression of Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction Through Inducing More Apoptosis and Fibrosis

2015 ◽  
pp. 325-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. LIU ◽  
X. WANG ◽  
Z. MEI ◽  
J. GONG ◽  
X. GAO ◽  
...  

Stress serves as a risk factor in the etiology of hypertension. The present study was designed to decipher the effect and mechanism of chronic stress on the progression of pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction. We used abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) to induce pressure overload with or without chronic restraint stress to establish the animal models. Echocardiographic analysis showed pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction was worsened by chronic stress. Compared with the AAC rats, there is a significant increase in cardiac hypertrophy, injury, apoptosis and fibrosis of the AAC + stress rats. Furthermore, we found the secretion of norepinephrine (NE) increased after the AAC operation, while the level of NE was higher in the AAC + stress group. Cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts isolated from neonatal rats were cultured and separately treated with 1, 10, 100 μM NE. The higher concentration NE induced more cardiomyocytes hypertrophy and apoptosis, cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and collagen expression. These results revealed that high level of NE-induced cardiomyocytes hypertrophy and apoptosis, cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and collagen expression further contributes to the effect of chronic stress on acceleration of pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction.

2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (16) ◽  
pp. 1855-1874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Li ◽  
Xiaoyi Zhang ◽  
Lu Li ◽  
Xiang Wang ◽  
Zhidan Chen ◽  
...  

By employing a proteomic analysis on supernatant of mechanically stretched cardiomyocytes, we found that stretch induced a significantly high level of β-2 microglobulin (β2M), a non-glycosylated protein, which is related to inflammatory diseases but rarely known in cardiovascular diseases. The present data showed that serum β2M level was increased in patients with hypertension and further increased in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) as compared with control group, and the high level of serum β2M level correlated to cardiac dysfunction in these patients. In pressure overload mice model by transverse aortic constriction (TAC), β2M levels in serum and heart tissue increased progressively in a time-dependent manner. Exogenous β2M showed pro-fibrotic effects in cultured cardiac fibroblasts but few effects in cardiomyocytes. Adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-mediated knockdown of β2M significantly reduced cardiac β2M level and inhibited myocardial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction but not cardiac hypertrophy at 4 weeks after TAC. In vitro, mechanical stretch induced the rapid secretion of β2M mainly from cardiomyocytes by activation of extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK). Conditional medium (CM) from mechanically stretched cardiomyocytes activated cultured cardiac fibroblasts, and the effect was partly abolished by CM from β2M-knockdown cardiomyocytes. In vivo, knockdown of β2M inhibited the increase in phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) induced by TAC. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts, inhibition of EGFR significantly attenuated the β2M-induced the activation of EGFR and pro-fibrotic responses. The present study suggests that β2M is a paracrine pro-fibrotic mediator and associated with cardiac dysfunction in response to pressure overload.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ling-Yan Yuan ◽  
Pei-Zhao Du ◽  
Min-Min Wei ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Le Lu ◽  
...  

Background. Aerobic exercise has been proven to have a positive effect on cardiac function after hypertension; however, the mechanism is not entirely clarified. Skeletal muscle mass and microcirculation are closely associated with blood pressure and cardiac function. Objective. This study was designed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on the skeletal muscle capillary and muscle mass, to explore the possible mechanisms involved in exercise-induced mitigation of cardiac dysfunction in pressure overload mice. Methods. In this study, 60 BALB/C mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into 3 groups: control (CON), TAC, and TAC plus exercise (TAE) group and utilized transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to establish hypertensive model; meanwhile, treadmill training is used for aerobic exercise. After 5 days of recovery, mice in the TAE group were subjected to 10-week aerobic exercise. Carotid pressure and cardiac function were examined before mice were executed by Millar catheter and ultrasound, respectively. Muscle mass of gastrocnemius was weighed; cross-sectional area and the number of capillaries of gastrocnemius were detected by HE and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The mRNA and protein levels of VEGF in skeletal muscle were determined by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Results. We found that ① 10-week aerobic exercise counteracted hypertension and attenuated cardiac dysfunction in TAC-induced hypertensive mice; ② TAC decreased muscle mass of gastrocnemius and resulted in muscle atrophy, while 10-week aerobic exercise could reserve transverse aortic constriction-induced the decline of muscle mass and muscle atrophy; and ③ TAC reduced the number of capillaries and the protein level of VEGF in gastrocnemius, whereas 10-week aerobic exercise augmented the number of capillaries, the mRNA and protein levels of VEGF in mice were subjected to TAC surgery. Conclusions. This study indicates that 10-week aerobic exercise might fulfill its blood pressure-lowering effect via improving skeletal muscle microcirculation and increasing muscle mass.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ding Xiaoli ◽  
Yuan Qingqing ◽  
Qian Haibing

Abstract Background: Myocardial hypertrophy occurs in many cardiovascular diseases. Leonurine (Leo) is commonly used for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, whether it can prevent cardiac hypertrophy is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of Leonurine (Leo) against pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy induced by abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) in rats. Methods: To answer this question, we prove it in the following way: Cardiac function was evaluated by hemodynamic; the left ventricle enlargement was measured by heart weight index (HWI) and left ventricular mass index (LVWI); myocardial tissue changes and myocardial cell diameter (MD) were determined by Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining; theβ-myosin heavy chain(β-MHC)and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), which are recognized as a marker of cardiac hypertrophy, were determined by Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), then another gene phospholipase C (PLC), inositol triphosphate (IP3), which associated with RAS were determined by Western blot(WB). angiotensin II (Ang II), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) were determined by ELISA, WB and qRT-PCR methods. Finally, we measured the level of Ca2+ by microplate method and the protooncogene c-fos and c-myc mRNA in left ventricular myocardium by qRT-PCR.Results: Compare with control group, Leonurine can improve systolic dysfunction; inhibit the increase of left cardiac; inhibit myocardial cells were abnormally large and restrain the changes of cardiac histopathology; decrease the expression of β-MHC, ANF, Ang II, AT1R, c-fos and c-myc mRNA and the protein levels of PLC, IP3, AngII and AT1R in left ventricular myocardium, in addition, the content of Ca2+ also decrease. Conclusion: Therefore, Leonurine can inhibit cardiac hypertrophy induced by AAC and its effects may be associated with RAS.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (30) ◽  
pp. E7129-E7138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinichiro Sunamura ◽  
Kimio Satoh ◽  
Ryo Kurosawa ◽  
Tomohiro Ohtsuki ◽  
Nobuhiro Kikuchi ◽  
...  

Although postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an important prognostic factor for patients with heart failure (HF), its pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. To elucidate the different roles of Rho-kinase isoforms, ROCK1 and ROCK2, in cardiomyocytes in response to chronic pressure overload, we performed transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in cardiac-specific ROCK1-deficient (cROCK1−/−) and ROCK2-deficient (cROCK2−/−) mice. Cardiomyocyte-specific ROCK1 deficiency promoted pressure-overload-induced cardiac dysfunction and postcapillary PH, whereas cardiomyocyte-specific ROCK2 deficiency showed opposite results. Histological analysis showed that pressure-overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis were enhanced in cROCK1−/− mice compared with controls, whereas cardiac hypertrophy was attenuated in cROCK2−/− mice after TAC. Consistently, the levels of oxidative stress were up-regulated in cROCK1−/− hearts and down-regulated in cROCK2−/− hearts compared with controls after TAC. Furthermore, cyclophilin A (CyPA) and basigin (Bsg), both of which augment oxidative stress, enhanced cardiac dysfunction and postcapillary PH in cROCK1−/− mice, whereas their expressions were significantly lower in cROCK2−/− mice. In clinical studies, plasma levels of CyPA were significantly increased in HF patients and were higher in patients with postcapillary PH compared with those without it. Finally, high-throughput screening demonstrated that celastrol, an antioxidant and antiinflammatory agent, reduced the expressions of CyPA and Bsg in the heart and the lung, ameliorating cardiac dysfunction and postcapillary PH induced by TAC. Thus, by differentially affecting CyPA and Bsg expressions, ROCK1 protects and ROCK2 jeopardizes the heart from pressure-overload HF with postcapillary PH, for which celastrol may be a promising agent.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (5) ◽  
pp. E569-E573
Author(s):  
P. K. Ganguly ◽  
K. Mukherjee ◽  
Y. Chen

The characteristics of dopamine receptors were studied in heart and kidney using the radiolabeled receptor assay of [3H]spiperone during the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (175-200 g) underwent abdominal aortic constriction above the renal arteries and were studied 3, 14, and 28 days thereafter. Sham-operated animals without aortic constriction were used as control. Although the ratio of left ventricular weight to total body weight was significantly increased 14 and 28 days after aortic constriction in animals, [3H]spiperone binding in left ventricular membrane was increased as early as 3 days after aortic constriction. At 14 days, the binding was still elevated and, by 28 days, it returned to control values. In contrast, membranes obtained from kidney cortex showed an elevation of [3H]spiperone binding only at 28 days after aortic constriction; at 3 days the binding values were decreased. A reciprocal correlation was found between the number of dopamine receptors and the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase at 28 days of aortic constriction; the enzyme activity, as measured by the release of 32Pi from [gamma-32P]ATP, was decreased in kidney cortex. Autoradiographic data also showed an increased number of dopamine receptors in kidney at 28 days after abdominal aortic constriction. These results suggest that the dopamine receptor is increased very early in heart in response to pressure overload as a result of a compensatory response to maintain an optimal left ventricular output. Kidney dopamine receptors are triggered at a later stage possibly to maintain fluid homeostasis secondary to the cardiac hypertrophic process.


2007 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 2024-2032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepa H. Kumbar ◽  
Andrew VanBergen ◽  
Catherina Ocampo ◽  
Sunthorn Muangmingsuk ◽  
Andrew J. Griffin ◽  
...  

DOC-2 (differentially expressed in ovarian carcinoma) is involved in Ras-, β-integrin-, PKC-, and transforming growth factor-β-mediated cell signaling. These pathways are implicated in the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins during progression of hypertrophy to heart failure; however, the role of DOC-2 in cardiac pathophysiology has never been examined. This study was undertaken to 1) analyze DOC-2 expression in primary cultures of cardiac fibroblasts and cardiac myocytes and in the heart following different types of hemodynamic overloads and 2) examine its role in growth factor-mediated ERK activation and collagen production. Pressure overload and volume overload were induced for 10 wk in Sprague-Dawley rats by aortic constriction and by aortocaval shunt, respectively. ANG II (0.3 mg·kg−1·day−1) was infused for 2 wk. Results showed that, compared with myocytes, DOC-2 was found abundantly expressed in cardiac fibroblasts. Treatment of cardiac fibroblasts with ANG II and TPA resulted in increased expression of DOC-2. Overexpression of DOC-2 in cardiac fibroblasts led to inhibition of hypertrophy agonist-stimulated ERK activation and collagen expression. An inverse correlation between collagen and DOC-2 was observed in in vivo models of cardiac hypertrophy; in pressure overload and after ANG II infusion, increased collagen mRNA correlated with reduced DOC-2 levels, whereas in volume overload increased DOC-2 levels were accompanied by unchanged collagen mRNA. These data for the first time describe expression of DOC-2 in the heart and demonstrate its modulation by growth-promoting agents in cultured cardiac fibroblasts and in in vivo models of heart hypertrophy. Results suggest a role of DOC-2 in cardiac remodeling involving collagen expression during chronic hemodynamic overload.


2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (8) ◽  
pp. H1147-H1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara N. Rindler ◽  
Valerie M. Lasko ◽  
Michelle L. Nieman ◽  
Motoi Okada ◽  
John N. Lorenz ◽  
...  

The α2-isoform of the Na,K-ATPase (α2) is the minor isoform of the Na,K-ATPase expressed in the cardiovascular system and is thought to play a critical role in the regulation of cardiovascular hemodynamics. However, the organ system/cell type expressing α2 that is required for this regulation has not been fully defined. The present study uses a heart-specific knockout of α2 to further define the tissue-specific role of α2 in the regulation of cardiovascular hemodynamics. To accomplish this, we developed a mouse model using the Cre/loxP system to generate a tissue-specific knockout of α2 in the heart using β-myosin heavy chain Cre. We have achieved a 90% knockout of α2 expression in the heart of the knockout mice. Interestingly, the heart-specific knockout mice exhibit normal basal cardiac function and systolic blood pressure, and in addition, these mice develop ACTH-induced hypertension in response to ACTH treatment similar to control mice. Surprisingly, the heart-specific knockout mice display delayed onset of cardiac dysfunction compared with control mice in response to pressure overload induced by transverse aortic constriction; however, the heart-specific knockout mice deteriorated to control levels by 9 wk post-transverse aortic constriction. These results suggest that heart expression of α2 does not play a role in the regulation of basal cardiovascular function or blood pressure; however, heart expression of α2 plays a role in the hypertrophic response to pressure overload. This study further emphasizes that the tissue localization of α2 determines its unique roles in the regulation of cardiovascular function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Deng ◽  
Lei-Lei Ma ◽  
Fei-Juan Kong ◽  
Zengyong Qiao

The transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model surgery is a widely used disease model to study pressure overload–induced cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in mice. The severity of adverse cardiac remodeling of the TAC model is largely dependent on the degree of constriction around the aorta, and the phenotypes of TAC are also different in different mouse strains. Few studies focus on directly comparing phenotypes of the TAC model with different degrees of constriction around the aorta, and no study compares the difference in C57BL/6N mice. In the present study, C57BL/6N mice aged 10 weeks were subjected to sham, 25G TAC, 26G TAC, and 27G TAC surgery for 4 weeks. We then analyzed the different phenotypes induced by 25G TAC, 26G TAC, and 27G TAC in c57BL/6N mice in terms of pressure gradient, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac function, heart failure situation, survival condition, and cardiac fibrosis. All C57BL/6N mice subjected to TAC surgery developed significantly hypertrophy. Mice subjected to 27G TAC had severe cardiac dysfunction, severe cardiac fibrosis, and exhibited characteristics of heart failure at 4 weeks post-TAC. Compared with 27G TAC mice, 26G TAC mice showed a much milder response in cardiac dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis compared to 27G TAC, and a very small fraction of the 26G TAC group exhibited characteristics of heart failure. There was no obvious cardiac dysfunction, cardiac fibrosis, and characteristics of heart failure observed in 25G TAC mice. Based on our results, we conclude that the 25G TAC, 26G TAC, and 27G TAC induced distinct phenotypes in C57BL/6N mice.


Cardiology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Ping Wang ◽  
Xiu-Hong Yang ◽  
Xiao-Jun Wang ◽  
Shu-Min Li ◽  
Na Sun ◽  
...  

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of erythropoietin (EPO) against myocardial fibrosis (MF). Methods: Pressure-overloaded rats were established by abdominal aortic constriction, the rats were randomly divided in a double-blind manner into 3 groups (n = 12 for each group): sham-operated rats (sham), operated rats receiving physiological saline (vehicle) and operated rats receiving 4,000 U/kg rhEPO (EPO group). The vehicle and drugs were administered to rats by intraperitoneal injection. In addition, cultured adult rat cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were utilized to investigate the role of EPO in CF proliferation and collagen secretion. Results: After 4 weeks, besides an increase in blood pressure, myocardial hypertrophy, collagen deposition in the myocardium and decreased cardiac function were observed in the pressure-overloaded rats. The expression of NADPH oxidase (Nox2 and Nox4) and inflammatory cytokines (CD45, F4/80 and MCP-1) was also significantly increased. All these alterations were prevented by EPO. TGF-ß promoted CF proliferation, collagen secretion, ROS production and Nox2/Nox4 expression, which was inhibited by EPO. In addition, the TGF-ß-induced increase of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and NF-κB expression were attenuated by EPO. Conclusion: EPO inhibited rat MF induced by pressure overload and improved myocardial function by decreasing CF proliferation and differentiation via inhibition of the NADPH-ERK-NF-κB pathway.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document