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J Am Coll Cardiol, 2007; 49:491-499, doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2006.10.043
(Published online 11 January 2007). © 2007 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation |
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,*
* Cardiology Section, Department of Medicine, V.A. San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
Manuscript received November 1, 2005; revised manuscript received August 31, 2006, accepted September 1, 2006.
* Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Wilbur Y. W. Lew, Cardiology Section 111A, V. A. San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, California 92161. (Email: wlew{at}ucsd.edu).
OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a proximate cause of inflammation, activates calcineurin in cardiac myocytes and if calcineurin regulates apoptosis in this setting.
BACKGROUND: Calcineurin regulates myocardial growth and hypertrophy, but its role in inflammation is unknown. Calcineurin has proapoptotic or antiapoptotic effects depending on the stimuli.
METHODS: Calcineurin activity was measured in left ventricular myocytes from adult Sprague Dawley rats. Cardiac apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling staining and caspase-3 activity after in vitro and in vivo exposure to LPS.
RESULTS: Lipopolysaccharide increased calcineurin activity in myocytes over 1 to 24 h (t 1/2 = 4.8 h) with an EC50 of 0.80 ng/ml LPS (p < 0.05, n = 4). The LPS (10 ng/ml) effects were mimicked by angiotensin II (Ang II) (100 nmol/l); both increased calcineurin activity and induced apoptosis without additive effects (p < 0.05, n = 5 to 9). Lipopolysaccharide and/or Ang II effects were prevented by 1 h pre-treatment with an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker (losartan, 1 µmol/l), calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporin A, 0.5 µmol/l), calcium chelator (1,2-Bis(2-amino-5-fluorophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis(acetoxymethyl) ester, 0.1 µmol/l), or by inhibiting sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca)-ATPase (thapsigargin, 1 µmol/l) or SR calcium release channel (ryanodine, 1 µmol/l). Left ventricular apoptosis increased from 4 to 24 h after LPS (1 mg/kg intravenously) in vivo, but not in rats pre-treated with cyclosporin A (20 mg/kg/day subcutaneously) for 3 days (p < 0.05, n = 5).
CONCLUSIONS: In cardiac myocytes, LPS activates calcineurin in association with apoptosis by Ang II and SR calcium-dependent mechanisms. This expands the paradigm for cardiac calcineurin to be activated by low levels of LPS in inflammation and chronic conditions (e.g., infections, smoking, and heart failure).
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