title: Enhanced expression of p53 and apoptosis induced by blockade of the vacuolar proton ATPase in cardiomyocytes.
abstract: Activation of the vacuolar proton ATPase (VPATPase) has been implicated in the prevention of apoptosis in neutrophils and adult cardiac myocytes. To determine the role of the VPATPase in apoptosis of cardiac myocytes, we used a potent and specific inhibitor of the VPATPase, bafilomycin A1. Bafilomycin A1 alone caused increased DNA laddering of genomic DNA and increased nuclear staining for fragmented DNA in neonatal cardiomyocyte apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Intracellular acidification in cardiac myocytes was also observed after 18 h of bafilomycin A1 treatment. Accordingly, bafilomycin A1-treated myocytes also showed increased accumulation of p53 protein and p53-dependent transactivation of gene expression, including a persistent upregulation of p21/wild-type p53 activated fragment 1/cyclin kinase inhibitor protein-1 mRNA. The bafilomycin A1-induced increase in p53 protein levels was accompanied by a marked increase in p53 mRNA accumulation. In contrast, cardiac fibroblasts treated with bafilomycin A1 showed no change in p53 protein expression or pHi and did not undergo apoptosis even after 24 h of treatment. Our data suggest that blockade of the VPATPase induces apoptotic cell death of cardiac myocytes and that this may occur through a p53-mediated apoptotic pathway.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Gerontology Research Center, National Institutes of Ageing/National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Crow
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sollott
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Menees
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Lourdes Hipolito
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Boluyt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Lakatta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005347:Fibroblasts; D015870:Gene Expression; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D018942:Macrolides; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018942:Macrolides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C040929:bafilomycin A1; D004247:DNA; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)