title: Mechanical stretch activates a pathway linked to mevalonate metabolism in cultured neonatal rat heart cells.
abstract: It is not certain whether activation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway is involved in cardiac hypertrophy. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, such as lovastatin, prevent farnesylation of the Ras protein, which is critical for Ras's membrane localization and function. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the role of the Ras pathway, which is linked to mevalonate metabolism, in the mechanism of stretch-induced myocyte hypertrophy. Myocytes isolated from 1- to 2-day-old rats were cultured at 4.1 x 10(6) cells per well in a deformable silicon dish and incubated with serum-free medium for 7 days. The cultures were stretched by 15% on culture day 4. Stretch increased the RNA/DNA ratio by 20% to 26% on culture days 5 and 6 and the protein/DNA ratio by 18% to 20% on culture days 6 and 7. Stretch accelerated rates of protein synthesis by 24% on culture day 6. Stretch increased protein kinase C (PKC) activity, MAP kinase activity, and c-fos mRNA expression. A selective PKC inhibitor, calphostin C (1 x 10(-6) M), prevented the stretch-induced increase in PKC activity, but lovastatin (7.5 x 10(-6) M) did not. Lovastatin as well as calphostin C partially but significantly inhibited the stretch-induced increases in MAP kinase activity, c-fos mRNA expression, and protein synthesis. Pretreatment with both lovastatin and calphostin C completely inhibited the increases in these variables caused by stretch. Lovastatin as well as calphostin C prevents stretch-induced cardiac hypertrophy. These results suggest that mechanical stretch may activate the Ras pathway, which is linked to mevalonate metabolism, in cultured neonatal rat heart cells.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haneda
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Osaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011506:Proteins / Q000187:drug effects; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D009281:Naphthalenes; D011506:Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008148:Lovastatin; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; C058819:calphostin C; D008798:Mevalonic Acid