In cardiomyocyte hypoxia, insulin-like growth factor-I-induced antiapoptotic signaling requires phosphatidylinositol-3-OH-kinase-dependent and mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent activation of the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein.
BACKGROUND
A variety of pathologic stimuli lead to apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Survival factors like insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) exert anti-apoptotic effects in the heart. Yet the underlying signaling pathways are poorly understood.


RESULTS
In a model of hypoxia-induced apoptosis of cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes, IGF-I prevented cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Antiapoptotic signals induced by IGF-I are mediated by more than one signaling pathway, because pharmacological inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH-kinase (PI3K) or the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK1) signaling pathway both antagonize the protective effect of IGF-I in an additive manner. IGF-I-stimulation was followed by a PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of AKT and BAD and an MEK1-dependent phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and ERK2. IGF-I also induced phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in a PI3K- and MEK1-dependent manner. Ectopic overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant of CREB abolished the antiapoptotic effect of IGF-I. Protein levels of the antiapoptotic factor bcl-2 increased after longer periods of IGF-I-stimulation, which could be reversed by pharmacological inhibition of PI3K as well as MEK1 and also by overexpression of dominant-negative CREB.


CONCLUSIONS
In summary, our data demonstrate that in cardiomyocytes, the antiapoptotic effect of IGF-I requires both PI3K- and MEK1-dependent pathways leading to the activation of the transcription factor CREB, which then induces the expression of the antiapoptotic factor bcl-2.
Mehrhof
F B
FB
Department of Cardiology, Franz Volhard Clinic, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany.
Müller
F U
FU
Bergmann
M W
MW
Li
P
P
Wang
Y
Y
Schmitz
W
W
Dietz
R
R
von Harsdorf
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014162:Transfection; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; C494821:Bad protein, rat; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat