title: Interleukin-18 is a pro-hypertrophic cytokine that acts through a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1-Akt-GATA4 signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes.
abstract: In patients with congestive heart failure, high serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-18 were reported. A positive correlation was described between serum IL-18 levels and the disease severity. IL-18 has also been shown to induce atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) gene expression in adult cardiomyocytes. Because re-expression of the fetal gene ANF is mostly associated with hypertrophy, a hallmark of heart failure, we hypothesized that IL-18 induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Treatment of the cardiomyocyte cell line HL-1 with IL-18 induced hypertrophy as characterized by increases in protein synthesis, phosphorylated p70 S6 kinase, and ribosomal S6 protein levels as well as cell surface area. Furthermore, IL-18 induced ANF gene transcription in a time-dependent manner as evidenced by increased ANF secretion and ANF promoter-driven reporter gene activity. Investigation into possible signal transduction pathways mediating IL-18 effects revealed that IL-18 activates phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), an effect that was blocked by wortmannin and LY-294002. IL-18 induced Akt phosphorylation and stimulated its activity, effects that were abolished by Akt inhibitor or knockdown. IL-18 stimulated GATA4 DNA binding activity and increased transcription of a reporter gene driven by multimerized GATA4-binding DNA elements. Pharmacological inhibition or knockdown studies revealed that IL-18 induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and ANF gene transcription via PI3K, PDK1, Akt, and GATA4. Most importantly, IL-18 induced ANF gene transcription and hypertrophy of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes via PI3K-, Akt-, and GATA4-dependent signaling. Together these data provide the first evidence that IL-18 induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via PI3K-dependent signaling, defines a mechanism of IL-18-mediated ANF gene transcription, and further supports a role for IL-18 in inflammatory heart diseases including heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA. chanraseka@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Bysani
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chandrasekar
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mummidi
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Claycomb
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mestril
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nemer
mesh_terms: D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007249:Inflammation; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D053727:Interleukin-18 Receptor alpha Subunit; D051379:Mice; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000378:metabolism; D053724:Receptors, Interleukin-18; D038762:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D000077191:Wortmannin
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D002867:Chromones; D016207:Cytokines; D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D020382:Interleukin-18; D053727:Interleukin-18 Receptor alpha Subunit; D009025:Morpholines; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D053724:Receptors, Interleukin-18; D038762:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000077191:Wortmannin; C508573:Il18r1 protein, mouse; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat