title: Differential hypertrophic effects of cardiotrophin-1 on adult cardiomyocytes from normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) produces longitudinal elongation of neonatal cardiomyocytes, but its effects in adult cardiomyocytes are not known. Recent observations indicate that CT-1 may be involved in pressure overload left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We investigated whether the hypertrophic effects of CT-1 are different in cardiomyocytes isolated from adult normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Hypertrophy was evaluated by planimetry and confocal microscopy, contractile proteins were quantified by Western blotting and real-time RT-PCR, and intracellular pathways were analyzed with specific chemical inhibitors. CT-1 increased c-fos and ANP expression (p<0.01) and cell area (p<0.01) in cardiomyocytes from both rat strains. In Wistar cells, CT-1 augmented cell length (p<0.01) but did not modify either the transverse diameter or cell depth. In SHR cells, CT-1 increased cell length (p<0.05), cell width (p<0.01) and cell depth, augmented the expression of myosin light chain-2v (MLC-2v) and skeletal alpha-actin (p<0.01) and enhanced MLC-2v phosphorylation (p<0.01). The blockade of gp130 or LIFR abolished CT-1-induced growth in the two cell types. All distinct effects observed in cardiomyocytes from SHR were mediated by STAT3. Baseline angiotensinogen expression was higher in SHR cells, and CT-1 induced a 1.7-fold and 3.2-fold increase of angiotensinogen mRNA in cardiomyocytes from Wistar rats and SHR respectively. In addition, AT1 blockade inhibited the specific effects of CT-1 in SHR cells. Finally, ex vivo determinations revealed that adult SHR exhibited enhanced myocardial CT-1 (mRNA and protein, p<0.01), increased cell width (p<0.01) and concentric LVH compared with pre-hypertensive SHR. These findings reveal a specific cell-broadening effect of CT-1 in cardiomyocytes from adult SHR and suggest that the hypertensive phenotype of these cells may influence the hypertrophic effects of CT-1, probably by means of an exaggerated induction of angiotensinogen expression. We suggest that CT-1 might facilitate LVH in genetic hypertension through a cross-talk with the renin-angiotensin system.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Centre for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Avda. Pio XII, 55. 31008, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Díez
authors.forename: María Antonia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fortuño
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003285:Contractile Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D003285:Contractile Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C092073:cardiotrophin 1