title: The novel adipocytokine visfatin exerts direct cardioprotective effects.
abstract: Visfatin is an adipocytokine capable of mimicking the glucose-lowering effects of insulin and activating the pro-survival kinases phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 and 2 (MEK1/2)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (Erk 1/2). Experimental studies have demonstrated that the activation of these kinases confers cardioprotection through the inhibition of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Whether visfatin is capable of exerting direct cardioprotective effects through these mechanisms is unknown and is the subject of the current study. Anaesthetized C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to in situ 30 min. of regional myocardial ischaemia and 120 min. of reperfusion. The administration of an intravenous bolus of visfatin (5 x 10(-6) micromol) at the time of myocardial reperfusion reduced the myocardial infarct size from 46.1+/-4.1% in control hearts to 27.3+/-4.0% (n>or= 6/group, P<0.05), an effect that was blocked by the PI3K inhibitor, wortmannin, and the MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126 (48.8+/-5.5% and 45.9+/-8.4%, respectively, versus 27.3+/-4.0% with visfatin; n>or= 6/group, P<0.05). In murine ventricular cardiomyocytes subjected to 30 min. of hypoxia followed by 30 min. of reoxygenation, visfatin (100 ng/ml), administered at the time of reoxygenation, reduced the cell death from 65.2+/-4.6% in control to 49.2+/-3.7%(n>200 cells/group, P<0.05), an effect that was abrogated by wortmannin and U0126 (68.1+/-5.2% and 59.7+/-6.2%, respectively; n>200 cells/group, P>0.05). Finally, the treatment of murine ventricular cardiomyocytes with visfatin (100 ng/ml) delayed the opening of the mPTP induced by oxidative stress from 81.2+/-4 sec. in control to 120+/-7 sec. (n>20 cells/group, P<0.05) in a PI3K- and MEK1/2-dependent manner. We report that the adipocytokine, visfatin, is capable of reducing myocardial injury when administered at the time of myocardial reperfusion in both the in situ murine heart and the isolated murine cardiomyocytes. The mechanism appears to involve the PI3K and MEK1/2 pathways and the mPTP.
authors.affiliation: The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, University College London Hospital and Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shiang Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Ajeev J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Paramanathan
authors.forename: Christopher C T
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Derek M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Yellon
authors.forename: Derek J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hausenloy
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D000077191:Wortmannin
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D000730:Androstadienes; D002070:Butadienes; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; D009570:Nitriles; D010100:Oxygen; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000077191:Wortmannin; C113580:U 0126