title: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis.
abstract: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that causes cardiac contractile dysfunction, whereas inactivation of MIF improves cardiac function in experimental animal models of sepsis. We used cultured cardiomyocytes to determine whether MIF-induced contractile dysfunction was mediated in part by myocyte apoptosis and to identify MIF-activated intracellular signaling pathways in this process. MIF treatment significantly increased myocyte apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner to 15.5+/-3.9% and 26.0+/-7.1% TUNEL positive nuclei (20 and 30 ng/ml MIF for 24h) vs control (3.7+/-0.9%). This effect was attenuated by inactivation of MIF with the chemical inhibitor, ISO-1. MIF-induced cleavage of caspase 3 and reduction of Bcl-xL/Bax were similarly attenuated by ISO-1 pre-treatment. MIF stimulated the rapid, transient phosphorylation of stress kinases, p38MAPK and JNK. Thus, MIF induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis by activating stress kinases and mitochondria-associated apoptotic mechanisms, whereas inactivation of MIF pro-inflammatory activity improves cardiomyocyte survival.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Schneider Children's Hospital, North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, 76th Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Preeta
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dhanantwari
authors.forename: Sumekala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nadaraj
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kenessey
authors.forename: Devyani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: Yousef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Al-Abed
authors.forename: Edmund J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Kaie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ojamaa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C462499:3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid methyl ester; D007555:Isoxazoles; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases