title: Ischemia-reperfusion injury and cardioprotection: investigating PTEN, the phosphatase that negatively regulates PI3K, using a congenital model of PTEN haploinsufficiency.
abstract: Activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway protects the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). The phosphatase PTEN is the main negative regulator of this pathway. We hypothesized that reduced PTEN levels could protect against IRI. Isolated perfused mouse hearts from PTEN(+/-) and their littermates PTEN(+/+) (WT), were subjected to 35 min global ischemia and 30 min reperfusion, with and without 2, 4 or 6 cycles ischemic preconditioning (IPC). The end point was infarct size, expressed as a percentage of the myocardium at risk (I/R%). PTEN and Akt levels were determined using Western blot analysis. Unexpectedly, there were no significant differences in infarction between PTEN(+/-) and WT (42.1 +/- 5.0% Vs. 45.6 +/- 3.3%). However, the preconditioning threshold was significantly reduced in the PTEN(+/-) Vs. WT, with 4 cycles of IPC being sufficient to reduce I/R%, compared to 6 cycles in the WT (4 cycles IPC: 29.8. +/- 3.69% in PTEN(+/-) Vs. 45.5. +/- 5.08% in WT, P < 0.01). In addition, the ratio between the phospho/total Akt (Ser473 and Thr308) was slightly but significantly increased in the PTEN(+/-) indicating an upregulation of PI3K/Akt pathway. Interestingly, the levels of the other phosphatases that may negatively regulate the PI3K/Akt pathway (PP2A, SHIP2 and PHLPP) were not significantly different between littermates and PTEN(+/-). In conclusion, PTEN haploinsufficiency alone does not induce cardioprotection in this model; however, it reduces the threshold of protection induced by IPC.
authors.affiliation: The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, University College London Hospital and Medical School, 67 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK.
authors.forename: Hilary K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Siddall
authors.forename: Clare E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Warrell
authors.forename: Derek M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Yellon
authors.forename: Mihaela M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mocanu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000502:physiology; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C487757:Pten protein, mouse