The Ca(v)3.2 T-type Ca(2+) channel is required for pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice.
Voltage-gated T-type Ca(2+) channels (T-channels) are normally expressed during embryonic development in ventricular myocytes but are undetectable in adult ventricular myocytes. Interestingly, T-channels are reexpressed in hypertrophied or failing hearts. It is unclear whether T-channels play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy and what the mechanism might be. Here we show that the alpha(1H) voltage-gated T-type Ca(2+) channel (Ca(v)3.2) is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy via the activation of calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) pathway. Specifically, pressure overload-induced hypertrophy was severely suppressed in mice deficient for Ca(v)3.2 (Ca(v)3.2(-/-)) but not in mice deficient for Ca(v)3.1 (Ca(v)3.1(-/-)). Angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy was also suppressed in Ca(v)3.2(-/-) mice. Consistent with these findings, cultured neonatal myocytes isolated from Ca(v)3.2(-/-) mice fail to respond hypertrophic stimulation by treatment with angiotensin II. Together, these results demonstrate the importance of Ca(v)3.2 in the development of cardiac hypertrophy both in vitro and in vivo. To test whether Ca(v)3.2 mediates the hypertrophic response through the calcineurin/NFAT pathway, we generated Ca(v)3.2(-/-), NFAT-luciferase reporter mice and showed that NFAT-luciferase reporter activity failed to increase after pressure overload in the Ca(v)3.2(-/-)/NFAT-Luc mice. Our results provide strong genetic evidence that Ca(v)3.2 indeed plays a pivotal role in the induction of calcineurin/NFAT hypertrophic signaling and is crucial for the activation of pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
Chiang
Chien-Sung
CS
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan.
Huang
Ching-Hui
CH
Chieng
Hockling
H
Chang
Ya-Ting
YT
Chang
Dory
D
Chen
Ji-Jr
JJ
Chen
Yong-Cyuan
YC
Chen
Yen-Hui
YH
Shin
Hee-Sup
HS
Campbell
Kevin P
KP
Chen
Chien-Chang
CC
D000804:Angiotensin II; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery; D001794:Blood Pressure; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type / Q000172:deficiency / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003250:Constriction; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005013:Ethosuximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
C498197:Cacna1g protein, mouse; C504883:Cacna1h protein, mouse; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D000804:Angiotensin II; D005013:Ethosuximide; D019703:Calcineurin