Increase of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) expression in cardiomyocytes during chronic hypoxia.
BACKGROUND
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) might play an important role in the myocardium during chronic hypoxia because MIF protects the heart during myocardial ischemia by activating 5'-adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK).


METHODS
We investigated 35 infants with cyanotic or acyanotic cardiac defects and H9c2 embryonic rat cardiomyocytes to examine the effect of chronic hypoxia on the expression of MIF in vivo and in vitro, respectively.


RESULTS
We found out an increase of endogenous cardiac MIF expression positively correlated with degree of hypoxia. Also, AMPK activation was elevated while MIF expression was increased in cells exposed to long periods of hypoxia in vitro. There was no significant difference in the growth ratio of cells cultivated in long periods of hypoxia and normoxia.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of MIF is significantly increased in cardiomyocytes exposed to chronic hypoxia, and the activation of AMPK was increased accordingly.
Jian
Zhao
Z
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, 183 Xinqiao Street, Chongqing 400037, PR China.
Li
Jia-Bei
JB
Ma
Rui-Yan
RY
Chen
Lin
L
Zhong
Qian-Jin
QJ
Wang
Xue-Feng
XF
Wang
Wei
W
Hong
Yi
Y
Xiao
Ying-Bin
YB
D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007223:Infant; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases