title: Urotensin II induction of adult cardiomyocytes hypertrophy involves the Akt/GSK-3beta signaling pathway.
abstract: Urotensin II (UII) a potent vasoactive peptide is upregulated in the failing heart and promotes cardiomyocytes hypertrophy, in particular through mitogen-activated protein kinases. However, the regulation by UII of GSK-3beta, a recognized pivotal signaling element of cardiac hypertrophy has not yet been documented. We therefore investigated in adult cardiomyocytes, if UII phosphorylates GSK-3beta and Akt, one of its upstream regulators and stabilizes beta-catenin, a GSK-3beta dependent nuclear transcriptional co-activator. Primary cultures of adult rat cardiomyocytes were stimulated for 48h with UII. Cell size and protein/DNA contents were determined. Phosphorylated and total forms of Akt, GSK-3beta and the total amount of beta-catenin were quantified by western blot. The responses of cardiomyocytes to UII were also evaluated after pretreatment with the chemical phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, and urantide, a competitive UII receptor antagonist. UII increased cell size and the protein/DNA ratio, consistent with a hypertrophic response. UII also increased phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream target GSK-3beta. beta-Catenin protein levels were increased. All of these effects of UII were prevented by LY294002, and urantide. The UII-induced adult cardiomyocytes hypertrophy involves the Akt/GSK-3beta signaling pathways and is accompanied by the stabilization of the beta-catenin. All these effects are abolished by competitive inhibition of the UII receptor, consistent with new therapeutic perspectives for heart failure treatment.
authors.affiliation: Université catholique de Louvain, Unit of Diabetes and Nutrition, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium. damien.gruson@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gruson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ginion
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Decroly
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lause
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vanoverschelde
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ketelslegers
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thissen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014579:Urotensins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014579:Urotensins; D051176:beta Catenin; C029677:urotensin II; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605508:Gsk3b protein, rat; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3