Autophagy in myocardium of murine hearts subjected to ischemia followed by reperfusion

Regulation of autophagy of the heart in ischemia and reperfusion

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) of the heart leads to increased autophagic flux. Preconditioning stimulates autophagic flux by AMPK and PI3-kinase activation and mTOR inhibition. The cardioprotective effect of postconditioning is associated with activation of autophagy and increased activity of NO-synthase and AMPK. Oxidative stress stimulates autophagy in the heart during I/R. Superoxide radicals generated by NADPH-oxidase acts as a trigger for autophagy, possibly due to AMPK activation. There is reason to believe that AMPK, GSK-3β, PINK1, JNK, hexokinase II, MEK, PKCα, and ERK kinases stimulate autophagy, while mTOR, PKCδ, Akt, and PI3-kinase can inhibit autophagy in the heart during I/R. However, there is evidence that PI3-kinase could stimulate autophagy in ischemic preconditioning of the heart. It was found that transcription factors FoxO1, FoxO3, NF-κB, HIF-1α, TFEB, and Nrf-2 enhance autophagy in the heart in I/R. Transcriptional factors STAT1, STAT3, and p53 inhibit autophagy in I/R. MicroRNAs could stimulate and inhibit autophagy in the heart in I/R. Long noncoding RNAs regulate the viability and autophagy of cardiomyocytes in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Nitric oxide (NO) donors and endogenous NO could activate autophagy of cardiomyocytes. Activation of heme oxygenase-1 promotes cardiomyocyte tolerance to H/R and enhances autophagy. Hydrogen sulfide increases cardiac tolerance to I/R and inhibits apoptosis and autophagy via mTOR and PI3-kinase activation.

EphrinA1-Fc attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

EphrinA1, a membrane-bound receptor tyrosine kinase ligand expressed in healthy cardiomyocytes, is lost in injured cells following myocardial infarction. Previously, we have reported that a single intramyocardial injection of chimeric ephrinA1-Fc at the time of ischemia reduced injury in the nonreperfused myocardium by 50% at 4 days post-MI by reducing apoptosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. In a clinically relevant model of acute ischemia (30min)/reperfusion (24hr or 4 days) injury, we now demonstrate that ephrinA1-Fc reduces infarct size by 46% and completely preserves cardiac function (ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and chamber dimensions) in the short-term (24hrs post-MI) as well as long-term (4 days). At 24 hours post-MI, diminished serum inflammatory cell chemoattractants in ephrinA1-Fc-treated mice reduces recruitment of neutrophils and leukocytes into the myocardium. Differences in relative expression levels of EphA-Rs are described in the context of their putative role in mediating cardioprotection. Validation by Western blotting of selected targets from mass spectrometry analyses of pooled samples of left ventricular tissue homogenates from mice that underwent 30min ischemia and 24hr of reperfusion (I/R) indicates that ephrinA1-Fc administration alters several regulators of signaling pathways that attenuate apoptosis, promote autophagy, and shift from FA metabolism in favor of increased glycolysis to optimize anaerobic ATP production. Taken together, reduced injury is due a combination of adaptive metabolic reprogramming, improved cell survival, and decreased inflammatory cell recruitment, suggesting that ephrinA1-Fc enhances the capacity of the heart to withstand an ischemic insult.

Efficacy and Mechanisms of Chinese Medicine on the Modulation of Myocardial Autophagy in Cardiovascular Disease

Autophagy refers to the process in which the cellular lysosome degrades the cell’s own damaged organelles and related macromolecule substances. It plays important roles in the homeostasis of organs, cell survival, and stable development. Previous studies indicate that the process of cardiopathology is closely associated with autophagy and some of Chinese medicines (active compounds and formulae) are found to have beneficial effects on injured cardiomyocytes via the modulation of autophagy. This review highlights the efficacy of the action of Chinese medicine on the regulation of myocardial autophagy and summarizes the related molecular and signal mechanisms. Our study discovers that some active compounds and formulae of Chinese medicines react on the specific targets of autophagy in related signal pathways to exert protective effects in the processes of ischemia and reperfusion, as well as, in other cardiopathological models. Parts of these compounds even have the characteristics of multiple targets in autophagic signal pathways and dual-directional regulated actions on autophagy, suggesting that Chinese medicines, which possess the ability to modulate autophagy, might improve effective cardio protection in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

MicroRNA-34a protects myocardial cells against ischemia-reperfusion injury through inhibiting autophagy via regulating TNFα expression

BACKGROUND

ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a consequence of restored blood supply after myocardial infarction. Myocardial I/R injury can be alleviated by reducing autophagy in heart tissue. MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) has been shown to regulate autophagy in a renal model of I/R, but it is not known whether it can protect cardiac tissues from I/R injury. This study investigated how miR-34a protects myocardial cells from I/R injury by inhibiting autophagy via regulation of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα).

METHODS

we constructed an I/R model in vivo using Langendorff perfusion, and we constructed an in vivo model by treating neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) with hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R method). Transfected adenoviral-overexpressed miR-34a mimics and controlled NRCMs after H/R. We analyzed cell viability using the MTT assay and a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Changes in the rate of apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. We investigated the effect mechanisms of miR-34a with Western blot and luciferase assays.

RESULTS

miR-34a expression decreased after in vivo reperfusion of the myocardial cells and heart tissues of neonatal rats. MiR-34a reduced apoptosis of the NRCMs and autophagy levels, simultaneously, after H/R injury. Further, miR-34a decreased the expression of Lc3-II and p62, indicating that miR-34a reduces myocardial I/R injury by decreasing TNFα expression.

CONCLUSION

miR-34a can inhibit autophagy levels after I/R by targeting TNFα, thereby reducing myocardial injury.

Lipocalin-2 inhibits autophagy and induces insulin resistance in H9c2 cells

Lipocalin-2 (Lcn2; also known as neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin, NGAL) levels are increased in obesity and diabetes and associate with insulin resistance. Correlations exist between Lcn2 levels and various forms or stages of heart failure. Insulin resistance and autophagy both play well-established roles in cardiomyopathy. However, little is known about the impact of Lcn2 on insulin signaling in cardiomyocytes. In this study, we treated H9c2 cells with recombinant Lcn2 for 1 h followed by dose- and time-dependent insulin treatment and found that Lcn2 attenuated insulin signaling assessed via phosphorylation of Akt and p70S6K. We used multiple assays to demonstrate that Lcn2 reduced autophagic flux. First, Lcn2 reduced pULK1 S555, increased pULK1 S757 and reduced LC3-II levels determined by Western blotting. We validated the use of DQ-BSA to assess autolysosomal protein degradation and this together with MagicRed cathepsin B assay indicated that Lcn2 reduced lysosomal degradative activity. Furthermore, we generated H9c2 cells stably expressing tandem fluorescent RFP/GFP-LC3 and this approach verified that Lcn2 decreased autophagic flux. We also created an autophagy-deficient H9c2 cell model by overexpressing a dominant-negative Atg5 mutant and found that reduced autophagy levels also induced insulin resistance. Adding rapamycin after Lcn2 could stimulate autophagy and recover insulin sensitivity. In conclusion, our study indicated that acute Lcn2 treatment caused insulin resistance and use of gain and loss of function approaches elucidated a causative link between autophagy inhibition and regulation of insulin sensitivity by Lcn2.

The Dichotomy of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response in Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). As ER stress triggers an adaptive cellular response, the question of what determines its functional outcome in liver IRI remains to be defined. In a murine liver partial warm ischemia model, we studied how transient (30 minutes) or prolonged (90 minutes) liver ischemia regulated local ER stress response and autophagy activities and their relationship with liver IRI. Effects of chemical chaperon 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) or autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) were evaluated. Our results showed that although the activating transcription factor 6 branch of ER stress response was induced in livers by both types of ischemia, liver autophagy was activated by transient, but inhibited by prolonged, ischemia. Although 3-MA had no effects on liver IRI after prolonged ischemia, it significantly increased liver IRI after transient ischemia. The 4-PBA treatment protected livers from IRI after prolonged ischemia by restoring autophagy flux, and the adjunctive 3-MA treatment abrogated its liver protective effect. The same 4-PBA treatment, however, increased liver IRI and disrupted autophagy flux after transient ischemia. Although both types of ischemia activated 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and inactivated protein kinase B (Akt), prolonged ischemia also resulted in downregulations of autophagy-related gene 3 and autophagy-related gene 5 in ischemic livers. These results indicate a functional dichotomy of ER stress response in liver IRI via its regulation of autophagy. Transient ischemia activates autophagy to protect livers from IRI, whereas prolonged ischemia inhibits autophagy to promote the development of liver IRI.

Rapamycin protection of livers from ischemia and reperfusion injury is dependent on both autophagy induction and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2-Akt activation

BACKGROUND

Although rapamycin (RPM) have been studied extensively in ischemia models, its functional mechanisms remains to be defined.

METHODS

We determined how RPM impacted the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in a murine liver partial warm ischemia model, with emphasis on its regulation of hepatocyte death.

RESULTS

Rapamycin protected livers from IRI in the presence of fully developed liver inflammatory immune response. Rapamycin enhanced liver autophagy induction at the reperfusion stage. Dual mammalian (mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR)1/2 inhibitor Torin 1, despite its ability to induced autophagy, failed to protect livers from IRI. The treatment with RPM, but not Torin 1, resulted in the enhanced activation of the mTORC2-Akt signaling pathway activation in livers after reperfusion. Inactivation of Akt by Triciribine abolished the liver protective effect of RPM. The differential cytoprotective effect of RPM and Torin 1 was confirmed in vitro in hepatocyte cultures. Rapamycin, but not Trin 1, protected hepatocytes from stress and tumor necrosis factor-α induced cell death; and inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine or Akt by Triciribine abolished RPM-mediated cytoprotection.

CONCLUSION

Rapamycin protected livers from IRI by both autophagy and mTORC2-Akt activation mechanisms.

Ischemic preconditioning protects against liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via heme oxygenase-1-mediated autophagy

OBJECTIVES

Ischemic preconditioning exerts a protective effect in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. The exact mechanism of ischemic preconditioning action remains largely unknown. Recent studies suggest that autophagy plays an important role in protecting against ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the role of autophagy in ischemic preconditioning-afforded protection and its regulatory mechanisms in liver ischemia/reperfusion injury remain poorly understood. This study was designed to determine whether ischemic preconditioning could protect against liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via heme oxygenase-1-mediated autophagy.

DESIGN

Laboratory investigation.

SETTING

University animal research laboratory.

SUBJECTS

Male inbred Lewis rats and C57BL/6 mice.

INTERVENTIONS

Ischemic preconditioning was produced by 10 minutes of ischemia followed by 10 minutes of reperfusion prior to 60 minutes of ischemia. In a rat model of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, rats were pretreated with wortmannin or rapamycin to evaluate the contribution of autophagy to the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning. Heme oxygenase-1 was inhibited with tin protoporphyrin IX. In a mouse model of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, autophagy or heme oxygenase-1 was inhibited with vacuolar protein sorting 34 small interfering RNA or heme oxygenase-1 small interfering RNA, respectively.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Ischemic preconditioning ameliorated liver ischemia/reperfusion injury, as indicated by lower serum aminotransferase levels, lower hepatic inflammatory cytokines, and less severe ischemia/reperfusion-associated histopathologic changes. Ischemic preconditioning treatment induced autophagy activation, as indicated by an increase of LC3-II, degradation of p62, and accumulation of autophagic vacuoles in response to ischemia/reperfusion injury. When ischemic preconditioning-induced autophagy was inhibited with wortmannin in rats or vacuolar protein sorting 34-specific small interfering RNA in mice, liver ischemia/reperfusion injury was worsened, whereas rapamycin treatment increased autophagy and mimicked the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning. Furthermore, ischemic preconditioning increased heme oxygenase-1 expression. The inhibition of heme oxygenase-1 with tin protoporphyrin IX in rats or heme oxygenase-1-specific small interfering RNA in mice decreased ischemic preconditioning-induced autophagy and diminished the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning against ischemia/reperfusion injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Ischemic preconditioning protects against liver ischemia/reperfusion injury, at least in part, via heme oxygenase-1-mediated autophagy.

Reactive oxygen species contribute to simulated ischemia/reperfusion-induced autophagic cell death in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Background

Autophagy is important for cells to degrade protein aggregates and organelles. Our preliminary study suggests that ischemia/reperfusion in rabbit hearts promoted autophagic myocardial injury, resulting in no-reflow phenomenon. In this study, we sought to further understand the mechanism and outcome of the upregulation of autophagy in ischemia/reperfusion.

Material/Methods

We employed a simulated ischemia/reperfusion (sI/R) model in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro, in the presence or absence of antioxidants.

Results

Our study confirms that sI/R induces autophagy in HUVECs as measured by increased expression of Beclin 1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), electron microscopic analysis, and special biofluorescent staining with monodansylcadaverine. This sI/R-induced autophagy was also accompanied by increased levels of p65 protein expression and cell death. In addition, we detected the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after sI/R. Moreover, with the application of ROS scavengers that block the release of ROS, we were able to demonstrate that inhibition of autophagy increases cell survival.

Conclusions

The study suggests that ROS accumulation is involved in the sI/R-induced autophagic cell death in HUVECs.

Deletion of the EphA2 receptor exacerbates myocardial injury and the progression of ischemic cardiomyopathy

EphrinA1-EphA-receptor signaling is protective during myocardial infarction (MI). The EphA2-receptor (EphA2-R) potentially mediates cardiomyocyte survival. To determine the role of the EphA2-R in acute non-reperfused myocardial injury in vivo, infarct size, inflammatory cell density, NF-κB, p-AKT/Akt, and MMP-2 protein levels, and changes in ephrinA1/EphA2-R gene expression profile were assessed 4 days post-MI in B6129 wild-type (WT) and EphA2-R-mutant (EphA2-R-M) mice lacking a functional EphA2-R. Fibrosis, capillary density, morphometry of left ventricular chamber and infarct dimensions, and cardiac function also were measured 4 weeks post-MI to determine the extent of ventricular remodeling. EphA2-R-M infarct size and area of residual necrosis were 31.7% and 113% greater than WT hearts, respectively. Neutrophil and macrophage infiltration were increased by 46% and 84% in EphA2-R-M hearts compared with WT, respectively. NF-κB protein expression was 1.9-fold greater in EphA2-R-M hearts at baseline and 56% less NF-κB after infarction compared with WT. EphA6 gene expression was 2.5-fold higher at baseline and increased 9.8-fold 4 days post-MI in EphA2-R-M hearts compared with WT. EphrinA1 gene expression in EphA2-R-M hearts was unchanged at baseline and decreased by 42% 4 days post-MI compared with WT hearts. EphA2-R-M hearts had 66.7% less expression of total Akt protein and 59% less p-Akt protein than WT hearts post-MI. EphA2-R-M hearts 4 weeks post-MI had increased chamber dilation and interstitial fibrosis and decreased MMP-2 expression and capillary density compared with WT. In conclusion, the EphA2-R is necessary to appropriately modulate the inflammatory response and severity of early injury during acute MI, thereby influencing the progression of ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Ephrin-Eph signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of myocardial infarction

Although numerous strategies have been developed to reduce the initial ischemic insult and cellular injury that occurs during myocardial infarction (MI), few have progressed into the clinical arena. The epidemiologic and economic impact of MI necessitates the development of innovative therapies to rapidly and effectively reduce the initial injury and subsequent cardiac dysfunction. The Eph receptors and their cognate ligands, the ephrins, are the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases, and their signaling has been shown to play a diverse role in various cellular processes. The recent advances in the study of ephrin-Eph signaling have shown promising progress in many fields of medicine. They have been implicated in the pathophysiology of various cancers and in the regulation of inflammation and apoptosis. Recent studies have shown that manipulation of ephrin-Eph cell signaling can favorably influence cardiomyocyte viability and ultimately preserve cardiac function post-MI. In this article, we explore the hypothesis that manipulation of ephrin-Eph signaling may potentially be a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of MI through alteration of the cellular processes that govern injury and wound healing.

Autophagy as a therapeutic target for ischaemia /reperfusion injury? Concepts, controversies, and challenges

Autophagy is the tightly orchestrated cellular 'housekeeping' process responsible for the degradation and disposal of damaged and dysfunctional organelles and protein aggregates. In addition to its established basal role in the maintenance of normal cellular phenotype and function, there is growing interest in the concept that targeted modulation of autophagy under conditions of stress (most notably, ischaemia/reperfusion) may represent an adaptive mechanism and render the myocardium resistant to ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Our aims in this review are to: (i) provide a balanced overview of the emerging hypothesis that perturbation of autophagy may serve as a novel, intriguing, and powerful cardioprotective treatment strategy and (ii) summarize the controversies and challenges in exploiting autophagy as a therapeutic target for ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

Cardiomyocyte death: mechanisms and translational implications

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although treatments have improved, development of novel therapies for patients with CVD remains a major research goal. Apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy occur in cardiac myocytes, and both gradual and acute cell death are hallmarks of cardiac pathology, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, and ischemia/reperfusion. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of autophagy, apoptosis, or necrosis diminishes infarct size and improves cardiac function in these disorders. Here, we review recent progress in the fields of autophagy, apoptosis, and necrosis. In addition, we highlight the involvement of these mechanisms in cardiac pathology and discuss potential translational implications.

Histochemistry and cell biology: the annual review 2010

This review summarizes recent advances in histochemistry and cell biology which complement and extend our knowledge regarding various aspects of protein functions, cell and tissue biology, employing appropriate in vivo model systems in conjunction with established and novel approaches. In this context several non-expected results and discoveries were obtained which paved the way of research into new directions. Once the reader embarks on reading this review, it quickly becomes quite obvious that the studies contribute not only to a better understanding of fundamental biological processes but also provide use-oriented aspects that can be derived therefrom.