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Sex-Dependent Changes in Right Ventricular Gene Expression in Response to Pressure Overload in a Rat Model of Pulmonary Trunk Banding. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8100430. [PMID: 33086482 PMCID: PMC7603115 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8100430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and subsequent failure are consequences of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). While females are four times more likely to develop PAH, male patients have poorer survival even with treatment, suggesting a sex-dependent dimorphism in right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy/compensation. This may result from differential gene expression in the RV in male vs. female. To date, the sex dependent effect of pressure overload on RV function and changes in gene expression is still unclear. We hypothesize that pressure overload promotes gene expression changes in the RV that may contribute to a poorer outcome in males vs. females. To test this hypothesis, male and female Wistar rats underwent either a sham procedure (sham controls) or moderate pulmonary trunk banding (PTB) (a model of pressure overload induced compensated RV hypertrophy) surgery. Seven weeks post-surgery, RV function was assessed in vivo, and tissue samples were collected for gene expression using qPCR. Compared to sham controls, PTB induced significant increases in the right ventricular systolic pressure, the filling pressure and contractility, which were similar between male and female rats. PTB resulted in an increase in RVH indexes (RV weight, RV weight/tibia length and Fulton index) in both male and female groups. However, RVH indexes were significantly higher in male-PTB when compared to female-PTB rats. Whilst end of procedure body weight was greater in male rats, end of procedure pulmonary artery (PA) diameters were the same in both males and females. RV gene expression analysis revealed that the following genes were increased in PTB-male rats compared with the sham-operated controls: natriuretic peptide A (ANP) and B (BNP), as well as the markers of fibrosis; collagen type I and III. In females, only BNP was significantly increased in the RV when compared to the sham-operated female rats. Furthermore, ANP, BNP and collagen III were significantly higher in the RV from PTB-males when compared to RV from PTB-female rats. Our data suggest that pressure overload-mediated changes in gene expression in the RV from male rats may worsen RVH and increase the susceptibility of males to a poorer outcome when compared to females.
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Viswanathan G, Mamazhakypov A, Schermuly RT, Rajagopal S. The Role of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in the Right Ventricle in Pulmonary Hypertension. Front Cardiovasc Med 2018; 5:179. [PMID: 30619886 PMCID: PMC6305072 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pressure overload of the right ventricle (RV) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) leads to RV remodeling and failure, an important determinant of outcome in patients with PAH. Several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are differentially regulated in the RV myocardium, contributing to the pathogenesis of RV adverse remodeling and dysfunction. Many pharmacological agents that target GPCRs have been demonstrated to result in beneficial effects on left ventricular (LV) failure, such as beta-adrenergic receptor and angiotensin receptor antagonists. However, the role of such drugs on RV remodeling and performance is not known at this time. Moreover, many of these same receptors are also expressed in the pulmonary vasculature, which could result in complex effects in PAH. This manuscript reviews the role of GPCRs in the RV remodeling and dysfunction and discusses activating and blocking GPCR signaling to potentially attenuate remodeling while promoting improvements of RV function in PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayathri Viswanathan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Argen Mamazhakypov
- Department of Internal Medicine, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ralph T Schermuly
- Department of Internal Medicine, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sudarshan Rajagopal
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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Yoshida K, Saku K, Kamada K, Abe K, Tanaka-Ishikawa M, Tohyama T, Nishikawa T, Kishi T, Sunagawa K, Tsutsui H. Electrical Vagal Nerve Stimulation Ameliorates Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling and Improves Survival in Rats With Severe Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 3:657-671. [PMID: 30456337 PMCID: PMC6234524 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Autonomic imbalance has been documented in patients with PAH. Electrical VNS is known to restore autonomic balance and improve heart failure. This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of VNS on severe PAH in a rat model. VNS significantly restored autonomic balance, decreased mean pulmonary arterial pressure, attenuated pulmonary vascular remodeling, and preserved right ventricular function. In addition, VNS markedly improved the survival of rats with PAH. Our findings may contribute greatly to the development of device therapy for PAH and widen the clinical applicability of VNS.
This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of electrical vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) on severe pulmonary arterial hypertension in a rat model. In a pathophysiological study, VNS significantly restored autonomic balance, decreased mean pulmonary arterial pressure, attenuated pulmonary vascular remodeling, and preserved right ventricular function. In a survival study, VNS significantly improved the survival rate in both the prevention (VNS from 0 to 5 weeks after a SU5416 injection) and treatment (VNS from 5 to 10 weeks) protocols. Thus, VNS may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
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Key Words
- BNP, brain natriuretic peptide
- HF, high-frequency
- HRV, heart rate variability
- IL, interleukin
- MCP, monocyte chemotactic protein
- NE, norepinephrine
- NO, nitric oxide
- PA, pulmonary artery
- PAH, pulmonary arterial hypertension
- PAP, pulmonary arterial pressure
- PVR, pulmonary vascular resistance
- RV, right ventricular
- RVEDP, right ventricular end-diastolic pressure
- SS, sham-stimulated
- VNS, vagal nerve stimulation
- autonomic imbalance
- eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase
- mRNA, messenger ribonucleic acid
- pulmonary arterial hypertension
- pulmonary vascular remodeling
- vagal nerve stimulation
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Affiliation(s)
- Keimei Yoshida
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Keita Saku
- Department of Advanced Risk Stratification for Cardiovascular Diseases, Center for Disruptive Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Address for correspondence: Dr. Keita Saku, Department of Advanced Risk Stratification for Cardiovascular Diseases, Center for Disruptive Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
| | - Kazuhiro Kamada
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kohtaro Abe
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Mariko Tanaka-Ishikawa
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Tohyama
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takuya Nishikawa
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takuya Kishi
- Department of Advanced Risk Stratification for Cardiovascular Diseases, Center for Disruptive Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kenji Sunagawa
- Department of Therapeutic Regulation of Cardiovascular Homeostasis, Center for Disruptive Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Tsutsui
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
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Chaudhary KR, Deng Y, Suen CM, Taha M, Petersen TH, Mei SHJ, Stewart DJ. Efficacy of treprostinil in the SU5416-hypoxia model of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension: haemodynamic benefits are not associated with improvements in arterial remodelling. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:3976-3989. [PMID: 30098019 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening disease that leads to progressive pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure and death. Parenteral prostaglandins (PGs), including treprostinil, a prostacyclin analogue, represent the most effective medical treatment for severe PAH. We investigated the effect of treprostinil on established severe PAH and underlying mechanisms using the rat SU5416 (SU, a VEGF receptor-2 inhibitor)-chronic hypoxia (Hx) model of PAH. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with SU (20 mg·kg-1 , s.c.) followed by 3 weeks of Hx (10% O2 ) to induce severe PAH. Four weeks post-SU injection, baseline right ventricular (RV) systolic pressure (RVSP) was measured, and the rats were randomized to receive vehicle or treprostinil treatment (Trep-100: 100 ng·kg-1 ·min-1 or Trep-810: 810 ng·kg-1 ·min-1 ). Following 3 weeks of treatment, haemodynamic and echocardiographic assessments were performed, and tissue samples were collected for protein expression and histological analysis. KEY RESULTS At week 7, no difference in RVSP or RV hypertrophy was observed between vehicle and Trep-100; however, Trep-810 significantly reduced RVSP and RV hypertrophy. Trep-810 treatment significantly improved cardiac structure and function. Further, a short-term infusion of treprostinil in rats with established PAH at 4 weeks post-SU produced an acute, dose-dependent reduction in RVSP consistent with a vasodilator effect. However, chronic Trep-810 treatment did not alter media wall thickness, degree of vascular occlusion or total vessel count in the lungs. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Treprostinil exerts therapeutic benefits in PAH through decreased vascular resistance and improved cardiac structure and function; however, treprostinil treatment does not have direct impact vascular remodelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketul R Chaudhary
- Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Yupu Deng
- Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Colin M Suen
- Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mohamad Taha
- Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Shirley H J Mei
- Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Duncan J Stewart
- Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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