Corin deficiency impairs cardiac function in mouse models of heart failure

Cardiac corin and atrial natriuretic peptide regulate liver glycogen metabolism and glucose homeostasis

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular function and metabolic homeostasis are closely linked, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Corin is a protease that activates atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), an essential hormone for normal blood pressure and cardiac function. The goal of this study is to investigate a potential corin and ANP function in regulating liver glycogen metabolism and glucose homeostasis.

METHODS

Liver glycogen and blood glucose levels were analyzed in Corin or Nppa (encoding ANP) knockout (KO) mice. ANP signaling was examined in livers from Corin and Nppa KO mice and in cultured human and mouse hepatocytes by western blotting.

RESULTS

We found that Corin and Nppa KO mice had reduced liver glycogen contents and increased blood glucose levels. By analyzing conditional KO mice lacking either cardiac or renal Corin, we showed that cardiac corin and ANP act in an endocrine manner to enhance cGMP-protein kinase G (PKG)-AKT-GSK3 signaling in hepatocytes. In cultured hepatocytes, ANP treatment stimulated PKG signaling, glucose uptake, and glycogen production, which could be blocked by small molecule PKG and AKT inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that corin and ANP are important regulators in liver glycogen metabolism and glucose homeostasis, suggesting that defects in the corin and ANP pathway may contribute to both cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Therapeutic Potential of Ginsenoside Rb1-PLGA Nanoparticles for Heart Failure Treatment via the ROS/PPARα/PGC1α Pathway

(1) Background: Ginsenoside Rb1-PLGA nanoparticles (GRb1@PLGA@NPs) represent a novel nanotherapeutic system, yet their therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms for treating heart failure (HF) remain unexplored. This study aims to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of GRb1@PLGA@NPs in HF treatment; (2) Methods: The left anterior descending coronary artery ligation was employed to establish a HF model in Sprague-Dawley rats, along with an in vitro oxidative stress model using H9c2 myocardial cells. Following treatment with GRb1@PLGA@NPs, cardiac tissue pathological changes and cell proliferation were observed. Additionally, the serum levels of biomarkers such as NT-proBNP, TNF-α, and IL-1β were measured, along with the expression of the ROS/PPARα/PGC1α pathway; (3) Results: GRb1@PLGA@NPs effectively ameliorated the pathological status of cardiac tissues in HF rats, mitigated oxidative stress-induced myocardial cell damage, elevated SOD and MMP levels, and reduced LDH, MDA, ROS, NT-proBNP, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels. Furthermore, the expression of PPARα and PGC1α proteins was upregulated; (4) Conclusions: GRb1@PLGA@NPs may attenuate myocardial cell injury and treat HF through the ROS/PPARα/PGC1α pathway.