Increased angiogenesis parallels cardiac tissue remodelling in experimental acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection

BACKGROUND

Angiogenesis has been implicated in tissue injury in several noninfectious diseases, but its role in Chagas disease (CD) physiopathology is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Trypanosoma cruzi infection on cardiac angiogenesis during the acute phase of experimental CD.

METHODS

The signalling pathway involved in blood vessel formation and cardiac remodelling was evaluated in Swiss Webster mice infected with the Y strain of T. cruzi. The levels of molecules involved in the regulation of angiogenesis, such as vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), Flk-1, phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase (pERK), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), CD31, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and also the blood vessel growth were analysed during T. cruzi infection. Hearts were analysed using conventional histopathology, immunohistochemistry and western blotting.

FINDINGS

In this study, our data demonstrate that T. cruzi acute infection in mice induces exacerbated angiogenesis in the heart and parallels cardiac remodelling. In comparison with noninfected controls, the cardiac tissue of T. cruzi-infected mice presented higher levels of (i) HIF-1α, VEGF-A, Flk-1 and pERK; (ii) angiogenesis; (iii) α-SMA+ cells in the tissue; and (iv) collagen -1 deposition around blood vessels and infiltrating throughout the myocardium.

MAIN CONCLUSIONS

We observed cardiac angiogenesis during acute experimental T. cruzi infection parallels cardiac inflammation and remodelling.

Trimetazidine enhances myocardial angiogenesis in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy mice through directly activating Akt and promoting the binding of HSF1 to VEGF-A promoter

Latest clinical research shows that trimetazidine therapy during the perioperative period relieves endothelial dysfunction in patients with unstable angina induced by percutaneous coronary intervention. In this study we investigated the effects of TMZ on myocardial angiogenesis in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy mice. Cardiac hypertrophy was induced in mice by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery. TAC mice were administered trimetazidine (2.8 mg/100 µL, i.g.) for 28 consecutive days. We showed that trimetazidine administration significantly increased blood vessel density in the left ventricular myocardium and abrogated cardiac dysfunction in TAC mice. Co-administration of a specific HSF1 inhibitor KRIBB11 (1.25 mg/100 µL, i.h.) abrogated the angiogenesis-promoting effects of trimetazidine in TAC mice. Using luciferase reporter and electrophoretic mobility shift assays we demonstrated that the transcription factor HSF1 bound to the promoter region of VEGF-A, and the transcriptional activity of HSF1 was enhanced upon trimetazidine treatment. In molecular docking analysis we found that trimetazidine directly bound to Akt via a hydrogen bond with Asp292 and a pi-pi bond with Trp80. In norepinephrine-treated HUVECs, we showed that trimetazidine significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt and the synergistic nuclear translocation of Akt and HSF1, as well as the binding of Akt and HSF1 in the nucleus. These results suggest that trimetazidine enhances myocardial angiogenesis through a direct interaction with Akt and promotion of nuclear translocation of HSF1, and that trimetazidine may be used for the treatment of myocardial angiogenic disorders in hypertensive patients.

New Developments in Exosomal lncRNAs in Cardiovascular Diseases

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-coding RNAs with lengths >200 nt and are involved in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Exosomes are secreted and produced by various cell types. Exosome contents include various ncRNAs, proteins and lipids. Exosomes are also important mediators of intercellular communication. The proportion of lncRNAs in exosomes is low, but increasing evidence suggests that exosomal lncRNAs play important roles in CVDs. We focused on research progress in exosomal lncRNAs in atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, cardiac angiogenesis, cardiac aging, rheumatic heart disease, and chronic kidney disease combined with CVD. The potential diagnostic and therapeutic effects of exosomal lncRNAs in CVDs are summarized based on preclinical studies involving animal and cell models and circulating exosomes in clinical patients. Finally, the challenges and possible prospects of exosomes and exosomal lncRNAs in clinical applications related to CVD are discussed.

Heat shock transcription factor 1 regulates exercise-induced myocardial angiogenesis after pressure overload via HIF-1α/VEGF pathway

Exercise training is believed to have a positive effect on cardiac hypertrophy after hypertension. However, its mechanism is still not fully understood. Herein, our findings suggest that heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) improves exercise‐initiated myocardial angiogenesis after pressure overload. A sustained narrowing of the diagonal aorta (TAC) and moderately‐ intense exercise training protocol were imposed on HSF1 heterozygote (KO) and their littermate wild‐type (WT) male mice. After two months, the cardiac function was assessed using the adaptive responses to exercise training, or TAC, or both of them such as catheterization and echocardiography. The HE stains assessed the area of myocyte cross‐sectional. The Western blot and real‐time PCR measured the levels of expression for heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor‐1 alpha (HIF‐1α) in cardiac tissues. The anti‐CD31 antibody immunohistochemical staining was done to examine how exercise training influenced cardiac ontogeny. The outcome illustrated that exercise training significantly improved the cardiac ontogeny in TAC mice, which was convoyed by elevated levels of expression for VEGF and HIF‐1α and preserved the heart microvascular density. More importantly, HSF1 deficiency impaired these effects induced by exercise training in TAC mice. In conclusion, exercise training encourages cardiac ontogeny by means of HSF1 activation and successive HIF‐1α/VEGF up‐regulation in endothelial cells during continued pressure overload.

Puerarin accelerate scardiac angiogenesis and improves cardiac function of myocardial infarction by upregulating VEGFA, Ang-1 and Ang-2 in rats

OBJECTIVE

The traditional Chinese medicinal puerarin, has long been used to treat cardiovascular diseases, however, the mechanism underlying its effects remain unclear. Here, this study would to investigate the role of puerarin on cardiac angiogenesis and myocardial function induced by myocardial infarction.

METHODS

Puerarin was treated in rats after left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation and maintained for 4 weeks (diets containing about 50 mg/kg/day or 100 mg/kg/day). After treatment, cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography and markers of heart failure. Paraffin sections of the heart tissues were used for isolect in GS-IB4 staining. The Mrna and protein expression levels of VEGFA, Ang-1 and Ang-2 were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot.

RESULTS

Significantly damaged angiogenesis and slightly increase of VEGFA, Ang-1 and Ang-2 were showed after LAD ligation. Impaired angiogenesis and cardiac function were remarkably improved in puerarin treatment rats with great increase of VEGFA, Ang-1 and Ang-2.

CONCLUSION

The above results demonstrated that puerarin could accelerate cardiac angiogenesis and improve cardiac function of myocardial infarction rats by upregulating VEGFA, Ang-1 and Ang-2.

Danshen improves damaged cardiac angiogenesis and cardiac function induced by myocardial infarction by modulating HIF1α/VEGFA signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

The traditional Chinese medicinal Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), has long been used to treat cardiovascular diseases, however, the mechanism underlying its effects remain unclear. Here, this study would to investigate the effects of Danshen injection on myocardial infarction-induced cardiac damage.

METHODS

Danshen was injected into mice models at low dose (3 g/kg per day) or at high dose (6 g/kg per day) after left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation. After 4 weeks, cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. Paraffin sections of the hearts were used for isolectin GS-IB4 staining. Protein and mRNA expression levels of HIF1α and VEGFA were evaluated by western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS

The hearts showed significantly impaired angiogenesis and slightly increase of HIF1α and VEGFA expression after LAD ligation. The angiogenesis defect and heart failure were partially rescued in Danshen treatment mice with great increase of HIF1α and VEGFA mRNA levels and protein expression.

CONCLUSION

These results illustrated that the protective effects of Danshen injection in responsive cardiac angiogenesis were at least in part due to increased HIF1α and VEGFA expression.