OTUD1 promotes hypertensive kidney fibrosis and injury by deubiquitinating CDK9 in renal epithelial cells.

Hypertensive renal disease (HRD) contributes to the progression of kidney dysfunction and ultimately leads to end-stage renal disease. Understanding the mechanisms underlying HRD is critical for the development of therapeutic strategies. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) have been recently highlighted in renal pathophysiology. In this study, we investigated the role of a DUB, OTU Domain-Containing Protein 1 (OTUD1), in HRD models. HRD was induced in wild-type or Otud1 knockout mice by chronic infusion of angiotensin II (Ang II, 1 µg/kg per min) through a micro-osmotic pump for 4 weeks. We found that OTUD1 expression levels were significantly elevated in the kidney tissues of Ang II-treated mice. Otud1 knockout significantly ameliorated Ang II-induced HRD, whereas OTUD1 overexpression exacerbated Ang II-induced kidney damage and fibrosis. Similar results were observed in TCMK-1 cells but not in SV40 MES-13 cells following Ang II (1 µM) treatment. In Ang II-challenged TCMK-1 cells, we demonstrated that OTUD1 bound to CDK9 and induced CDK9 deubiquitination: OTUD1 catalyzed K63 deubiquitination on CDK9 with its Cys320 playing a critical role, promoting CDK9 phosphorylation and activation to induce inflammatory responses and fibrosis in kidney epithelial cells. Administration of a CDK9 inhibitor NVP-2 significantly ameliorated Ang II-induced HRD in mice. This study demonstrates that OTUD1 mediates HRD by targeting CDK9 in kidney epithelial cells, suggesting OTUD1 is a potential target in treating this disease.

ß-amyloid binds to microglia Dectin-1 to induce inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is closely related to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the early stages of the inflammation response, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play a key role in clearing damaged cells and defending against infection by recognizing endogenous and exogenous ligands. However, the regulation of pathogenic microglial activation and its role in AD pathology remains poorly understood. Here we showed that a pattern recognition receptor called Dectin-1, expressed on microglia, mediates the pro-inflammatory responses of beta-amyloid (Aß). Knockout of Dectin-1 reduced Aß1-42 (Aß42)-induced microglial activation, inflammatory responses, and synaptic and cognitive deficits in Aß42-infused AD mice. Similar results were obtained in the BV2 cell model. Mechanistically, we showed that Aß42 could directly bind to Dectin-1, causing Dectin-1 homodimerization and activating downstream spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway to induce the expression of inflammatory factors and, in turn, AD pathology. These results suggest the important role of microglia Dectin-1 as a new direct receptor for Aß42 in microglial activation and AD pathology and provide a potential therapeutic strategy for neuroinflammation in AD.

Macrophage Dectin-1 mediates Ang II renal injury through neutrophil migration and TGF-ß1 secretion.

Macrophage activation has been shown to play an essential role in renal fibrosis and dysfunction in hypertensive chronic kidney disease. Dectin-1 is a pattern recognition receptor that is also involved in chronic noninfectious diseases through immune activation. However, the role of Dectin-1 in Ang II-induced renal failure is still unknown. In this study, we found that Dectin-1 expression on CD68 + macrophages was significantly elevated in the kidney after Ang II infusion. We assessed the effect of Dectin-1 on hypertensive renal injury using Dectin-1-deficient mice infused by Angiotensin II (Ang II) at 1000 ng/kg/min for 4 weeks. Ang II-induced renal dysfunction, interstitial fibrosis, and immune activation were significantly attenuated in Dectin-1-deficient mice. A Dectin-1 neutralizing antibody and Syk inhibitor (R406) were used to examine the effect and mechanism of Dectin-1/Syk signaling axle on cytokine secretion and renal fibrosis in culturing cells. Blocking Dectin-1 or inhibiting Syk significantly reduced the expression and secretion of chemokines in RAW264.7 macrophages. The in vitro data showed that the increase in TGF-ß1 in macrophages enhanced the binding of P65 and its target promotor via the Ang II-induced Dectin-1/Syk pathway. Secreted TGF-ß1 caused renal fibrosis in kidney cells through Smad3 activation. Thus, macrophage Dectin-1 may be involved in the activation of neutrophil migration and TGF-ß1 secretion, thereby promoting kidney fibrosis and dysfunction.

Dectin-1 Acts as a Non-Classical Receptor of Ang II to Induce Cardiac Remodeling.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac remodeling in heart failure involves macrophage-mediated immune responses. Recent studies have shown that a PRR (pattern recognition receptor) called dectin-1, expressed on macrophages, mediates proinflammatory responses. Whether dectin-1 plays a role in pathological cardiac remodeling is unknown. Here, we identified a potential role of dectin-1 in this disease. METHODS: To model aberrant cardiac remodeling, we utilized mouse models of chronic Ang II (angiotensin II) infusion. In this model, we assessed the potential role of dectin-1 through using D1KO (dectin-1 knockout) mice and bone marrow transplantation chimeric mice. We then used cellular and molecular assays to discover the underlying mechanisms of dectin-1 function. RESULTS: We found that macrophage dectin-1 is elevated in mouse heart tissues following chronic Ang II administration. D1KO mice were significantly protected against Ang II-induced cardiac dysfunction, hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammatory responses, and macrophage infiltration. Further bone marrow transplantation studies showed that dectin-1 deficiency in bone marrow-derived cells prevented Ang II-induced cardiac inflammation and dysfunction. Through detailed molecular studies, we show that Ang II binds directly to dectin-1, causing dectin-1 homodimerization and activating the downstream Syk (spleen tyrosine kinase)/NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B) signaling pathway to induce expression of inflammatory and chemoattractant factors. Mutagenesis studies identified R184 in the C-type lectin domain to interact with Ang II. Blocking dectin-1 in macrophages suppresses Ang II-induced inflammatory mediators and subsequent intercellular cross talk with cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has discovered dectin-1 as a new nonclassical receptor of Ang II and a key player in cardiac remolding and dysfunction. These studies suggest that dectin-1 may be a new target for treating hypertension-related heart failure.

Direct cardio-protection of Dapagliflozin against obesity-related cardiomyopathy via NHE1/MAPK signaling.

Obesity is an important independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, remaining an important health concern worldwide. Evidence shows that saturated fatty acid-induced inflammation in cardiomyocytes contributes to obesity-related cardiomyopathy. Dapagliflozin (Dapa), a selective SGLT2 inhibitor, exerts a favorable preventive activity in heart failure. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of Dapa against cardiomyopathy caused by high fat diet-induced obesity in vitro and in vivo. Cultured rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells were pretreated with Dapa (1, 2.5 µM) for 1.5 h, followed by treatment with palmitic acid (PA, 200 µM) for 24 h. We showed that Dapa pretreatment concentration-dependently attenuated PA-induced cell hypertrophy, fibrosis and apoptosis. Transcriptome analysis revealed that inhibition of PA-activated MAPK/AP-1 pathway contributed to the protective effect of Dapa in H9c2 cells, and this was confirmed by anti-p-cJUN fluorescence staining assay. Using surface plasmon resonance analysis we found the direct binding of Dapa with NHE1. Gain and loss of function experiments further demonstrated the role of NHE1 in the protection of Dapa. In vivo experiments were conducted in mice fed a high fat diet for 5 months. The mice were administered Dapa (1 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) in the last 2 months. Dapa administration significantly reduced the body weight and improved the serum lipid profiles. Dapa administration also alleviated HFD-induced cardiac dysfunction and cardiac aberrant remodeling via inhibiting MAPK/AP-1 pathway and ameliorating cardiac inflammation. In conclusion, Dapa exerts a direct protective effect against saturated fatty acid-induced cardiomyocyte injury in addition to the lowering effect on serum lipids. The protective effect results from negative regulating MAPK/AP-1 pathway in a NHE1-dependent way. The current study highlights the potential of clinical use of Dapa in the prevention of obesity-related cardiac dysfunction.

LCZ696 Attenuated Doxorubicin-Induced Chronic Cardiomyopathy Through the TLR2-MyD88 Complex Formation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The profibrotic and proinflammatory effects induced by doxorubicin (DOX) are key processes in the development of serious heart damage. Lack of effective drugs and the unclear mechanisms of its side effects limit the clinical treatment of DOX-induced cardiac injury. This study aimed to explore the protective role of LCZ696 and the potential mechanism of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in doxorubicin-induced cardiac failure. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: DOX (5 mg/kg/week, three times) was used to establish a chronic cardiomyopathy mouse model. Heart function tests, pathology examinations and molecular biology analyses were used to explore the effects of LCZ696 and TLR2 deficiency in vivo and in vitro. Computational docking was applied to predict the key residues for protein-ligand interaction. KEY RESULTS: The EF% declined, and the LVIDd, pro-fibrosis marker levels and NF-κB related inflammatory response increased in the chronic cardiomyopathy group induced by DOX. LCZ696 treatment and TLR2 deficiency reversed these heart damage in vivo. In H9C2 cells, pre-treatment with LCZ696 and TLR2 knockdown suppressed the DOX-induced high expression of profibrotic and proinflammatory markers. Moreover, DOX notably increased the TLR2-MyD88 interaction in vivo and in vitro, which was inhibited by LCZ696. Finally, we demonstrated the direct interaction between DOX and TLR2 via hydrogen bonds on Pro-681 and Glu-727 and Pro-681 and Ser-704 may be the key residues by which LCZ696 affects the interaction between DOX and TLR2. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: LCZ696 prevents DOX-induced cardiac dilation failure, fibrosis and inflammation by reducing the formation of TLR2-MyD88 complexes. LZC696 may be a potential effective drug to treat DOX-induced heart failure.

Toll-like receptor 2 signaling deficiency in cardiac cells ameliorates Ang II-induced cardiac inflammation and remodeling.

Activation of the innate immune system represents a vital step in inflammation during cardiac remodeling induced by the angiotensin II (Ang II). This study aimed to explore the role of Toll-like receptors 2 (TLR2) in Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling. We investigated the effect of TLR2 deficiency on Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling by utilizing TLR2 knockout mice, bone marrow transplantation models, and H9C2 cells. Though TLR2 deficiency had no effect on body weight change, cardiac Ang II content and blood pressure, it significantly ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and inflammation, as well as improved heart function. Further bone marrow transplantation studies showed that TLR2-deficiency in cardiac cells but not bone marrow-derived cells prevented Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling and cardiac dysfunction. The underlying mechanism may involve increased TLR2-MyD88 interaction. Further in vitro studies in Ang II-treated H9C2 cells showed that TLR2 knockdown by siRNA significantly decreased Ang II-induced cell hypertrophy, fibrosis and inflammation. Moreover, Ang II significantly increased TLR2-MyD88 interaction in H9C2 cells in a TLR4-independent manner. TLR2 deficiency in cardiac cells prevents Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling, inflammation and dysfunction through reducing the formation of TLR2-MyD88 complexes. Inhibition of TLR2 pathway may be a therapeutic strategy of hypertensive heart failure.

Celastrol Attenuates Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiac Remodeling by Targeting STAT3.

RATIONALE: Excessive Ang II (angiotensin II) levels lead to a profibrotic and hypertrophic milieu that produces deleterious remodeling and dysfunction in hypertension-associated heart failure. Agents that disrupt Ang II-induced cardiac dysfunction may have clinical utility in the treatment of hypertension-associated heart failure. OBJECTIVE: We have examined the potential effect of celastrol-a bioactive compound derived from the Celastraceae family-on Ang II-induced cardiac dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS: In rat primary cardiomyocytes and H9C2 (rat cardiomyocyte-like H9C2) cells, celastrol attenuates Ang II-induced cellular hypertrophy and fibrotic responses. Proteome microarrays, surface plasmon resonance, competitive binding assays, and molecular simulation were used to identify the molecular target of celastrol. Our data showed that celastrol directly binds to and inhibits STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription)-3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Functional tests demonstrated that the protection of celastrol is afforded through targeting STAT3. Overexpression of STAT3 dampens the effect of celastrol by partially rescuing STAT3 activity. Finally, we investigated the in vivo effect of celastrol treatment in mice challenged with Ang II and in the transverse aortic constriction model. We show that celastrol administration protected heart function in Ang II-challenged and transverse aortic constriction-challenged mice by inhibiting cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies show that celastrol inhibits Ang II-induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting STAT3 activity.

Angiotensin II Causes Biphasic STAT3 Activation Through TLR4 to Initiate Cardiac Remodeling.

Evidence indicates that Ang II (angiotensin II) activates STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) in cardiomyocytes. However, the mechanisms underlying STAT3 activation and downstream responses are not fully known. In this study, we show that Ang II caused biphasic STAT3 activation in cardiomyocytes. A rapid and early activation was mediated by direct association between TLR4 (toll-like receptor-4) and STAT3. This early activation increased IL-6 (interleukin-6) production, which in turn, induced the second STAT3 activation through the IL-6/gp130 (glycoprotein 130)/JAK2 (Janus-family tyrosine kinases 2) pathway, resulting in unregulated expression of genes for cardiac remodeling. Moreover, STAT3 inhibition or TLR4 knockout in mice protected against Ang II-induced hypertrophy, fibrosis, and cardiac functional deficits. Thus, Ang II-induced STAT3 activation in cardiomyocytes was biphasic, providing a sequential induction of IL-6 and myocardial remodeling genes, respectively. This work supports a novel mechanism on STAT3 activation in Ang II-induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling.

An Aza resveratrol-chalcone derivative 6b protects mice against diabetic cardiomyopathy by alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress.

Inflammation and oxidative stress play a crucial role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). We previously had synthesized an Aza resveratrol-chalcone derivative 6b, of which effectively suppressing lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in macrophages. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effect of 6b on DCM and underlying mechanism. In H9c2 myocardial cells, 6b potently decreased high glucose (HG)-induced cell fibrosis, hypertrophy and apoptosis, alleviating inflammatory response and oxidant stress. In STZ-induced type 1 diabetic mice (STZ-DM1), orally administration with 6b for 16 weeks significantly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, apoptosis and fibrosis. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress biomarkers was also suppressed by 6b distinctly, without affecting blood glucose and body weight. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities of 6b were mechanistic associated with nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) nucleus entry blockage and Nrf2 activation both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that 6b can be a promising cardioprotective agent in treatment of DCM via inhibiting inflammation and alleviating oxidative stress. This study also validated the important role of NF-κB and Nrf2 taken in the pathogenesis of DCM, which could be therapeutic targets for diabetic comorbidities.