Possible senescence associated change in the predominant a-Na+/K+ ATP-ase isoform in the renal cortex of the rat.

With aging the kidney exhibits progressive deterioration, with a decrease in renal function. Most of the filtered Na+ is actively reabsorbed in the proximal tubules through different transporters located in apical membrane. This process is possible because basolateral Na+/K+-ATP-ase generates electrochemical conditions necessary for energetically favorable Na+ transport. The a-subunit is the catalytic domain of Na+/K+-ATP-ase. There are three isoforms of the a/subunit present in rat kidney. The present study was undertaken to examine the expression pattern of rat a-Na+/K+-ATP-ase during senescence. We tested the impact of aging on mRNA expression of a-Na+/K+-ATP-ase in cortex and medulla of aged Wistar rats. We observed a significant expression decrease in mRNA levels and a possible change of isoform in the cortex of aged animals. These expression changes observed for a subunit could be contributing to affect the renal function in conditions of water and salt stress.

Possible senescence associated change in the predominant &alpha -Na+/K+ ATP-ase isoform in the renal cortex of the rat

With aging the kidney exhibits progressive deterioration, with a decrease in renal function. Most of the filtered Na+ is actively reabsorbed in the proximal tubules through different transporters located in apical membrane. This process is possible because basolateral Na+/K+-ATP-ase generates electrochemical conditions necessary for energetically favorable Na+ transport. The α-subunit is the catalytic domain of Na+/K+-ATP-ase. There are three isoforms of the α/subunit present in rat kidney. The present study was undertaken to examine the expression pattern of rat α-Na+/K+-ATP-ase during senescence. We tested the impact of aging on mRNA expression of α-Na+/K+-ATP-ase in cortex and medulla of aged Wistar rats. We observed a significant expression decrease in mRNA levels and a possible change of isoform in the cortex of aged animals. These expression changes observed for αsubunit could be contributing to affect the renal function in conditions of water and salt stress.

Con el avance de la edad los riñones exhiben un deterioro funcional progresivo con disminución de la función renal. La mayor parte del sodio (Na+) filtrado es reabsorbido activamente en los túbulos proximales a través de diferentes transportadores ubicados en la membrana apical. Este proceso es posible por la existencia de la Na+/K+-ATP-asa basolateral, que genera las condiciones electroquímicas necesarias para que el transporte de Na+ sea energéticamente favorable. La subunidad αde la Na+/K+-ATP-asa es el dominio catalítico de la enzima. Existen tres isoformas de subunidad α, que están presentes en el riñón de la rata. En este trabajo se examinan los patrones de expresión de la α-Na+/K+-ATP-asa durante la senescencia. Se estudió así si el aumento de la edad incidía en la expresión del ARNm de la α-Na+/K+-ATP-asa en corteza y médula renal de ratas Wistar senescentes. Se observó una disminución en la expresión del ARNm de la subunidad αy un posible cambio de isoforma predominante en la corteza de los animales senescentes. Los cambios observados para la expresión de la subunidad αpodrían contribuir a afectar la función renal en condiciones de estrés hídrico y salino.

Control hormonal de las corrientes de la fase 1 del potencial de acción cardíaco en el síndrome de Brugada / Hormonal Control of Cardiac Action Potential Phase 1 Currents in the Brugada Syndrome

Introducción El síndrome de Brugada es una canalopatía hereditaria con un patrón de transmisión autosómico dominante que presenta un marcado sesgo de género en la expresión del fenotipo, con una proporción hombre:mujer de 9:1. Un modelo celular de la enfermedad propone una distribución heterogénea de la amplitud de la fase 1 del potencial de acción ventricular como la base para el desarrollo del sustrato arritmogénico. Objetivo Investigar el papel de los andrógenos en la regulación de la fase 1 del potencial de acción cardíaco en ratas y sus consecuencias electrofisiológicas en un modelo experimental murino del síndrome de Brugada. Material y métodos Se estudió el control de la expresión génica por andrógenos en células HL-1 y en corazones de rata por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) en tiempo real. Para los estudios de electrofisiología se reprodujo un modelo experimental del síndrome de Brugada en un sistema de Langendorff utilizando solución de Tyrode suplementada con pinacidil y terfenadina. Resultados El tratamiento de células HL-1 con dihidrotestosterona produjo un aumento en la expresión del canal del potasio Kv4.3 y del intercambiador de sodio/calcio (NCX). Se evaluó este efecto en ratas tratadas con testosterona y finasterida. La expresión de ambos genes se redujo con la finasterida, mientras que la testosterona aumentó el nivel de ácido ribonucleico mensajero (ARNm) del NCX. La testosterona produjo un acortamiento de la duración del potencial de acción a 90% de la repolarización (APD90) y del tiempo al pico (TTP), lo cual en modelos del síndrome de Brugada se correlaciona con un aumento de la arritmogenicidad. En nuestro modelo, este fenómeno se observó como un incremento en los potenciales de acción ventriculares ectópicos, esporádicos y sostenidos. La frecuencia de aparición de potenciales de acción ectópicos inducida con terfenadina y pinacidil en el grupo control se redujo en un orden de magnitud con el tratamiento con finasterida. Conclusiones: Los andrógenos controlan la expresión de componentes clave del potencial de acción cardíaco, con el resultado de un aumento de la arritmogenicidad. El tratamiento con finasterida revierte estos efectos.

Introduction The Brugada syndrome is an inherited channelopathy with autosomal dominant genotype transmission pattern presenting marked gender bias in phenotype expression, with a male to female ratio of 9:1. A cellular model of the disease suggests a heterogeneous distribution in the phase 1 amplitude of the ventricular action potential as the origin for the development of the arrhythmogenic substrate. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the role of androgens on the cardiac action potential phase 1 regulation and its electrophysiological consequences in an experimental murine model of Brugada syndrome. Methods Androgen control of gene expression was studied in HL-1 cells and rat hearts using real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For the electrophysiological studies, an experimental model of the Brugada syndrome was reproduced in a Langendorff system using Tyrode solution supplemented with pinacidil and terfenadine. Results Treatment of HL-1 cells with di-hydro-testosterone increased the expression of the Kv4.3 potassium channel and the sodium/calcium exchanger (NCX). This effect was assessed in rats treated with testosterone and finasteride. The expression of both genes decreased with finasteride, whereas testosterone increased NCX messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) level. Testosterone produced action potential shortening at 90% repolarization (APD90) and decreased time to peak (TTP), which in Brugada syndrome models correlate with increased arrhythmogenesis. In our model, this phenomenon was observed both as an increase of sporadic and sustained ectopic ventricular action potentials. The frequency of ectopic action potentials induced with terfenadine and pinacidil in the control group was reduced by an order of magnitude with finasteride treatment. Conclusions Androgens control the expression of key components of the cardiac action potential resulting in increased arrhythmogenesis. Finasteride treatment reverses these effects.

UBXD4, a UBX-containing protein, regulates the cell surface number and stability of alpha3-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Adaptor proteins are likely to modulate spatially and temporally the trafficking of a number of membrane proteins, including neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). A yeast two-hybrid screen identified a novel UBX-containing protein, UBXD4, as one of the cytosolic proteins that interact directly with the alpha3 and alpha4 nAChR subunits. The function of UBX-containing proteins is largely unknown. Immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy confirmed the interaction of UBXD4 with alpha3-containing nAChRs (alpha3* nAChRs) expressed in HEK293 cells, PC12 cells, and rat cortical neurons. Overexpression of UBXD4 in differentiated PC12 cells (dPC12) increased nAChR cell surface expression, especially that of the alpha3beta2 subtype. These findings were corroborated by electrophysiology, immunofluorescent staining, and biotinylation of surface receptors. Silencing of UBXD4 led to a significant reduction of alpha3* nAChRs in rat cortical neurons and dPC12 cells. Biochemical and immunofluorescence studies of endogenous UBXD4 showed that the protein is located in both the ER and cis-Golgi compartments. Our investigations also showed that the alpha3 subunit is ubiquitinated and that UBXD4 can interfere with its ubiquitination and consequent degradation by the proteasome. Our data suggest that UBXD4 modulates the distribution of alpha3* nAChRs between specialized intracellular compartments and the plasma membrane. This effect is achieved by controlling the stability of the alpha3 subunit and, consequently, the number of receptors at the cell surface.

Suppression of canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling by nuclear plakoglobin recapitulates phenotype of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in desmosomal proteins. The phenotypic hallmark of ARVC is fibroadipocytic replacement of cardiac myocytes, which is a unique phenotype with a yet-to-be-defined molecular mechanism. We established atrial myocyte cell lines expressing siRNA against desmoplakin (DP), responsible for human ARVC. We show suppression of DP expression leads to nuclear localization of the desmosomal protein plakoglobin and a 2-fold reduction in canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling through Tcf/Lef1 transcription factors. The ensuing phenotype is increased expression of adipogenic and fibrogenic genes and accumulation of fat droplets. We further show that cardiac-restricted deletion of Dsp, encoding DP, impairs cardiac morphogenesis and leads to high embryonic lethality in the homozygous state. Heterozygous DP-deficient mice exhibited excess adipocytes and fibrosis in the myocardium, increased myocyte apoptosis, cardiac dysfunction, and ventricular arrhythmias, thus recapitulating the phenotype of human ARVC. We believe our results provide for a novel molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of ARVC and establish cardiac-restricted DP-deficient mice as a model for human ARVC. These findings could provide for the opportunity to identify new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in patients with ARVC.

Identification of direct serum-response factor gene targets during Me2SO-induced P19 cardiac cell differentiation.

Serum-response factor (SRF) is an obligatory transcription factor, required for the formation of vertebrate mesoderm leading to the origin of the cardiovascular system. Protein A-TEV-tagged chromatin immunoprecipitation technology was used to collect direct SRF-bound gene targets from pluripotent P19 cells, induced by Me2SO treatment into an enriched cardiac cell population. From 242 sequenced DNA fragments, we identified 188 genomic DNA fragments as potential direct SRF targets that contain CArG boxes and CArG-like boxes. Of the 92 contiguous genes that were identified, a subgroup of 43 SRF targets was then further validated by co-transfection assays with SRF. Expression patterns of representative candidate genes were compared with the LacZ reporter expression activity of the endogenous SRF gene. According to the Unigene data base, 84% of the SRF target candidates were expressed, at least, in the heart. In SRF null embryonic stem cells, 81% of these SRF target candidates were greatly affected by the absence of SRF. Among these SRF-regulated genes, Raf1, Map4k4, and Bicc1 have essential roles in mesoderm formation. The 12 regulated SRF target genes, Mapk10 (JNK3), Txnl2, Azi2, Tera, Sema3a, Lrp4, Actc1, Myl3, Hspg2, Pgm2, Hif3a, and Asb5, have been implicated in cardiovascular formation, and the Ski and Hes6 genes have roles in muscle differentiation. SRF target genes related to cell mitosis and cycle, E2f5, Npm1, Cenpb, Rbbp6, and Scyl1, expressed in the heart tissue were differentially regulated in SRF null ES cells.

The cardiac determination factor, Nkx2-5, is activated by mutual cofactors GATA-4 and Smad1/4 via a novel upstream enhancer.

The mammalian homologue of Drosophila tinman, Nkx2-5, plays an early role in regulating cardiac genes and morphogenesis. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta family of signaling molecules, are involved in numerous developmental processes. BMP signaling is crucial in the regulation of Nkx2-5 expression and specification of the cardiac lineage. Constitutively active BMP type I receptor or the downstream pathway components and DNA-binding transcription factors, Smad1/4 directly activated Nkx2-5 gene transcription. We identified and characterized a novel upstream Nkx2-5 enhancer, composed of clustered repeats of Smad and GATA DNA binding sites. This composite Nkx2-5 enhancer was a direct target of BMP signaling via cooperative interactions between the downstream transducers Smad1/4 and GATA-4. In mammalian two hybrid assays, Smad factors recruited the hybrid gene GATA4-VP16 to strongly drive transcription of a reporter gene containing multimerized Smad binding sites These cofactors interacted through the second zinc finger and adjacent basic domain of GATA-4 and the N-terminal domain of Smads. Smad4 and GATA4 were also found to bind in vivo with the Nkx2-5 composite enhancer, as revealed by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of differentiated P19 cells. Finally, transgenic mice containing the Smad/GATA composite enhancer recapitulated early murine Nkx2-5 cardiac expression and deletion of this enhancer within a 10-kb transgene pBS-Nkx2-5 LacZ significantly reduced expression in the cardiac crescent. Thus, integration of GATA transcription factors with BMP signaling, through co-association with Smads factors, may initiate early Nkx2-5 expression; suggesting a vital role for the combination of these factors in the specification of cardiac progenitors.