Cheng Chih Chung

Hydralazine-induced promoter demethylation enhances sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase and calcium homeostasis in cardiac myocytes.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2a) plays an essential role in Ca2+ homeostasis and cardiac functions. The promoter region of SERCA2a has a high content of CpG islands; thus, epigenetic modification by inhibiting methylation can enhance SERCA2a expression in cardiomyocytes. Hydralazine, a drug frequently used in heart failure, is a potential DNA methylation inhibitor. We evaluated whether hydralazine can modulate Ca2+ handling through an increase in SERCA2a expression via regulating methylation. We used indo-1 fluorescence, real-time RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and methylation-specific PCR to investigate intracellular Ca2+, the expressions of RNA and protein, and methylation of SERCA2a in HL-1 cardiomyocytes with and without (control) the administration of hydralazine (1, 10, and 30 μM) for 72 h. Hydralazine (10 and 30 μM) increased the intracellular Ca2+ transients and SR Ca2+ contents. Hydralazine (10 and 30 μM) decreased methylation in the SERCA2a promoter region and increased the RNA and protein expressions of SERCA2a. Additionally, hydralazine (10 and 30 μM) decreased the expression of DNA methyltransferase 1. Moreover, treatment with hydralazine in isoproterenol-induced heart failure rats decreased the promoter methylation of SERCA2a and increased SERCA2a RNA expression. In conclusion, hydralazine-induced promoter demethylation may improve cardiac function through increasing SERCA2a and modulating calcium homeostasis in cardiomyocytes.

Androgen attenuates cardiac fibroblasts activations through modulations of transforming growth factor-β and angiotensin II signaling.

BACKGROUND Androgen deficiency produces heart failure, which can be ameliorated by testosterone supplementation. Cardiac fibrosis plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of heart failure. This study aimed to evaluate whether testosterone can attenuate cardiac fibroblast activity through modulating transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and angiotensin (Ang) II signaling. METHODS Migration, proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation, collagen production, and transcription signaling were evaluated in adult male rat (weighing 300-350 g) cardiac fibroblasts with and without incubation with testosterone (10nM) and co-administration of TGF-β1 (10 ng/ml) or Ang II (100 nM) by cell migration analysis, proliferation assay, soluble collagen measurement, zymographic analysis, immunofluorescence microscopy, real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS Compared to those without testosterone, testosterone-treated fibroblasts exhibited less collagen production. Testosterone-treated fibroblasts also had less migration, proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation, and collagen production in the presence of TGF-β1, or had less collagen production with Ang II. Testosterone-treated fibroblasts had decreased phosphorylated Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin, and 4E binding protein-1 irrespective of TGF-β1 treatment and had increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 in the presence of TGF-β1 treatment, and had decreased phosphorylated P38 and Smad 2/3 levels in the presence of Ang II. Cardiac fibroblasts with and without testosterone had similar mRNA and protein expressions of total Akt and total Smad 2/3 irrespective of TGF-β1 or Ang II treatment. CONCLUSION Physiological level of testosterone attenuated Akt and Smad 2/3 phosphorylation mediated by TGF-β1 and angiotensin II respectively, which can result in decreased cardiac fibroblast activation and potentially contribute to beneficial effects in heart failure.

Novel Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Modulates Cardiac Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors and Inflammatory Cytokines in Heart Failure

Background: Heart failure (HF) affects cardiac metabolism and inflammation. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a critical role in cardiac pathophysiology. This study investigated whether HDAC inhibition can regulate HF by modifying cardiac inflammation and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isoforms. Methods: Echocardiography, electrocardiography, ELISA and Western blot were performed in rats with isoproterenol-induced HF, with and without orally administered MPT0E014 (a novel HDAC inhibitor, 50 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days). Results: The left ventricles (LVs) of HF rats expressed significantly higher levels of HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, HDAC4 and HDAC6 than the healthy LVs did. HF rats treated with MPT0E014 exhibited improved cardiac fraction shortening with reducing chamber size. The MPT0E014-treated HF LVs exhibited a smaller increase in the expression of interleukin (IL)-6, p22, SMAD2/3, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, PPAR isoforms and circulatory tumor growth factor-β1 than the untreated HF LVs did. Moreover, MPT0E014-treated HF LVs expressed less fibroblast growth factor receptor than untreated HF LVs did. Conclusions: HDAC inhibition can improve cardiac function and attenuate the effects of HF on cardiac metabolism and inflammation, which might contribute to the beneficial effects of HDAC inhibition in HF.

HDAC inhibition modulates cardiac PPARs and fatty acid metabolism in diabetic cardiomyopathy

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) regulate cardiac glucose and lipid homeostasis. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor has anti-inflammatory effects which may play a key role in modulating PPARs and fatty acid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate whether HDAC inhibitor, MPT0E014, can modulate myocardial PPARs, inflammation, and fatty acid metabolism in diabetes mellitus (DM) cardiomyopathy. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, and western blotting were used to evaluate the electrophysiological activity, cardiac structure, fatty acid metabolism, inflammation, and PPAR isoform expressions in the control and streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced DM rats with or without MPT0E014. Compared to control, DM and MPT0E014-treated DM rats had elevated blood glucose levels and lower body weights. However, MPT0E014-treated DM and control rats had smaller left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and shorter QT interval than DM rats. The control and MPT0E014-treated DM rats had greater cardiac PPAR-α and PPAR-δ protein expressions, but less cardiac PPAR-γ than DM rats. Moreover, control and MPT0E014-treated DM rats had lower concentrations of 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase 2α, PPAR-γ coactivator 1α, phosphorylated acetyl CoA carboxylase, cluster of differentiation 36, diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), DGAT2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 protein than DM rats. HDAC inhibition significantly attenuated DM cardiomyopathy through modulation of cardiac PPARS, fatty acid metabolism, and proinflammatory cytokines.

Testosterone regulates cardiac calcium homeostasis with enhanced ryanodine receptor 2 expression through activation of TGF-β

a Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan b Division of Cardiology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan c School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan d Department of Medical Education and Research, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan e Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan f Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

Activated p300 acetyltransferase activity modulates aortic valvular calcification with osteogenic transdifferentiation and downregulation of Klotho

BACKGROUND The calcific aortic valve (AV) disease is a common disease with the unclear mechanism, and optimal pharmacological treatment remains unavailable. Epigenetic modulation by histone acetyltransferase (HAT) plays a critical role in osteogenic transdifferentiation and atherosclerosis. The purposes of this study were to investigate whether HAT contributes to the pathophysiology of AV calcification and assess the therapeutic potential of HAT inhibition. METHODS Porcine valvular interstitial cells (VICs) were treated with osteogenic medium (10ng/mL of tumor necrosis factor-α and 4mmol/L of high phosphate) for 7days. We analyzed the RNA and protein expression of myofibroblastic (α-SMA, vimentin, collagen 1A1, collagen 3, Egr-1, MMP2, MMP9) and osteoblastic markers (osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase) in VICs, and studied the effects of a p300 inhibitor (C646, 10μmol/L) on calcification (Alizarin Red S staining), osteogenesis, HAT activity, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt pathway, and Klotho expression on VICs. RESULTS Osteogenic medium treated VICs had higher expressions of osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase and acetylated lysine-9 of histone H3 (ac-H3K9) than control cells. C646 attenuated osteogenesis of VICs with simultaneous inhibition of the HAT activity of p300. There was neither significant increase of p300 protein nor p300 transcript during the osteogenesis process. Additionally, osteogenic medium treated VICs decreased the expression of Klotho, which is attenuated by C646. CONCLUSIONS Activated HAT activity of p300 modulates AV calcification through osteogenic transdifferentiation of VICs with Klotho modulation. P300 inhibition is a potential therapeutic target for AV calcification.

Reply to the letter “Androgens in cardiac fibrosis and other cardiovascular mechanisms”

a Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan b Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan c Department of Medical Education and Research, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan d Division of Cardiology, Sijhih Cathay General Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan