You Yang Zhao

ErbB2 is essential in the prevention of dilated cardiomyopathy

Amplification of the gene encoding the ErbB2 (Her2/neu) receptor tyrosine kinase is critical for the progression of several forms of breast cancer. In a large-scale clinical trial, treatment with Herceptin (trastuzumab), a humanized blocking antibody against ErbB2, led to marked improvement in survival. However, cardiomyopathy was uncovered as a mitigating side effect, thereby suggesting an important role for ErbB2 signaling as a modifier of human heart failure. To investigate the physiological role of ErbB2 signaling in the adult heart, we generated mice with a ventricular-restricted deletion of Erbb2. These ErbB2-deficient conditional mutant mice were viable and displayed no overt phenotype. However, physiological analysis revealed the onset of multiple independent parameters of dilated cardiomyopathy, including chamber dilation, wall thinning and decreased contractility. Additionally, cardiomyocytes isolated from these conditional mutants were more susceptible to anthracycline toxicity. ErbB2 signaling in cardiomyocytes is therefore essential for the prevention of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Neuregulins Promote Survival and Growth of Cardiac Myocytes PERSISTENCE OF ErbB2 AND ErbB4 EXPRESSION IN NEONATAL AND ADULT VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES

Neuregulins (i.e. neuregulin-1 (NRG1), also called neu differentiation factor, heregulin, glial growth factor, and acetylcholine receptor-inducing activity) are known to induce growth and differentiation of epithelial, glial, neuronal, and skeletal muscle cells. Unexpectedly, mice with loss of function mutations of NRG1 or of either of two of their cognate receptors, ErbB2 and ErbB4, die during midembryogenesis due to the aborted development of myocardial trabeculae in ventricular muscle. To examine the role of NRG and their receptors in developing and postnatal myocardium, we studied the ability of a soluble NRG1 (recombinant human glial growth factor 2) to promote proliferation, survival, and growth of isolated neonatal and adult rat cardiac myocytes. Both ErbB2 and ErbB4 receptors were found to be expressed by neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes and activated by rhGGF2. rhGGF2 (30 ng/ml) provoked an approximate 2-fold increase in embryonic cardiac myocyte proliferation. rhGGF2 also promoted survival and inhibited apoptosis of subconfluent, serum-deprived myocyte primary cultures and also induced hypertrophic growth in both neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes, which was accompanied by enhanced expression of prepro-atrial natriuretic factor and skeletal α-actin. Moreover, NRG1 mRNA could be detected in coronary microvascular endothelial cell primary cultures prepared from adult rat ventricular muscle. NRG1 expression in these cells was increased by endothelin-1, another locally acting cardiotropic peptide within the heart. The persistent expression of both a neuregulin and its cognate receptors in the postnatal and adult heart suggests a continuing role for neuregulins in the myocardial adaption to physiologic stress or injury.

Defects in caveolin-1 cause dilated cardiomyopathy and pulmonary hypertension in knockout mice

Caveolins are important components of caveolae, which have been implicated in vesicular trafficking and signal transduction. To investigate the in vivo significance of Caveolins in mammals, we generated mice deficient in the caveolin-1 (cav-1) gene and have shown that, in the absence of Cav-1, no caveolae structures were observed in several nonmuscle cell types. Although cav-1−/− mice are viable, histological examination and echocardiography identified a spectrum of characteristics of dilated cardiomyopathy in the left ventricular chamber of the cav-1-deficient hearts, including an enlarged ventricular chamber diameter, thin posterior wall, and decreased contractility. These animals also have marked right ventricular hypertrophy, suggesting a chronic increase in pulmonary artery pressure. Direct measurement of pulmonary artery pressure and histological analysis revealed that the cav-1−/− mice exhibit pulmonary hypertension, which may contribute to the right ventricle hypertrophy. In addition, the loss of Cav-1 leads to a dramatic increase in systemic NO levels. Our studies provided in vivo evidence that cav-1 is essential for the control of systemic NO levels and normal cardiopulmonary function.

Persistent eNOS activation secondary to caveolin-1 deficiency induces pulmonary hypertension in mice and humans through PKG nitration

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an unremitting disease defined by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance leading to right-sided heart failure. Using mice with genetic deletions of caveolin 1 (Cav1) and eNOS (Nos3), we demonstrate here that chronic eNOS activation secondary to loss of caveolin-1 can lead to PH. Consistent with a role for eNOS in the pathogenesis of PH, the pulmonary vascular remodeling and PH phenotype of Cav1-/- mice were absent in Cav1-/-Nos3-/- mice. Further, treatment of Cav1-/- mice with either MnTMPyP (a superoxide scavenger) or l-NAME (a NOS inhibitor) reversed their pulmonary vascular pathology and PH phenotype. Activation of eNOS in Cav1-/- lungs led to the impairment of PKG activity through tyrosine nitration. Moreover, the PH phenotype in Cav1-/- lungs could be rescued by overexpression of PKG-1. The clinical relevance of the data was indicated by the observation that lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension demonstrated increased eNOS activation and PKG nitration and reduced caveolin-1 expression. Together, these data show that loss of caveolin-1 leads to hyperactive eNOS and subsequent tyrosine nitration-dependent impairment of PKG activity, which results in PH. Thus, targeting of PKG nitration represents a potential novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PH.

Caveolin-1 Regulates NF-κB Activation and Lung Inflammatory Response to Sepsis Induced by Lipopolysaccharide

Caveolin-1, the principal structural and signaling protein of caveolae, is implicated in NO-mediated cell signaling events, but its precise role in inflammation is not well understood. Using caveolin-1-knockout (Cav-1−/−) mice, we addressed the role of caveolin-1 in the lung inflammatory response to sepsis induced by i.p. injection of LPS. LPS-challenged wild-type (WT) lungs exhibited significant increases in neutrophil sequestration (∼16-fold), lung microvascular permeability Kf,c (∼5.7-fold), and edema formation (∼1.6-fold). Compared with WT, Cav-1−/− lungs showed marked attenuation of LPS-induced neutrophil sequestration (∼11-fold increase) and inhibition of microvascular barrier breakdown and edema formation. Prevention of lung injury in Cav-1−/− mice was associated with decreased mortality in response to LPS challenge. To address the basis of the reduced inflammation and injury in Cav-1−/− lungs, we examined the role of NO because its plasma concentration is known to be increased in Cav-1−/− mice. Cav-1−/− mouse lungs demonstrated a significant increase in endothelial NO synthase (eNOS)-derived NO production relative to WT, which is consistent with the role of caveolin-1 as a negative regulator of eNOS activity. Cav-1−/− lungs concurrently showed suppression of NF-κB activity and decreased transcription of inducible NO synthase and ICAM-1. Coadministration of LPS with the NO synthase inhibitor nitro-l-arginine in Cav-1−/− mice prevented the suppression of NF-κB activity and restored lung polymorphonuclear leukocyte sequestration in response to LPS challenge. Thus, caveolin-1, through its ability to regulate eNOS-derived NO production, is a crucial determinant of NF-κB activation and the lung inflammatory response to LPS.

Endothelial cell–restricted disruption of FoxM1 impairs endothelial repair following LPS-induced vascular injury

Recovery of endothelial integrity after vascular injury is vital for endothelial barrier function and vascular homeostasis. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of endothelial barrier repair following injury. To investigate the functional role of forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) in the mechanism of endothelial repair, we generated endothelial cell-restricted FoxM1-deficient mice (FoxM1 CKO mice). These mutant mice were viable and exhibited no overt phenotype. However, in response to the inflammatory mediator LPS, FoxM1 CKO mice displayed significantly protracted increase in lung vascular permeability and markedly increased mortality. Following LPS-induced vascular injury, FoxM1 CKO lungs demonstrated impaired cell proliferation in association with sustained expression of p27(Kip1) and decreased expression of cyclin B1 and Cdc25C. Endothelial cells isolated from FoxM1 CKO lungs failed to proliferate, and siRNA-mediated suppression of FoxM1 expression in human endothelial cells resulted in defective cell cycle progression. Deletion of FoxM1 in endothelial cells induced decreased expression of cyclins, Cdc2, and Cdc25C, increased p27(Kip1) expression, and decreased Cdk activities. Thus, FoxM1 plays a critical role in the mechanism of the restoration of endothelial barrier function following vascular injury. These data suggest that impairment in FoxM1 activation may be an important determinant of the persistent vascular barrier leakiness and edema formation associated with inflammatory diseases.

Nonmuscle myosin light-chain kinase mediates neutrophil transmigration in sepsis-induced lung inflammation by activating β2 integrins

Nonmuscle myosin light-chain kinase (MYLK) mediates increased lung vascular endothelial permeability in lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammatory injury, the chief cause of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. In a lung injury model, we demonstrate here that MYLK was also essential for neutrophil transmigration, but that this function was mostly independent of myosin II regulatory light chain, the only known substrate of MYLK. Instead, MYLK in neutrophils was required for the recruitment and activation of the tyrosine kinase Pyk2, which mediated full activation of β2 integrins. Our results demonstrate that MYLK-mediated activation of β2 integrins through Pyk2 links β2 integrin signaling to the actin motile machinery of neutrophils.

Neuregulin Signaling in the Heart: Dynamic Targeting of erbB4 to Caveolar Microdomains in Cardiac Myocytes

Two of the neuregulins (NRG1 and NRG2) and their receptors (erbB2 and erbB4) are essential for normal cardiac development and can mediate hypertrophic growth and enhance survival of embryonic, postnatal, and adult rat ventricular myocytes. The expression of erbB4, the predominant NRG receptor in postnatal rat ventricular muscle, declines after midembryogenesis, and its expression is limited to cardiac myocytes. A full-length erbB4 rat cDNA isolated from neonatal ventricular muscle was found to be highly homologous to human erbB4 and contained a caveolin binding motif within the cytoplasmic kinase domain. Using the complementary techniques of detergent-free density-gradient ultracentrifugation of myocyte lysates and coimmunoprecipitation of erbB4 and caveolin-3, the caveolin isoform expressed in cardiac myocytes, erbB4 could be localized (using both approaches) to caveolar microdomains. Moreover, addition of a soluble NRG1, recombinant human glial growth factor 2, resulted in rapid (2-minute) translocation of erbB4 out of caveolar microdomain in cardiac myocytes. Thus, erbB4 is dynamically targeted to caveolar microdomains within cardiac myocytes. Its rapid translocation after NRG1 binding may contribute to receptor desensitization in the continuous presence of ligand.

Caveolin-1-eNOS signaling promotes p190RhoGAP-A nitration and endothelial permeability.

Caveolin-1–mediated inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling is essential for adherens junction integrity and endothelial permeability homeostasis.

Caveolin-1 Deficiency Dampens Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signaling through eNOS Activation

Caveolin-1 (Cav1), the scaffolding protein of caveolae, has been shown to play an important role in host defense and inflammation. However, the underlying molecular basis for these actions remains elusive. Here, using double mutant mice with genetic deletions of Cav1 and NOS3, we show that chronic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation secondary to loss of Cav1 serves a crucial immunomodulatory function through tyrosine nitration-mediated impairment of interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase (IRAK)4, a signaling component required for nuclear factor-kappaB activation and innate immunity. We observed an eNOS-dependent decrease in the plasma concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and marked improvement of survival in Cav1(-/-) mice following lipopolysaccharide challenge. Activation of eNOS secondary to loss of Cav1 resulted in decreased activation of nuclear factor-kappaB in response to lipopolysaccharide challenge, and thereby protected the animals from lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury. IRAK4 was prominently nitrated in Cav1-deficient endothelial cells, whereas eNOS deletion in Cav1-deficient endothelial cells resulted in marked decrease of IRAK4 nitration and restored the inflammatory response after lipopolysaccharide challenge. Furthermore, in vitro nitration of IRAK4 resulted in impairment of the kinase activity. Thus, eNOS activation secondary to loss of Cav1 signals dampening of the innate immune response to lipopolysaccharide through IRAK4 nitration and the resultant impairment of kinase activity, and consequently mitigates inflammatory lung injury.