The mechanisms of heart failure remain largely elusive. The present study determined a causative role of DNA methylation in norepinephrine-induced heart hypertrophy and reduced cardiac contractility.
...Male adult rats were subjected to norepinephrine infusion for 28 days, some of which were treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine for the last 6 days of norepinephrine treatment. At the end of the treatment, hearts were isolated and left ventricular morphology and function as well as molecular assessments was determined. Animals receiving chronic norepinephrine infusion showed a sustained increase in blood pressure, heightened global genomic DNA methylation and changes in the expression of subsets of proteins in the left ventricle, left ventricular hypertrophy, and impaired contractility with an increase in the susceptibility to ischaemic injury. Treatment of animals with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine for the last 6 days of norepinephrine infusion reversed norepinephrine-induced hypermethylation, corrected protein expression patterns, and rescued the phenotype of heart hypertrophy and failure.
The findings provide novel evidence of a causative role of increased DNA methylation in programming of heart hypertrophy and reduced cardiac contractility, and suggest potential therapeutic targets of demethylation in the treatment of failing heart and ischaemic heart disease.
Oxidative stress (OS) influences vascular function and structure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). It is also responsible for the decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability that influences ...endothelial vasodilation. The effects of high-intensity exercise on endothelial function and ultrastructure in hypertension remain unknown. Thus, this study investigated the effects of moderate- and high-intensity exercise on hypertension-associated endothelial dysfunction and ultrastructural remodeling. Moderate-intensity (SHR-M) and high-intensity (SHRH) aerobic exercise training groups were compared in age-matched sedentary SHRs (SHRC) and normotensive Wistar–Kyoto rats (WKY-C). The results showed that the endothelial ultrastructure was impaired in the SHR-H and SHR-C groups. Glutathione peroxidase levels were significantly increased in the SHR-M group compared to the SHR-C group. MDA content was higher in the SHR-H group than in the SHR-C group, but the levels of antioxidant enzymes did not increase accordingly. Apocynin scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) ameliorated endothelium-dependent vasodilator function in the SHR-H group. However, the SHR-M and WKY-C groups abolished the increased vasodilation induced by apocynin. L-NAME, a NO synthase inhibitor, was applied to isolated mesenteric arteries (MAs) to evaluate NO contribution. Moderate-intensity exercise reversed the decreased NO contribution to MAs in hypertension, and high-intensity exercise aggravated this change. These data suggest that moderate-intensity exercise ameliorated adverse remodeling of the endothelial ultrastructure and function in hypertension by decreasing oxidative stress and increasing NO contribution. However, high-intensity exercise exacerbated all of these changes by increasing OS and ROS contribution, and decreasing NO contribution.
Rationale:
Epidemiological studies demonstrate a clear association of adverse intrauterine environment with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease in adulthood. Hypoxia is a common stress to the ...fetus and results in decreased protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) expression in the heart and increased cardiac vulnerability to ischemia and reperfusion injury in adult offspring in rats.
Objectives:
The present study tested the hypothesis that fetal hypoxia-induced methylation of cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides at the PKCε promoter is repressive and contributes to PKCε gene repression in the heart of adult offspring.
Methods and Results:
Hypoxic treatment of pregnant rats from days 15 to 21 of gestation resulted in significant decreases in PKCε protein and mRNA in fetal hearts. Similar results were obtained in ex vivo hypoxic treatment of isolated fetal hearts and rat embryonic ventricular myocyte cell line H9c2. Increased methylation of PKCε promoter at SP1 binding sites, −346 and −268, were demonstrated in both fetal hearts of maternal hypoxia and H9c2 cells treated with 1% O
2
for 24 hours. Whereas hypoxia had no significant effect on the binding affinity of SP1 to the unmethylated sites in H9c2 cells, hearts of fetuses and adult offspring, methylation of both SP1 sites reduced SP1 binding. The addition of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine blocked the hypoxia-induced increase in methylation of both SP1 binding sites and restored PKCε mRNA and protein to the control levels. In hearts of both fetuses and adult offspring, hypoxia-induced methylation of SP1 sites was significantly greater in males than in females, and decreased PKCε mRNA was seen only in males. In fetal hearts, there was significantly higher abundance of estrogen receptor α and β isoforms in females than in males. Both estrogen receptor α and β interacted with the SP1 binding sites in the fetal heart, which may explain the sex differences in SP1 methylation in the fetal heart. Additionally, selective activation of PKCε restored the hypoxia-induced cardiac vulnerability to ischemic injury in offspring.
Conclusions:
The findings demonstrate a direct effect of hypoxia on epigenetic modification of DNA methylation and programming of cardiac PKCε gene repression in a sex-dependent manner, linking fetal hypoxia and pathophysiological consequences in the hearts of adult offspring.
Nicotine exposure either from maternal cigarette smoking or e-cigarette vaping is one of the most common risk factors for neurodevelopmental disease in offspring. Previous studies revealed that ...perinatal nicotine exposure programs a sensitive phenotype to neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in postnatal life, yet the underlying mechanisms remain undetermined. The goal of the present study was to determine the regulatory role of H19/miR-181a/ATG5 signaling in perinatal nicotine exposure-induced development of neonatal brain hypoxic-ischemic sensitive phenotype. Nicotine was administered to pregnant rats via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. All experiments were conducted in offspring pups at postnatal day 9 (P9). Perinatal nicotine exposure significantly enhanced expression of miR-181a but attenuated autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5) mRNA and protein levels in neonatal brains. Of interest, miR-181a mimicking administration in the absence of nicotine exposure also produced dose-dependent increased hypoxia/ischemia (H/I)-induced brain injury associated with a decreased ATG5 expression, closely resembling perinatal nicotine exposure-mediated effects. Locked nucleic acid (LNA)-miR-181a antisense reversed perinatal nicotine-mediated increase in H/I-induced brain injury and normalized aberrant ATG5 expression. In addition, nicotine exposure attenuated a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 expression level. Knockdown of H19 via siRNA increased the miR-181a level and enhanced H/I-induced neonatal brain injury. In conclusion, the present findings provide a novel mechanism that aberrant alteration of the H19/miR-181a/AGT5 axis plays a vital role in perinatal nicotine exposure-mediated ischemia-sensitive phenotype in offspring and suggests promising molecular targets for intervention and rescuing nicotine-induced adverse programming effects in offspring.
Perinatal nicotine exposure downregulated angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) in the developing brain and increased brain vulnerability to hypoxic–ischemic injury in male neonatal rats. We tested ...the hypothesis that site-specific CpG methylation at AT2R gene promoter contributes to the increased vulnerability of brain injury in the neonate. Nicotine was administered to pregnant rats from day 4 of gestation to day 10 after birth. Brain hypoxic–ischemic injury was induced in day 10 male pups. CpG methylation at AT2R promoter was determined in the brain by quantitative methylation-specific PCR. Nicotine exposure significantly increased the methylation of a single CpG−52 locus near the TATA-box at AT2R promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that the methylation of CpG−52 significantly decreased the binding affinity of TATA-binding protein (TBP). Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay further demonstrated an increase in the binding of a methyl-binding protein and a decrease in TBP binding to AT2R promoter in vivo in neonatal brains of nicotine-treated animals. This resulted in AT2R gene repression in the brain. Intracerebroventricular administration of a demethylating agent 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine abrogated the enhanced methylation of CpG−52, rescued the TBP binding, and restored AT2R gene expression. Of importance, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine reversed the nicotine-increased vulnerability of brain hypoxic–ischemic injury in the neonate. The finding provides mechanistic evidence of increased promoter methylation and resultant AT2R gene repression in the developing brain linking perinatal stress and a pathophysiological consequence of heightened vulnerability of brain hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy in the neonate.
•Perinatal nicotine exposure induces promoter methylation of AT2R gene in the developing brain.•Increased promoter methylation represses AT2R gene expression in the brain.•Inhibition of DNA methylation restores nicotine-induced AT2R gene repression.•Demethylating agent rescues nicotine-mediated heightened HIE vulnerability in neonatal brains.
Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy disorder. However, its pathogenesis remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that gestational hypoxia induces preeclampsia-like symptoms via heightened ...endothelin-1 (ET-1) signaling. Time-dated pregnant and nonpregnant rats were divided into normoxic and hypoxic (10.5% O2 from the gestational day 6–21) groups. Chronic hypoxia had no significant effect on blood pressure or proteinuria in nonpregnant rats but significantly increased blood pressure on day 12 (systolic blood pressure, 111.7±6.1 versus 138.5±3.5 mm Hg; P=0.004) and day 20 (systolic blood pressure, 103.4±4.6 versus 125.1±6.1 mm Hg; P=0.02) in pregnant rats and urine protein (μg/μL)/creatinine (nmol/μL) ratio on day 20 (0.10±0.01 versus 0.20±0.04; P=0.04), as compared with the normoxic control group. This was accompanied with asymmetrical fetal growth restriction. Hypoxia resulted in impaired trophoblast invasion and uteroplacental vascular remodeling. In addition, plasma ET-1 levels, as well as the abundance of prepro–ET-1 mRNA, ET-1 type A receptor and angiotensin II type 1 receptor protein in the kidney and placenta were significantly increased in the chronic hypoxic group, as compared with the control animals. Treatment with the ET-1 type A receptor antagonist, BQ123, during the course of hypoxia exposure significantly attenuated the hypoxia-induced hypertension and other preeclampsia-like features. The results demonstrate that chronic hypoxia during gestation induces preeclamptic symptoms in pregnant rats via heightened ET-1 and ET-1 type A receptor–mediated signaling, providing a molecular mechanism linking gestational hypoxia and increased risk of preeclampsia.
The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing worldwide. However, whether and how GDM exposure induces fetal programming of adult cardiac dysfunctional phenotype, especially the ...underlying epigenetic molecular mechanisms and theranostics remain unclear. To address this problem, we developed a late GDM rat model.
Pregnant rats were made diabetic on day 12 of gestation by streptozotocin (STZ). Experiments were conducted in 6 weeks old offspring.
There were significant increases in ischemia-induced cardiac infarction and gender-dependent left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in male offspring in GDM group as compared to controls. Exposure to GDM enhanced ROS level and caused a global DNA methylation in offspring cardiomyocytes. GDM attenuated cardiac Sirt 1 protein and p-Akt/Akt levels, but enhanced autophagy-related proteins expression (Atg 5 and LC3 II/LC3 I) as compared to controls. Ex-vivo treatment of DNA methylation inhibitor, 5-Aza directly inhibited Dnmt3A and enhanced Sirt 1 protein expression in fetal hearts. Furthermore, treatment with antioxidant, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) in offspring reversed GDM-mediated DNA hypermethylation, Sirt1 repression and autophagy-related gene protein overexpression in the hearts, and rescued GDM-induced deterioration in heart ischemic injury and LV dysfunction.
Our data indicated that exposure to GDM induced offspring cardiac oxidative stress and DNA hypermethylation, resulting in an epigenetic down-regulation of Sirt1 gene and aberrant development of heart ischemia-sensitive phenotype, which suggests that Sirt 1-mediated signaling is the potential therapeutic target for the heart ischemic disease in offspring.
Perinatal nicotine exposure caused a sex-dependent heightened vascular response to angiotensin II (Ang II) and increased blood pressure in adult male but not in female rat offspring. The present ...study tested the hypothesis that estrogen normalizes perinatal nicotine–induced hypertensive response to Ang II in female offspring. Nicotine was administered to pregnant rats via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps from day 4 of gestation to day 10 after birth. Ovariectomy and 17β-estradiol replacement were performed on 8-week-old female offspring. At 5 months of age, Ang II–induced blood pressure responses were not changed by nicotine treatment in the sham groups. In contrast, nicotine significantly enhanced Ang II–induced blood pressure responses as compared with saline control in the ovariectomy groups, which was associated with increased Ang II–induced vascular contractions. These heightened responses were abrogated by 17β-estradiol replacement. In addition, nicotine enhanced Ang II receptor type I, NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase type 2 protein expressions, and reactive oxygen species production of aortas as compared with saline control in the ovariectomy groups. Antioxidative agents, both apocynin and tempol, inhibited Ang II–induced vascular contraction and eliminated the differences of contractions between nicotine-treated and control ovariectomy rats. These findings support a key role of estrogen in the sex difference of perinatal nicotine–induced programming of vascular dysfunction, and suggest that estrogen may counteract heightened reactive oxygen species production, leading to protection of females from development programming of hypertensive phenotype in adulthood.
Previous studies have reported that perinatal nicotine exposure causes development of hypertensive phenotype in adult offspring.
The present study was to determine whether perinatal nicotine exposure ...causes an epigenetic programming of vascular Angiotensin II receptors (ATRs) and their-mediated signaling pathway leading to heightened vascular contraction in adult offspring.
Nicotine was administered to pregnant rats via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps from day 4 of gestation to day 10 after birth. The experiments were conducted at 5 months of age of male offspring.
Nicotine treatment enhanced Angitension II (Ang II)-induced vasoconstriction and 20-kDa myosin light chain phosphorylation (MLC20-P) levels. In addition, the ratio of Ang II-induced tension/MLC-P was also significantly increased in nicotine-treated group compared with the saline group. Nicotine-mediated enhanced constrictions were not directly dependent on the changes of Ca2+i concentrations but dependent on Ca2+ sensitivity. Perinatal nicotine treatment significantly enhanced vascular ATR type 1a (AT1aR) but not AT1bR mRNA levels in adult rat offspring, which was associated with selective decreases in DNA methylation at AT1aR promoter. Contrast to the effect on AT1aR, nicotine decreased the mRNA levels of vascular AT2R gene, which was associated with selective increases in DNA methylation at AT2R promoter.
Our results indicated that perinatal nicotine exposure caused an epigenetic programming of vascular ATRs and their-mediated signaling pathways, and suggested that differential regulation of AT1R/AT2R gene expression through DNA methylation mechanism may be involved in nicotine-induced heightened vasoconstriction and development of hypertensive phenotype in adulthood.
Melatonin, a neuroendocrine hormone synthesized primarily by the pineal gland, provides various cardiovascular benefits. Regular physical activity is an effective non-pharmacological therapy for the ...prevention and control of hypertension. In the present study, we hypothesized that melatonin plays an important role in the aerobic exercise-induced increase of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in the mesenteric arteries (MAs) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) in a melatonergic receptor-dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the vascular mechanical and functional properties in normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY), SHRs, and SHRs that were trained on a treadmill (SHR-EX) for 8 weeks. Exercise training produced a significant reduction in blood pressure and heart rate in SHR, which was significantly attenuated by the intraperitoneal administration of luzindole, a non-selective melatonin receptor (MT1/MT2) antagonist. Serum melatonin levels in the SHR group were significantly lower than those in the WKY group at 8:00-9:00 and 21:00-22:00, while exercise training reduced this difference. Endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation induced by acetylcholine was significantly blunted in SHR compared with age-matched WKY. Both exercise training and luzindole ameliorated this endothelium-dependent impairment of relaxation in hypertension. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed that the protein expression of the MT2 receptor and eNOS, as well as their colocalization in the endothelial cell layer in SHRs, was significantly decreased; as exercise training suppressed this reduction. These results provide evidence that regular exercise has a beneficial effect on improving endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in MAs, in which melatonin plays a critical role by acting on MT2 receptors to increase NO production and/or NO bioavailability.
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