Interval training suppresses nod-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome activation to improve cardiac function in myocardial infarction rats by hindering the activation of the transforming growth factor-β1 pathway

J Cardiothorac Surg. 2024 May 10;19(1):283. doi: 10.1186/s13019-024-02756-1.

Abstract

Objective: Myocardial infarction (MI) -induced cardiac dysfunction can be attenuated by aerobic exercises. This study explored the mechanism of interval training (IT) regulating cardiac function in MI rats, providing some theoretical basis for clarifying MI pathogenesis and new ideas for clinically treating MI.

Methods: Rats were subjected to MI modeling, IT intervention, and treatments of the Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) pathway or the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) activators. Cardiac function and hemodynamic indicator alterations were observed. Myocardial pathological damage and fibrosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, MDA content, inflammasome-associated protein levels, and inflammatory factor levels were assessed. The binding between TGF-β1 and receptor was detected.

Results: MI rats exhibited decreased left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricle fractional shortening (LVFS), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), positive and negative derivates max/min (dP/dt max/min) and increased left ventricular end-systolic pressure (LVEDP), a large number of scar areas in myocardium, disordered cell arrangement and extensive fibrotic lesions, increased TGF-β1 and receptor binding, elevated ROS level and MDA content and weakened SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities, and up-regulated NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) and cleaved-caspase-1 levels, while IT intervention caused ameliorated cardiac function. IT inactivated the TGF-β1 pathway to decrease oxidative stress in myocardial tissues of MI rats and inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Activating NLRP3 partially reversed IT-mediated improvement on cardiac function in MI rats.

Conclusion: IT diminished oxidative stress in myocardial tissues and suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation via inactivating the TGF-β1 pathway, thus improving the cardiac function of MI rats.

Keywords: Cardiac function; Interval training; Myocardial infarction; NLRP3; Oxidative stress; TGF-β1.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Inflammasomes* / metabolism
  • Male
  • Myocardial Infarction* / metabolism
  • Myocardial Infarction* / physiopathology
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein* / metabolism
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1* / metabolism
  • Ventricular Function, Left / physiology

Substances

  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • Inflammasomes
  • Nlrp3 protein, rat
  • Reactive Oxygen Species