Higher mortality in heterozygous neuropilin-1 mice after cardiac pressure overload

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 May 30;370(2):317-21. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.03.096. Epub 2008 Mar 31.

Abstract

We previously identified that neuropilin-1 (NP-1) was a co-receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and confirmed that NP-1 knockout mice were embryonic lethal due to impairment of vascular development, while VEGF was reported to be involved in the progression of heart failure. However, it is unknown whether NP-1 has any influence on cardiac function, and it also remains poor understood concerning cardiac expression of NP-1 and its interaction with other VEGF receptors in the heart. Here, we first showed that NP-1 heterozygous mice had significantly higher mortality due to either acute or chronic heart failure in response to left ventricular pressure overload. We also observed that NP-1 mRNA and protein were expressed in both neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and adult murine heart. Furthermore, we found that NP-1 formed complexes with VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, respectively, in cardiomyocytes. These findings suggest that NP-1 should play beneficial role in heart failure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Constriction
  • Heart Failure / genetics
  • Heart Failure / metabolism
  • Heart Failure / physiopathology*
  • Heart Ventricles / metabolism
  • Heart Ventricles / physiopathology*
  • Heterozygote
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Neuropilin-1 / genetics
  • Neuropilin-1 / metabolism*
  • Pressure
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / metabolism

Substances

  • Neuropilin-1
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2