Attenuation of Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by endothelin-converting enzyme-1 ablation through prevention of mitochondrial biogenesis impairment

Hypertension. 2010 Mar;55(3):738-46. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.141903. Epub 2010 Jan 25.

Abstract

Doxorubicin is an effective antineoplastic drug; however, its clinical benefit is limited by its cardiotoxicity. The inhibition of mitochondrial biogenesis is responsible for the pathogenesis of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy. Endothelin-1 is a vasoconstrictive peptide produced from big endothelin-1 by endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) and a multifunctional peptide. Although plasma endothelin-1 levels are elevated in patients treated with doxorubicin, the effect of ECE-1 inhibition on doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy is not understood. Cardiomyopathy was induced by a single IP injection of doxorubicin (15 mg/kg). Five days after treatment, cardiac function, histological change, and mitochondrial biogenesis were assessed. Echocardiography revealed that cardiac systolic function was significantly deteriorated in doxorubicin-treated wild-type (ECE-1(+/+)) mice compared with ECE-1 heterozygous knockout (ECE-1(+/-)) mice. In histological analysis, cardiomyocyte size in ECE-1(+/-) mice was larger, and cardiomyocyte damage was less. In ECE-1(+/+) mice, tissue adenosine triphosphate content and mitochondrial superoxide dismutase were decreased, and reactive oxygen species generation was increased compared with ECE-1(+/-) mice. Cardiac mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid copy number and expressions of key regulators for mitochondrial biogenesis were decreased in ECE-1(+/+) mice. Cardiac cGMP content and serum atrial natriuretic peptide concentration were increased in ECE-1(+/-) mice. In conclusion, the inhibition of ECE-1 attenuated doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by inhibiting the impairment of cardiac mitochondrial biogenesis. This was mainly induced by decreased endothelin-1 levels and an enhanced atrial natriuretic peptide-cGMP pathway. Thus, the inhibition of ECE-1 may be a new therapeutic strategy for doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / toxicity*
  • Antihypertensive Agents / pharmacology
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / genetics*
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Atrial Natriuretic Factor / metabolism
  • Blood Pressure / drug effects
  • Cardiomyopathies* / chemically induced
  • Cardiomyopathies* / drug therapy
  • Cardiomyopathies* / prevention & control
  • Cyclic GMP / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Doxorubicin / toxicity*
  • Echocardiography
  • Endothelin-1 / metabolism
  • Endothelin-Converting Enzymes
  • Heart Rate / drug effects
  • Male
  • Metalloendopeptidases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Metalloendopeptidases / genetics*
  • Metalloendopeptidases / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Peptides, Cyclic / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Endothelin-1
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Doxorubicin
  • Atrial Natriuretic Factor
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • Metalloendopeptidases
  • Ece1 protein, mouse
  • Endothelin-Converting Enzymes
  • Cyclic GMP
  • cyclo(Trp-Asp-Pro-Val-Leu)