Dose-dependent effects of thyroid hormone on post-ischemic cardiac performance: potential involvement of Akt and ERK signalings

Mol Cell Biochem. 2012 Apr;363(1-2):235-43. doi: 10.1007/s11010-011-1175-9. Epub 2011 Dec 2.

Abstract

The present study explored the effects of thyroid hormone (TH) treatment on post-ischemic cardiac function and potential implicated mechanisms. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was induced in mice by coronary artery ligation while sham-operated animals served as controls. This procedure resulted in a marked depression of cardiac function and significant reduction in TH levels in plasma. TH was given at a dose aiming to normalize T3 levels in plasma [AMI-TH (A)] and also at higher doses. The group of animals treated with the highest dose of TH, which displayed significantly increased mortality rate was included in the study [AMI-TH (B)]. In AMI-TH (A) mice, TH significantly improved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF%), [27.9% (1.4) in AMI versus 38.0 (3.1) in AMI-TH (A), P < 0.05], and favorably remodeled LV chamber while α-MHC was the dominant isoform expressed. In AMI-TH (B) mice, TH treatment resulted in increased mortality as compared to untreated mice (73% vs 47%, P < 0.05), while the favorable effect of TH was not evident in the survived animals. At the molecular level, TH, at the replacement dose, modestly increased p-Akt levels in the myocardium without any change in p-ERK levels. On the contrary, TH at the higher dose resulted in further increase in p-Akt along with an increase in p-ERK levels. In conclusion, TH appears to have a dose-dependent bimodal effect on post-ischemic cardiac performance and this effect may, at least in part, be mediated by a distinct pattern of activation of Akt and ERK signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism*
  • Heart Rate / drug effects
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Myocardial Contraction / drug effects
  • Myocardial Infarction / blood
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnostic imaging
  • Myocardial Infarction / drug therapy*
  • Myocardial Infarction / enzymology
  • Myocardial Infarction / physiopathology
  • Myocardium / enzymology*
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Myosin Heavy Chains / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Stroke Volume / drug effects
  • Thyroxine / administration & dosage*
  • Thyroxine / blood
  • Triiodothyronine / administration & dosage*
  • Triiodothyronine / blood
  • Ultrasonography
  • Ventricular Function, Left / drug effects*
  • Ventricular Remodeling / drug effects

Substances

  • Myh7 protein, mouse
  • Triiodothyronine
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • Myosin Heavy Chains
  • Thyroxine