Stem cell antigen 1 protects against cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis after pressure overload

Hypertension. 2012 Sep;60(3):802-9. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.112.198895. Epub 2012 Jul 30.

Abstract

Stem cell antigen (Sca) 1, a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-anchored protein localized to lipid rafts, is upregulated in the heart during myocardial infarction and renovascular hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy. It has been suggested that Sca-1 plays an important role in myocardial infarction. To investigate the role of Sca-1 in cardiac hypertrophy, we performed aortic banding in Sca-1 cardiac-specific transgenic mice, Sca-1 knockout mice, and their wild-type littermates. Cardiac hypertrophy was evaluated by echocardiographic, hemodynamic, pathological, and molecular analyses. Sca-1 expression was upregulated and detected in cardiomyocytes after aortic banding surgery in wild-type mice. Sca-1 transgenic mice exhibited significantly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis and preserved cardiac function compared with wild-type mice after 4 weeks of aortic banding. Conversely, Sca-1 knockout dramatically worsened cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction after pressure overload. Furthermore, aortic banding-induced activation of Src, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and Akt was blunted by Sca-1 overexpression and enhanced by Sca-1 deficiency. Our results suggest that Sca-1 protects against cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis via regulation of multiple pathways in cardiomyocytes.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Ly / genetics
  • Antigens, Ly / physiology*
  • Cardiomegaly / diagnostic imaging
  • Cardiomegaly / physiopathology*
  • Cardiomegaly / prevention & control*
  • Echocardiography
  • Fibrosis / physiopathology
  • Fibrosis / prevention & control
  • Heart / physiopathology*
  • Hypertension / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / deficiency
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / metabolism
  • Models, Animal
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Myocardium / pathology*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / pathology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Up-Regulation
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, Ly
  • Ly6a protein, mouse
  • Membrane Proteins
  • src-Family Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases