Irisin plays a pivotal role to protect the heart against ischemia and reperfusion injury

J Cell Physiol. 2017 Dec;232(12):3775-3785. doi: 10.1002/jcp.25857. Epub 2017 May 3.

Abstract

Irisin, a newly identified hormone, is critical to modulating body metabolism, thermogenesis and reducing oxidative stresses. However, whether irisin protects the heart against myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unknown. In this study, we determine the effect of irisin on myocardial I/R injury in the Langendorff perfused heart and cultured myocytes. Adult C57/BL6 mice were treated with irisin (100 mg/kg) or vehicle for 30 min to elicit preconditioning. The isolated hearts were subjected to 30 min ischemia followed by 30 min reperfusion. Left ventricular function was measured and infarction size were determined using by tetrazolium staining. Western blot was employed to determine myocardial SOD-1, active-caspase 3, annexin V, p38, and phospho-p38. H9c2 cardiomyoblasts were exposed to hypoxia and reoxygenation for assessment of the effects of irisin on mitochondrial respiration and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Irisin treatment produced remarkable improvements in ventricular functional recovery, as evident by the increase in RPP and attenuation in LVEDP. As compared to the vehicle treatment, irisin resulted in a marked reduction of myocardial infarct size. Notably, irisin treatment increased SOD-1 and p38 phosphorylation, but suppressed levels of active-caspase 3, cleaved PARP, and annexin V. In cardiomyoblasts exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation, irisin treatment significantly attenuated hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), as indicated by the reduction of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and apoptotic cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, irisin treatments suppressed the opening of mPTP, mitochondrial swelling, and protected mitochondria function. Our results indicate that irisin serves as a novel approach to eliciting cardioprotection, which is associated with the improvement of mitochondrial function.

Keywords: cardioprotection; heart; irisin; ischemia/reperfusion.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Annexin A5 / metabolism
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cardiotonic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Caspase 3 / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cytoprotection
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Fibronectins / pharmacology*
  • Isolated Heart Preparation
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mitochondria, Heart / drug effects
  • Mitochondria, Heart / metabolism
  • Mitochondria, Heart / pathology
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins / drug effects
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore
  • Myocardial Contraction / drug effects*
  • Myocardial Infarction / metabolism
  • Myocardial Infarction / pathology
  • Myocardial Infarction / physiopathology
  • Myocardial Infarction / prevention & control*
  • Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / metabolism
  • Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / pathology
  • Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / physiopathology
  • Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / prevention & control*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation
  • Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Superoxide Dismutase-1 / metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Ventricular Function, Left / drug effects*
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Annexin A5
  • Cardiotonic Agents
  • Fibronectins
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore
  • Sod1 protein, mouse
  • Superoxide Dismutase-1
  • Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Casp3 protein, mouse
  • Caspase 3