Probenecid treatment improves outcomes in a novel mouse model of peripartum cardiomyopathy

PLoS One. 2020 Mar 27;15(3):e0230386. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230386. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Probenecid has been used for decades in the treatment of gout but recently has also been found to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure via stimulation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) channel in cardiomyocytes. This study tested the use of probenecid on a novel mouse model of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) as a potential treatment option. A human mutation of the human heat shock protein 20 (Hsp20-S10F) in mice has been recently shown to result in cardiomyopathy, when exposed to pregnancies. Treatment with either probenecid or control sucrose water was initiated after the first pregnancy in both wild type and Hsp20-S10F mice. Serial echocardiography was performed during subsequent pregnancies and hearts were collected after the third pregnancies for staining and molecular analysis. Hsp20-S10F mice treated with probenecid had decreased mortality, hypertrophy, TRPV2 expression and molecular parameters of heart failure. Probenecid treatment also decreased apoptosis as evidenced by an increase in the level of Bcl-2/Bax. Probenecid improved survival in a novel mouse model of PPCM and may be an appropriate therapy for humans with PPCM as it has a proven safety and tolerability in patients with heart failure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Calcium Channels / genetics*
  • Cardiomyopathies / diagnostic imaging
  • Cardiomyopathies / drug therapy*
  • Cardiomyopathies / genetics
  • Cardiomyopathies / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Echocardiography
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • HSP20 Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics*
  • Heart Failure / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Failure / drug therapy*
  • Heart Failure / genetics
  • Heart Failure / pathology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / pathology
  • Peripartum Period / drug effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / drug therapy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / genetics
  • Probenecid / pharmacology*
  • TRPV Cation Channels / genetics*

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • HSP20 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • TRPV Cation Channels
  • Trpv2 protein, mouse
  • Probenecid

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Grant ES-24744 (To J. Rubinstein). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. www.niehs.nih.gov.