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Circulation Research. 1999;84:34-42

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Right arrow Biochemistry and metabolism
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(Circulation Research. 1999;84:34-42.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.


Original Contribution

Apoptosis of Cardiac Myocytes in Gs{alpha} Transgenic Mice

Yong-Jian Geng, Yoshihiro Ishikawa, Dorothy E. Vatner, Thomas E. Wagner, Sanford P. Bishop, Stephen F. Vatner, Charles J. Homcy

From the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research Institute (Y-J.G., Y.I., D.E.V., S.F.V.), Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, Pa; Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Oncology Research (T.E.W.), The Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, SC; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine (T.E.W.), Clemson University, Clemson, SC; Department of Pathology (S.P.B.), University of Alabama at Birmingham; and COR Therapeutics, Inc (C.J.H.), South San Francisco, Calif.

Correspondence to Stephen F. Vatner, MD, George J. Magovern Professor and Director, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Allegheny University of Health Sciences, 320 East North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Abstract—The stimulatory GTP-binding protein Gs{alpha} transmits signals from catecholamine receptors to activate adenylyl cyclase and thereby initiate a cascade leading to cardiac chronotropy and inotropy. Transgenic mice overexpressing the Gs {alpha} subunit (Gs{alpha}) selectively in their hearts exhibit increased cardiac contractility in response to ß-adrenergic receptor stimulation. However, with aging, these mice develop a cardiomyopathy. This study sought morphological and biochemical evidence that overexpression of Gs{alpha} is associated with increased myocyte apoptosis in the older animals and to determine whether such overexpression can promote apoptosis of isolated neonatal cardiac myocytes exposed to ß-adrenergic receptor agonists. In the hearts of 15- to 18-month-old Gs{alpha} transgenic mice, histochemistry and electron microscopy illustrated the existence of numerous myocytes with abnormal nuclei embedded in collagen-rich connective tissue. Terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL, for in situ labeling of DNA breaks) demonstrated that {approx}0.6% of myocyte nuclei contained fragmented DNA. Agarose gel electrophoresis provided further biochemical evidence of apoptosis by showing internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Cultured cardiac myocytes from newborn Gs{alpha} transgenic mice showed increased TUNEL staining and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation compared with wild-type controls when treated with the ß-agonist isoproterenol. Thus, enhanced activation of ß-adrenergic signaling by overexpression of Gs{alpha} in the hearts of transgenic mice induces apoptosis of cardiac myocytes. This represents a potential mechanism that may contribute to the development of cardiomyopathy in this model.


Key Words: adenylyl cyclase • ß-adrenergic receptor • catecholamine • programmed cell death • cardiomyopathy




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