1.Potassium dehydroandrographolide succinate regulates the MyD88/CDH13 signaling pathway to enhance vascular injury-induced pathological vascular remodeling.
Qiru GUO ; Jiali LI ; Zheng WANG ; Xiao WU ; Zhong JIN ; Song ZHU ; Hongfei LI ; Delai ZHANG ; Wangming HU ; Huan XU ; Lan YANG ; Liangqin SHI ; Yong WANG
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2024;22(1):62-74
Pathological vascular remodeling is a hallmark of various vascular diseases. Previous research has established the significance of andrographolide in maintaining gastric vascular homeostasis and its pivotal role in modulating endothelial barrier dysfunction, which leads to pathological vascular remodeling. Potassium dehydroandrographolide succinate (PDA), a derivative of andrographolide, has been clinically utilized in the treatment of inflammatory diseases precipitated by viral infections. This study investigates the potential of PDA in regulating pathological vascular remodeling. The effect of PDA on vascular remodeling was assessed through the complete ligation of the carotid artery in C57BL/6 mice. Experimental approaches, including rat aortic primary smooth muscle cell culture, flow cytometry, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay, Boyden chamber cell migration assay, spheroid sprouting assay, and Matrigel-based tube formation assay, were employed to evaluate the influence of PDA on the proliferation and motility of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Molecular docking simulations and co-immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to examine protein interactions. The results revealed that PDA exacerbates vascular injury-induced pathological remodeling, as evidenced by enhanced neointima formation. PDA treatment significantly increased the proliferation and migration of SMCs. Further mechanistic studies disclosed that PDA upregulated myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) expression in SMCs and interacted with T-cadherin (CDH13). This interaction augmented proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix deposition, culminating in pathological vascular remodeling. Our findings underscore the critical role of PDA in the regulation of pathological vascular remodeling, mediated through the MyD88/CDH13 signaling pathway.
Mice
;
Rats
;
Animals
;
Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism*
;
Vascular Remodeling
;
Cell Proliferation
;
Vascular System Injuries/pathology*
;
Carotid Artery Injuries/pathology*
;
Molecular Docking Simulation
;
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular
;
Cell Movement
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Signal Transduction
;
Succinates/pharmacology*
;
Potassium/pharmacology*
;
Cells, Cultured
;
Diterpenes
;
Cadherins
2.Activation of renal outer medullary potassium channel in the renal distal convoluted tubule by high potassium diet.
Xue LI ; Peng-Hui LI ; Yu XIAO ; Kun ZHAO ; Hong-Ye ZHAO ; Chang-Zhu LU ; Xiao-Juan QI ; Rui-Min GU
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2023;75(2):188-196
Renal outer medullary potassium (ROMK) channel is an important K+ excretion channel in the body, and K+ secreted by the ROMK channels is most or all source of urinary potassium. Previous studies focused on the ROMK channels of thick ascending limb (TAL) and collecting duct (CD), while there were few studies on the involvement of ROMK channels of the late distal convoluted tubule (DCT2) in K+ excretion. The purpose of the present study was mainly to record the ROMK channels current in renal DCT2 and observe the effect of high potassium diet on the ROMK channels by using single channel and whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. The results showed that a small conductance channel current with a conductance of 39 pS could be recorded in the apical membrane of renal DCT2, and it could be blocked by Tertiapin-Q (TPNQ), a ROMK channel inhibitor. The high potassium diet significantly increased the probability of ROMK channel current occurrence in the apical membrane of renal DCT2, and enhanced the activity of ROMK channel, compared to normal potassium diet (P < 0.01). Western blot results also demonstrated that the high potassium diet significantly up-regulated the protein expression levels of ROMK channels and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), and down-regulated the protein expression level of Na+-Cl- cotransporter (NCC). Moreover, the high potassium diet significantly increased urinary potassium excretion. These results suggest that the high potassium diet may activate the ROMK channels in the apical membrane of renal DCT2 and increase the urinary potassium excretion by up-regulating the expression of renal ROMK channels.
Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying/metabolism*
;
Kidney Tubules, Distal/metabolism*
;
Potassium/metabolism*
;
Epithelial Sodium Channels/metabolism*
;
Diet
3.Regulation of kidney on potassium balance and its clinical significance.
Qiong-Hong XIE ; Chuan-Ming HAO
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2023;75(2):216-230
Virtually all of the dietary potassium intake is absorbed in the intestine, over 90% of which is excreted by the kidneys regarded as the most important organ of potassium excretion in the body. The renal excretion of potassium results primarily from the secretion of potassium by the principal cells in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron (ASDN), which is coupled to the reabsorption of Na+ by the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) located at the apical membrane of principal cells. When Na+ is transferred from the lumen into the cell by ENaC, the negativity in the lumen is relatively increased. K+ efflux, H+ efflux, and Cl- influx are the 3 pathways that respond to Na+ influx, that is, all these 3 pathways are coupled to Na+ influx. In general, Na+ influx is equal to the sum of K+ efflux, H+ efflux, and Cl- influx. Therefore, any alteration in Na+ influx, H+ efflux, or Cl- influx can affect K+ efflux, thereby affecting the renal K+ excretion. Firstly, Na+ influx is affected by the expression level of ENaC, which is mainly regulated by the aldosterone-mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) pathway. ENaC gain-of-function mutations (Liddle syndrome, also known as pseudohyperaldosteronism), MR gain-of-function mutations (Geller syndrome), increased aldosterone levels (primary/secondary hyperaldosteronism), and increased cortisol (Cushing syndrome) or deoxycorticosterone (hypercortisolism) which also activate MR, can lead to up-regulation of ENaC expression, and increased Na+ reabsorption, K+ excretion, as well as H+ excretion, clinically manifested as hypertension, hypokalemia and alkalosis. Conversely, ENaC inactivating mutations (pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1b), MR inactivating mutations (pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1a), or decreased aldosterone levels (hypoaldosteronism) can cause decreased reabsorption of Na+ and decreased excretion of both K+ and H+, clinically manifested as hypotension, hyperkalemia, and acidosis. The ENaC inhibitors amiloride and Triamterene can cause manifestations resembling pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1b; MR antagonist spironolactone causes manifestations similar to pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1a. Secondly, Na+ influx is regulated by the distal delivery of water and sodium. Therefore, when loss-of-function mutations in Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC) expressed in the thick ascending limb of the loop and in Na+-Cl- cotransporter (NCC) expressed in the distal convoluted tubule (Bartter syndrome and Gitelman syndrome, respectively) occur, the distal delivery of water and sodium increases, followed by an increase in the reabsorption of Na+ by ENaC at the collecting duct, as well as increased excretion of K+ and H+, clinically manifested as hypokalemia and alkalosis. Loop diuretics acting as NKCC inhibitors and thiazide diuretics acting as NCC inhibitors can cause manifestations resembling Bartter syndrome and Gitelman syndrome, respectively. Conversely, when the distal delivery of water and sodium is reduced (e.g., Gordon syndrome, also known as pseudohypoaldosteronism type 2), it is manifested as hypertension, hyperkalemia, and acidosis. Finally, when the distal delivery of non-chloride anions increases (e.g., proximal renal tubular acidosis and congenital chloride-losing diarrhea), the influx of Cl- in the collecting duct decreases; or when the excretion of hydrogen ions by collecting duct intercalated cells is impaired (e.g., distal renal tubular acidosis), the efflux of H+ decreases. Both above conditions can lead to increased K+ secretion and hypokalemia. In this review, we focus on the regulatory mechanisms of renal potassium excretion and the corresponding diseases arising from dysregulation.
Humans
;
Bartter Syndrome/metabolism*
;
Pseudohypoaldosteronism/metabolism*
;
Potassium/metabolism*
;
Aldosterone/metabolism*
;
Hypokalemia/metabolism*
;
Gitelman Syndrome/metabolism*
;
Hyperkalemia/metabolism*
;
Clinical Relevance
;
Epithelial Sodium Channels/metabolism*
;
Kidney Tubules, Distal/metabolism*
;
Sodium/metabolism*
;
Hypertension
;
Alkalosis/metabolism*
;
Water/metabolism*
;
Kidney/metabolism*
4.Effect of Erxian Decoction-containing serum on H_2O_2-induced proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells via BK channels.
Ming-Shi REN ; Yu DING ; Zi-Han LI ; Yu-Meng WU ; Si-Min HUANG ; Lan-Lan LUO ; Yu-Jing ZHANG ; Min SHI ; Xun-Li XIA ; Bo LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2522-2529
This study aimed to investigate the effects of Erxian Decoction(EXD)-containing serum on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells under oxidative stress through BK channels. The oxidative stress model was induced in MC3T3-E1 cells by H_2O_2, and 3 mmol·L~(-1) tetraethylammonium(TEA) chloride was used to block the BK channels in MC3T3-E1 cells. MC3T3-E1 cells were divided into a control group, a model group, an EXD group, a TEA group, and a TEA+EXD group. After MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with corresponding drugs for 2 days, 700 μmol·L~(-1) H_2O_2 was added for treatment for another 2 hours. CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation activity. The alkaline phosphatase(ALP) assay kit was used to detect the ALP activity of cells. Western blot and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) were used to detect protein and mRNA expression, respectively. Alizarin red staining was used to detect the mineralization area of osteoblasts. The results showed that compared with the control group, the model group showed significantly blunted cell proliferation activity and ALP activity, reduced expression of BK channel α subunit(BKα), collagen Ⅰ(COL1), bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP2), osteoprotegerin(OPG), and phosphorylated Akt, decreased mRNA expression levels of Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2), BMP2, and OPG, and declining area of calcium nodules. EXD-containing serum could significantly potentiate the cell proliferation activity and ALP activity, up-regulate the protein expression of BKα, COL1, BMP2, OPG, and phosphorylated Akt, and forkhead box protein O1(FoxO1), promote the mRNA expression of RUNX2, BMP2, and OPG, and enlarge the area of calcium nodules. However, BK channel blockage by TEA reversed the effects of EXD-containing serum in promoting the protein expression of BKα, COL1, BMP2, OPG, and phosphorylated Akt and FoxO1, increasing the mRNA expression of RUNX2, BMP2, and OPG, and enlarging the area of calcium nodules. EXD-containing serum could improve the proliferation activity, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization ability of MC3T3-E1 cells under oxidative stress, which might be related to the regulation of BK channels and downstream Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.
Osteogenesis
;
Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/pharmacology*
;
Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels/pharmacology*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Calcium/metabolism*
;
Cell Differentiation
;
RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
;
Cell Proliferation
;
Osteoblasts
5.Effect of Zhenwu Decoction on electrical remodeling of cardiomyocytes in heart failure via I_(to)/Kv channels.
Chi CHE ; Xiao-Lin WANG ; Zhi-Yong CHEN ; Mei-Qun ZHENG ; Wei TANG ; Zong-Qiong LU ; Jia-Shuai GUO ; Wan-Qing HUANG ; Xin TIAN ; Lin LI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(13):3565-3575
This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of Zhenwu Decoction in the treatment of heart failure by regulating electrical remodeling through the transient outward potassium current(I_(to))/voltage-gated potassium(Kv) channels. Five normal SD rats were intragastrically administered with Zhenwu Decoction granules to prepare drug-containing serum, and another seven normal SD rats received an equal amount of distilled water to prepare blank serum. H9c2 cardiomyocytes underwent conventional passage and were treated with angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ) for 24 h. Subsequently, 2%, 4%, and 8% drug-containing serum, simvastatin(SIM), and BaCl_2 were used to interfere in H9c2 cardiomyocytes for 24 h. The cells were divided into a control group [N, 10% blank serum + 90% high-glucose DMEM(DMEM-H)], a model group(M, AngⅡ + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a low-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z1, AngⅡ + 2% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoction + 8% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a medium-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z2, AngⅡ + 4% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoc-tion + 6% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a high-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z3, AngⅡ + 8% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoction + 2% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), an inducer group(YD, AngⅡ + SIM + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), and an inhibitor group(YZ, AngⅡ + BaCl_2 + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H). The content of ANP in cell extracts of each group was detected by ELISA. The relative mRNA expression levels of ANP, Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The protein expression of Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2 was detected by Western blot. I_(to) was detected by the whole cell patch-clamp technique. The results showed that Zhenwu Decoction at low, medium, and high doses could effectively reduce the surface area of cardiomyocytes. Compared with the M group, the Z1, Z2, Z3, and YD groups showed decreased ANP content and mRNA level, increased protein and mRNA expression of Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2, and decreased protein and mRNA expression of Kv1.4, and the aforementioned changes were the most notable in the Z3 group. Compared with the N group, the Z1, Z2, and Z3 groups showed significantly increased peak current and current density of I_(to). The results indicate that Zhenwu Decoction can regulate myocardial remodeling and electrical remodeling by improving the expression trend of Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, KChIP2, and DPP6 proteins and inducing I_(to) to regulate Kv channels, which may be one of the mechanisms of Zhenwu Decoction in treating heart failure and related arrhythmias.
Rats
;
Animals
;
Myocytes, Cardiac
;
Atrial Remodeling
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Heart Failure/metabolism*
;
RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
;
Potassium
6.Protein Kinase C Controls the Excitability of Cortical Pyramidal Neurons by Regulating Kv2.2 Channel Activity.
Zhaoyang LI ; Wenhao DONG ; Xinyuan ZHANG ; Jun-Mei LU ; Yan-Ai MEI ; Changlong HU
Neuroscience Bulletin 2022;38(2):135-148
The family of voltage-gated potassium Kv2 channels consists of the Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 subtypes. Kv2.1 is constitutively highly phosphorylated in neurons and its function relies on its phosphorylation state. Whether the function of Kv2.2 is also dependent on its phosphorylation state remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether Kv2.2 channels can be phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) and examined the effects of PKC-induced phosphorylation on their activity and function. Activation of PKC inhibited Kv2.2 currents and altered their steady-state activation in HEK293 cells. Point mutations and specific antibodies against phosphorylated S481 or S488 demonstrated the importance of these residues for the PKC-dependent modulation of Kv2.2. In layer II pyramidal neurons in cortical slices, activation of PKC similarly regulated native Kv2.2 channels and simultaneously reduced the frequency of action potentials. In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence to our knowledge that PKC-induced phosphorylation of the Kv2.2 channel controls the excitability of cortical pyramidal neurons.
Action Potentials
;
HEK293 Cells
;
Humans
;
Protein Kinase C/metabolism*
;
Pyramidal Cells/enzymology*
;
Shab Potassium Channels/genetics*
7.The mechanism of blood pressure regulation by high potassium diet in the kidney.
Gui-Lin MENG ; Xin-Xin MENG ; Rui-Min GU ; Ming-Xiao WANG
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2022;74(1):110-116
Hypertension is one of the strongest risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, cerebral stroke, and kidney failure. Lifestyle and nutrition are important factors that modulate blood pressure. Hypertension can be controlled by increasing physical activity, decreasing alcohol and sodium intake, and stopping tobacco smoking. Chronic kidney disease patients often have increased blood pressure, which indicates that kidney is one of the major organs responsible for blood pressure homeostasis. The decrease of renal sodium reabsorption and increase of diuresis induced by high potassium intake is critical for the blood pressure reduction. The beneficial effect of a high potassium diet on hypertension could be explained by decreased salt reabsorption by sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT). In DCT cells, NCC activity is controlled by with-no-lysine kinases (WNKs) and its down-stream target kinases, Ste20-related proline-alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) and oxidative stress-responsive 1 (OSR1). The kinase activity of WNKs is inhibited by intracellular chloride ([Cl-]i) and WNK4 is known to be the major WNK positively regulating NCC. Based on our previous studies, high potassium intake reduces the basolateral potassium conductance, decreases the negativity of DCT basolateral membrane (depolarization), and increases [Cl-]i. High [Cl-]i inhibits WNK4-SPAK/OSR1 pathway, and thereby decreases NCC phosphorylation. In this review, we discuss the role of DCT in the blood pressure regulation by dietary potassium intake, which is the mechanism that has been best dissected so far.
Blood Pressure
;
Diet
;
Humans
;
Kidney/metabolism*
;
Kidney Tubules, Distal/metabolism*
;
Phosphorylation
;
Potassium/pharmacology*
;
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
;
Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 3/metabolism*
8.Screening and identification of key genes ATP1B3 and ENAH in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma: based on data mining and clinical validation.
Xue Jia YANG ; Yu Jie LI ; Deng Qiang WU ; Yi Li MA ; Su Fang ZHOU
Journal of Southern Medical University 2022;42(6):815-823
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the marker genes correlated with the prognosis, progression and clinical diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on bioinformatics methods.
METHODS:
The TCGA-LIHC, GSE84432, GSE143233 and GSE63898 datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) shared by different disease types were obtained using GEO2R and edge R packages, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia (KEGG) enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed. The expression levels of these DEGs in normal and cancerous tissues were verified in TCGA-LIHC to identify the upregulated genes in HCC. Survival analysis, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and correlation analysis between the key genes and the clinical features of the patients were carried out using the R language. The differential expressions of 15 key genes were verified in clinical samples of HCC and adjacent tissues using RT-qPCR.
RESULTS:
A total of 118 common DEGs were obtained in the database, and among them two genes, namely ATPase Na +/K + transport subunit beta 3 (ATP1B3) and actin regulator (ENAH), showed increased expressions with disease progression. Survival analysis combined with the TCGA-LIHC dataset suggested that high expressions of ATP1B3 and ENAH were both significantly correlated with a poor prognosis of HCC patients (P < 0.05), and their AUC values were 0.821 and 0.933, respectively. A high expression of ATP1B3 was correlated with T stage, pathological stage and pathological grade of the tumors (P < 0.05), while that of ENAH was associated only with an advanced tumor grade (P < 0.05). The results of RT-qPCR showed that ATP1B3 and ENAH were both significantly upregulated in clinical HCC tissues (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
ATPIB3 and ENAH are both upregulated in HCC, and their high expressions may serve as biomarkers of progression of liver diseases and a poor prognosis of HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology*
;
Data Mining
;
Gene Expression Profiling/methods*
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Humans
;
Liver Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Microfilament Proteins/metabolism*
;
Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/metabolism*
9.Anti -epileptic effect of 2 -deoxy -D -glucose by activation of miR -194/KATP signaling pathway.
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2022;47(8):1099-1107
OBJECTIVES:
Epilepsy is a syndrome of central nervous system dysfunction caused by many reasons, which is mainly characterized by abnormal discharge of neurons in the brain. Therefore, finding new targets for epilepsy therapy has always been the focus and hotspot in neurological research field. Studies have found that 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) exerts anti-epileptic effect by up-regulation of KATP channel subunit Kir6.1, Kir6.2 mRNA and protein. By using the database of TargetScan and miRBase to perform complementary pairing analysis on the sequences of miRNA and related target genes, it predicted that miR-194 might be the upstream signaling molecule of KATP channel. This study aims to explore the mechanism by which 2-DG exerts its anti-epileptic effect by regulating KATP channel subunits Kir6.1 and Kir6.2 via miR-194.
METHODS:
A magnesium-free epilepsy model was established and randomly divided into a control group, an epilepsy group (EP group), an EP+2-DG group, and miR-194 groups (including EP+miR-194 mimic, EP+miR-194 mimic+2-DG, EP+miR-194 mimic control, EP+miR-194 inhibitor, EP+miR-194 inhibitor+2-DG, and EP+miR-194 inhibitor control groups). The 2-DG was used to intervene miR-194 mimics, patch-clamp method was used to detect the spontaneous recurrent epileptiform discharges, real-time PCR was used to detect neuronal miR-194, Kir6.1, and Kir6.2 expressions, and the protein levels of Kir6.1 and Kir6.2were detected by Western blotting.
RESULTS:
Compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in the amplitude of spontaneous discharge potential in the EP group (P>0.05), but the frequency of spontaneous discharge was increased (P<0.05). Compared with the EP group, the frequency of spontaneous discharge was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the EP+miR-194 mimic control group, the mRNA and protein expressions of Kir6.1 and Kir6.2 in the EP+miR-194 mimic group were down-regulated (all P<0.05). Compared with the EP+miR-194 inhibitor control group, the mRNA and protein expressions of Kir6.1 and Kir6.2 in the EP+miR-194 inhibitor group were up-regulated (all P<0.05). After pretreatment with miR-194 mimics, the mRNA and protein expression levels of KATP channel subunits Kir6.1 and Kir6.2 were decreased (all P<0.05). Compared with the EP+2-DG group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Kir6.1 and Kir6.2 in the EP+miR-194 mimic+2-DG group were down-regulated (all P<0.05) and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Kir6.1 and Kir6.2 in the EP+miR-194 inhibitor+2-DG group were up-regulated (all P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The 2-DG might play an anti-epilepsy effect by up-regulating KATP channel subunits Kir6.1 and Kir6.2via miR-194.
Adenosine Triphosphate
;
Anticonvulsants
;
Deoxyglucose/pharmacology*
;
Epilepsy/genetics*
;
Glucose
;
Humans
;
MicroRNAs/genetics*
;
Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying/metabolism*
;
RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
;
Signal Transduction
10.The effects of PDK1-Akt signaling pathway intervention on cardiomyocyte HCN4 ion channels.
Zhong Lin HAN ; Xiang WU ; Xue Hua LIU ; Zheng CHEN ; Jian BAI ; Xin CHEN ; Wei XU
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2020;48(11):954-961
Objective: To explore the effects of 3-phosphate dependent protein kinase 1-protein kinase B (PDK1-Akt) signaling pathway on the transcription, expression and function of cardiac hyperpolarized activated cyclic nucleotide gated 4 (HCN4) ion channels. Methods: Atrial myocytes were obtained from healthy male wild-type C57 mice and heart-specific PDK1 knockout mice (PDK1-KO) by enzymolysis. Then the atrial myocytes were divided into blank control group and PDK1-KO group. In further studies, the isolated atrial myocytes were cultured and further divided into drug control group (treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) and PDK1 knockdown group (treated with 1 μg/ml PDK1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference plasmid), SC79 group (treated with 8 μmol/ml SC79), GSK2334470 group (treated with 10 nmol/L GSK2334470) and PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group (8 μmol/ml SC79 and 1 μg/ml PDK1 shRNA interference plasmid). Real time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of PDK1 and HCN4, Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of PDK1, Akt and HCN4, the whole cell patch clamp was used to detecte the current density of HCN, and immunofluorescence was used to detecte the expression of HCN4 protein on atrial cells. Results: (1) the expression levels of HCN4 mRNA (1.46±0.03 vs. 0.99±0.01, P<0.001) and protein (1.14±0.02 vs. 1.00±0.06, P=0.017) in PDK1-KO group were higher than those in blank control group. The HCN current density in PDK1-KO group was higher than that in blank control group((-17.47±2.00) pA/pF vs. (-12.15±2.25) pA/pF, P=0.038). (2) The functions of PDK1 shRNA and specific Akt agonist SC79 were verified by comparing the PDK1 knockdown group and SC79 group with the drug control group. The results showed that the expression levels of PDK1 mRNA and protein in PDK1 knockdown group were lower than those in drug control group, and the expression level of phosphorylated Akt (Thr 308) protein in SC79 group was higher than that in drug control group. (3) The expression levels of HCN4 mRNA (3.61±0.46 vs. 1.00±0.08, P<0.001) and protein (2.33±0.11 vs. 1.00±0.05, P<0.001) in GSK2334470 group were higher than those in drug control group. (4) To reduce the effect of drug-miss target, the cultured atrial myocytes were transfected with shRNA plasmid of PDK1 and intervened with SC79. The results showed that the expression of HCN4 mRNA in PDK1 knockdown group was higher than that in the drug control group (1.76±0.11 vs. 1.00±0.06, P<0.001), and PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group (1.76±0.11 vs. 1.33±0.07, P=0.003). In PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group, the mRNA expression level was also higher than that in the drug control group (1.33±0.07 vs. 1.00±0.06, P<0.001). The expression level of HCN4 protein in PDK1 knockdown group was higher than that in drug control group (1.15±0.04 vs. 1.00±0.05, P=0.003). As for the The expression level of HCN4 protein, there was no significantly statistical difference between the PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group and the drug control group (P>0.05), but PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group was lower than PDK1 knockdown group (0.95±0.01 vs. 1.15±0.04, P<0.001). In patch clamp experiments, the results showed that the HCN current density was (-13.27±1.28) pA/pF in the drug control group, (-18.76±2.03) pA/pF in the PDK1 knockdown group, (-13.50±2.58) pA/pF in the PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group; the HCN current density of PDK1 knockdown group was higher than that of drug control group (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group and drug control group (P>0.05). (5) The results of immunofluorescence showed that the brightness of green fluorescence of PDK1 knockdown group was higher than that of drug control group, indicating that the expression of HCN4 localized on cell membrane was increased. However, the green fluorescence of PDK1 knockdown+SC79 group was lighter than that of PDK1 knockdown group, suggesting that the expression of HCN4 in PDK1-knockdown cell membrane decreased after further activating Akt. Conclusion: PDK1-Akt signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of HCN4 ion channel transcription, expression and function.
Animals
;
Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels
;
Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels/metabolism*
;
Male
;
Mice
;
Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism*
;
Potassium Channels/metabolism*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Signal Transduction

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