Conclusions
β1-AR activation promotes LPS-induced apoptosis through activating PKA, increasing CaMKII phosphorylation as well as enhancing IκBα phosphorylation and TNF-α expression in cardiomyocytes.
Methods
The adult mouse ventricular myocytes were exposed to LPS, dobutamine, protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor or/and nifedipine, an L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker. Male BALB/c mice were treated with LPS or/ and β&sub1;-AR antagonist, atenolol. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling (TUNEL) assay and apoptosis-associated molecules were detected.
Results
LPS induced apoptosis in adult mouse ventricular myocytes, dobutamine (DOB), a β&sub1;-AR agonist, promoted apoptosis, caspase-8, 9 and 3 activation and increased cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration in LPS-challenged cardiomyocytes. DOB also up-regulated TNF-α expression, decreased Bcl-2 levels, promoted Bax translocation to mitochondria, mitochondrial membrane potential loss and cytochrome c release as well as IκBα, p38 MAPK, JNK and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylation in LPS-treated cardiomyocytes. PKA inhibitor abolished the effects of DOB on caspase-9 activation, Bcl-2 levels as well as JNK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, but not on IκBα phosphorylation, TNF-α expression and caspase-8 activation in LPS-stimulated cardiomyocytes. Pretreatment with nifedipine not only significantly blocked the enhancing effects of DOB on LPS-induced elevation in cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration and CaMKII phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes, but also partly reversed the effects of DOB on caspase-9 and caspase-3/7 activities in LPS-treated cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, atenolol suppressed TNF-α expression, JNK, p38 MAPK and CaMKII phosphorylation, increased Bcl-2 expression, and inhibited cytochrome c release and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the myocardium of endotoxemic mice. Conclusions: β1-AR activation promotes LPS-induced apoptosis through activating PKA, increasing CaMKII phosphorylation as well as enhancing IκBα phosphorylation and TNF-α expression in cardiomyocytes.