astressin and Cardiomegaly

Urocortin-1 (UCN), a member of the corticotropin-releasing factor, is a cardioprotective peptide, and is also involved in cardiac hypertrophy. The involvement of GSK-3β, a pivotal kinase in cardiac hypertrophy, in response to UCN is not yet documented. Cardiomyocytes from adult rats were stimulated for 48 h with UCN. Cell size, protein, and DNA contents were determined. Phosphorylated and total forms GSK-3β and the total amount of β-catenin were quantified by Western immunoblots. The effects of astressin, a UCN competitive receptor antagonist, were also evaluated. UCN increased cell size and the protein-to-DNA ratio, in accordance with a hypertrophic response. This effect was associated with increased phosphorylation of GSK-3β and marked accumulation of β-catenin, a downstream element to GSK-3β. All these effects were prevented by astressin and LY294002, an inhibitor of the phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase. UCN-induced cardiomyocytes hypertrophy is associated with regulation of GSK-3β, a pivotal kinase involved in cardiac hypertrophy, in a PI3K-dependent manner. Furthermore, the pharmacological blockade of UCN receptors was able to prevent UCN-induced hypertrophy, which leads to inhibition of the Akt/GSK-3β pathway.

Topics: Animals; beta Catenin; Blotting, Western; Cardiomegaly; Cell Size; Cells, Cultured; Chromones; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Male; Morpholines; Myocytes, Cardiac; Peptide Fragments; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Protein Stability; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Neuropeptide; Signal Transduction; Urocortins