Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Plays an Essential Role in Hypertrophic Agonists, Endothelin-1 and Phenylephrine-induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry 2000-12, Vol.275 (48), p.37895-37901
• Main Authors: Yue, Tian-Li, Gu, Juan-Li, Wang, Chuanlin, Reith, Alastair D., Lee, John C., Mirabile, Rosanna C., Kreutz, Reinhold, Wang, Yibin, Maleeff, Beverly, Parsons, Andrew A., Ohlstein, Eliot H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Butadienes - pharmacology; Cardiomegaly - chemically induced; Cardiomegaly - enzymology; DNA Primers; Endothelin-1 - pharmacology; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Nitriles - pharmacology; Phenylephrine - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M007037200

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is activated by hypertrophic stimuli in cardiomyocytes. However, whether ERK plays an essential role or is implicated in all major components of cardiac hypertrophy remains controversial. Using a selective MEK inhibitor, U0126, and a selective Raf inhibitor, SB-386023, to block the ERK signaling pathway at two different levels and adenovirus-mediated transfection of dominant-negative Raf, we studied the role of ERK signaling in response of cultured rat cardiomyocytes to hypertrophic agonists, endothelin-1 (ET-1), and phenylephrine (PE). U0126 and SB-386023 blocked ET-1 and PE-induced ERK but not p38 and JNK activation in cardiomyocytes. Both compounds inhibited ET-1 and PE-induced protein synthesis and increased cell size, sarcomeric reorganization, and expression of β-myosin heavy chain in myocytes with IC50 values of 1–2 μm. Furthermore, both inhibitors significantly reduced ET-1- and PE-induced expression of atrial natriuretic factor. In cardiomyocytes transfected with a dominant-negative Raf, ET-1- and PE-induced increase in cell size, sarcomeric reorganization, and atrial natriuretic factor production were remarkably attenuated compared with the cells infected with an adenovirus-expressing green fluorescence protein. Taken together, our data strongly support the notion that the ERK signal pathway plays an essential role in ET-1- and PE-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.