ROCK1/p53/NOXA signaling mediates cardiomyocyte apoptosis in response to high glucose in vitro and vivo.

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for congenital heart defects; however, the molecular basis of the congenital heart anomalies remains obscure. Previous reports showed a positive correlation between abnormal cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ventricular wall thinness, one type of congenital heart anomaly. This work explored the expression pattern and molecular mechanism of the Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) gene in cardiomyocyte apoptosis and genesis of ventricular wall thinness. In this report, we found a marked increase in the number of apoptotic cardiomyocytes in response to high glucose (HG) treatment. Moreover, up-regulation of ROCK1 expression observed in diabetic offspring compared with controls was potentially associated with cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the ventricular wall thinness. Further investigation showed that p53 and NOXA protein levels increased during ROCK1-meidated apoptosis in response to HG. In response to HG, whereby ROCK1 phosphorylated p53 at Ser15 to up-regulate its protein level. Furthermore, we found that p53 mediated the expression of NOXA during HG-induced apoptosis, and histone acetyltransferase p300 participated in this process. These findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of ROCK1/p53/NOXA signaling in modulating cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vitro and maternal diabetes-induced congenital heart defects in vivo.