Xuelian Li1, GuoYuan Wang2, MuGe QiLi1, HaiHai Liang1, TianShi Li1, XiaoQiang E3, Ying Feng1, Ying Zhang1, Xiao Liu1, Ming Qian1, BoZhi Xu1, ZhiHang Shen1, Samuel Chege Gitau1,4, DanDan Zhao1, HongLi Shan1. 1. Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education),College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. 2. Department of pathology of The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. 3. Department of Orthopaedics, the First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. 4. Department of Pharmacy and Complementary Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cardiac interstitial fibrosis is an abnormality of various cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, hypertrophy, and atrial fibrillation, and it can ultimately lead to heart failure. However, there is a lack of practical therapeutic approaches to treat fibrosis and reverse the damage to the heart. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term aspirin administration on pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis in mice and reveal the underlying mechanisms of aspirin treatment. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC), and treated with 10 mg·kg-1·day-1 of aspirin for 4 weeks. Masson staining and a collagen content assay were used to detect the effects of aspirin on cardiac fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. Western blot and qRT-PCR were applied to examine the impact of aspirin on extracellular signal-regulated kinases (Erks), p-Akt/β-catenin, SerpinE2, collagen I, and collagen III levels in the mice heart. RESULTS: Aspirin significantly suppressed the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA; 1.19±0.19-fold) and collagen I (0.95±0.09-fold) in TAC mice. Aspirin, at doses of 100 and 1000 µM, also significantly suppressed angiotensin II-induced α-SMA and collagen I in cultured CFs. The enhanced phosphorylation of Erk1/2 caused by TAC (p-Erk1, 1.49±0.19-fold; p-Erk2, 1.96±0.68-fold) was suppressed by aspirin (p-Erk1, 1.04±0.15-fold; p-Erk2, 0.87±0.06-fold). SerpinE2 levels were suppressed via the Erk1/2 signalling pathway following treatment with aspirin (1.36±0.12-fold for TAC; 1.06±0.07-fold for aspirin+TAC). The p-Akt and β-catenin levels were also significantly inhibited in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which aspirin alleviates pressure overload-induced cardiac interstitial fibrosis in TAC mice by suppressing the p-Erk1/2 and p-Akt/β-catenin signalling pathways.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cardiac interstitial fibrosis is an abnormality of various cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, hypertrophy, and atrial fibrillation, and it can ultimately lead to heart failure. However, there is a lack of practical therapeutic approaches to treat fibrosis and reverse the damage to the heart. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term aspirin administration on pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis in mice and reveal the underlying mechanisms of aspirin treatment. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC), and treated with 10 mg·kg-1·day-1 of aspirin for 4 weeks. Masson staining and a collagen content assay were used to detect the effects of aspirin on cardiac fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. Western blot and qRT-PCR were applied to examine the impact of aspirin on extracellular signal-regulated kinases (Erks), p-Akt/β-catenin, SerpinE2, collagen I, and collagen III levels in the mice heart. RESULTS:Aspirin significantly suppressed the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA; 1.19±0.19-fold) and collagen I (0.95±0.09-fold) in TAC mice. Aspirin, at doses of 100 and 1000 µM, also significantly suppressed angiotensin II-induced α-SMA and collagen I in cultured CFs. The enhanced phosphorylation of Erk1/2 caused by TAC (p-Erk1, 1.49±0.19-fold; p-Erk2, 1.96±0.68-fold) was suppressed by aspirin (p-Erk1, 1.04±0.15-fold; p-Erk2, 0.87±0.06-fold). SerpinE2 levels were suppressed via the Erk1/2 signalling pathway following treatment with aspirin (1.36±0.12-fold for TAC; 1.06±0.07-fold for aspirin+TAC). The p-Akt and β-catenin levels were also significantly inhibited in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which aspirin alleviates pressure overload-induced cardiac interstitial fibrosis in TAC mice by suppressing the p-Erk1/2 and p-Akt/β-catenin signalling pathways.