Rho-associated kinase modulates myocardial inflammatory cytokine responses

Jureta W. Norton, David L. Maass, Cherry Ballard-Croft

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Rho, a Ser-Thr kinase identified as a member of the RAS GTPase super family, is highly expressed in the heart, and has been implicated in the development of heart failure. GTPase Rho is located downstream of Gq, and Rho and the associated kinase (Rho kinase) regulate myofibril organization, apoptosis, and myofibrillar sensitivity to calcium. Myocardial injury and dysfunction occur after major burn injury, and this phenomenon has been linked to cardiac myocyte synthesis and the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Whether Rho-associated kinase modulates any aspect of cardiomyocyte synthesis of inflammatory mediators, contributing to myocardial dysfunction, has not been studied and was the focus of this study. Hearts were collected at several times postburn to determine if an acute injury such as thermal trauma altered myocardial Rho kinase expression. In addition, cardiomyocytes were isolated (collagenase digestion) from adult control Sprague Dawley rats, plated (5 × 104 cells/microtiter well), incubated with medium alone or in the presence of burn serum (collected 24 h after burn over 40% total body surface area in rats) in a CO2 incubator at 37°C in the presence/absence of specific Rho-kinase inhibitors (HA1077, 10μM or Y27632, 10 μM). After 18 h, supernatants were collected to measure secreted cytokines (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay), cells were loaded with Fura-2AM (2 μg) or sodium-binding benzofurzan isophthalate (2 μg) for 45 min at 37°C, and fluorescence was measured with an InCyt IM2 fluorescence imaging system to measure myocyte calcium and sodium. In parallel studies, cells were examined to determine if burn serum challenge increased Rho kinase in this cell population. In vivo burn injury or in vitro burn serum challenge of isolated myocytes increased Rho-kinase expression and promoted cardiomyocyte secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin 1β, and interleukin 6, and increased cardiomyocyte calcium and sodium levels compared with values measured when myocytes were incubated in medium alone (P < 0.05). Pretreating cardiomyocytes with Rho-kinase inhibitor (HA1077 or Y27632) prevented burn serum-related upregulation of Rho-kinase and attenuated the associated inflammatory cytokine responses, and attenuated myocyte calcium and sodium loading. Our data suggest that the Rho-kinase pathway is one potential upstream regulator of cardiac inflammatory response to burn injury.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)53-58
Number of pages6
JournalShock
Volume24
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2005

Keywords

  • Adult rats
  • Burn injury
  • Myocyte calcium and sodium
  • Myocyte cytokine secretion
  • Primary cardiomyocyte cultures

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

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