The present study tested the hypothesis that p38α MAPK inhibition leads to cell cycle re-entry of neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes (NNVMs) and de novo nestin expression in response to thrombin and after apex resection of the neonatal rat heart. Thrombin (1 U/ml) treatment of 1-day old NNVMs did not induce cell cycle re-entry or nestin expression. Acute exposure of NNVMs to thrombin increased p38α MAPK and HSP27 phosphorylation and p38α/β MAPK inhibitor SB203580 abrogated HSP27 phosphorylation. Thrombin and SB203580 co-treatment of NNVMs led to bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and nestin expression. SB203580 (5 mg/kg) administration immediately after apex resection of 1-day old neonatal rat hearts and continued for two additional days shortened the fibrin clot length sealing the exposed left ventricular chamber. SB203580-treatment increased the density of troponin-T (+) -NNVMs that incorporated bromodeoxyuridine and expressed nuclear phosphohistone-3. Nestin (+) -NNVMs were selectively detected at the border of the fibrin clot and SB203580 potentiated the density that re-entered the cell cycle. These data suggest that the greater density of ventricular cardiomyocytes and nestin (+) -ventricular cardiomyocytes that re-entered the cell cycle after SB203580 treatment of the apex-resected neonatal rat heart during the acute phase of fibrin clot formation may be attributed in part to inhibition of thrombin-mediated p38α MAPK signalling.

Cardiomyocyte migration represents a requisite event of cardiogenesis and the regenerative response of the injured adult zebrafish and neonatal rodent heart. The present study tested the hypothesis that the appearance of the intermediate filament protein nestin in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NNVMs) was associated in part with the acquisition of a migratory phenotype. The cotreatment of NNVMs with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) and the p38α/β mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB203580 led to the de novo synthesis of nestin. The intermediate filament protein was subsequently reorganized into a filamentous pattern and redistributed to the leading edge of elongated membrane protrusions translating to significant lengthening of NNVMs. PDBu/SB203580 treatment concomitantly promoted the reorganization of nonmuscle myosin IIB (NMIIB) located predominantly at the periphery of the plasma membrane of NNVMs to a filamentous phenotype extending to the leading edge of elongated membrane protrusions. Coimmunoprecipitation assay revealed a physical interaction between NMIIB and nestin after PDBu/SB203580 treatment of NNVMs. In wild-type and heterozygous NMIIB embryonic hearts at E11.5-E14.5 days, nestin immunoreactivity was identified in a subpopulation of cardiomyocytes elongating perpendicular to the compact myocardium, at the leading edge of nascent trabeculae and during thickening of the compact myocardium. In mutant embryonic hearts lacking NMIIB protein expression, trabeculae formation was reduced, the compact myocardium significantly thinner and nestin immunoreactivity undetectable in cardiomyocytes at E14.5 days. These data suggest that NMIIB and nestin may act in a coordinated fashion to facilitate the acquisition of a migratory phenotype in neonatal and embryonic cardiomyocytes.