Abstract-Silent information regulator (Sir)2, a class III histone deacetylase, mediates lifespan extension in model organisms and prevents apoptosis in mammalian cells. However, beneficial functions of Sir2 remain to be shown in mammals in vivo at the organ level, such as in the heart. We addressed this issue by using transgenic mice with heart-specific overexpression of Sirt1, a mammalian homolog of Sir2. Sirt1 was significantly upregulated (4-to 8-fold) in response to pressure overload and oxidative stress in nontransgenic adult mouse hearts. Low (2.5-fold) to moderate (7.5-fold) overexpression of Sirt1 in transgenic mouse hearts attenuated age-dependent increases in cardiac hypertrophy, apoptosis/fibrosis, cardiac dysfunction, and expression of senescence markers. In contrast, a high level (12.5-fold) of Sirt1 increased apoptosis and hypertrophy and decreased cardiac function, thereby stimulating the development of cardiomyopathy. Moderate overexpression of Sirt1 protected the heart from oxidative stress induced by paraquat, with increased expression of antioxidants, such as catalase, through forkhead box O (FoxO)-dependent mechanisms, whereas high levels of Sirt1 increased oxidative stress in the heart at baseline. Thus, mild to moderate expression of Sirt1 retards aging of the heart, whereas a high dose of Sirt1 induces cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, although high levels of Sirt1 increase oxidative stress, moderate expression of Sirt1 induces resistance to oxidative stress and apoptosis. These results suggest that Sirt1 could retard aging and confer stress resistance to the heart in vivo, but these beneficial effects can be observed only at low to moderate doses (up to 7.5-fold) of Sirt1. (Circ Res. 2007;100:1512-1521.)

NAD(P)H oxidases (Noxs) produce O 2 − and play an important role in cardiovascular pathophysiology. The Nox4 isoform is expressed primarily in the mitochondria in cardiac myocytes. To elucidate the function of endogenous Nox4 in the heart, we generated cardiac-specific Nox4 −/− (c- Nox4 −/− ) mice. Nox4 expression was inhibited in c- Nox4 −/− mice in a heart-specific manner, and there was no compensatory up-regulation in other Nox enzymes. These mice exhibited reduced levels of O 2 − in the heart, indicating that Nox4 is a significant source of O 2 − in cardiac myocytes. The baseline cardiac phenotype was normal in young c- Nox4 −/− mice. In response to pressure overload (PO), however, increases in Nox4 expression and O 2 − production in mitochondria were abolished in c- Nox4 −/− mice, and c- Nox4 −/− mice exhibited significantly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis and apoptosis, and better cardiac function compared with WT mice. Mitochondrial swelling, cytochrome c release, and decreases in both mitochondrial DNA and aconitase activity in response to PO were attenuated in c- Nox4 −/− mice. On the other hand, overexpression of Nox4 in mouse hearts exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, fibrosis, and apoptosis in response to PO. These results suggest that Nox4 in cardiac myocytes is a major source of mitochondrial oxidative stress, thereby mediating mitochondrial and cardiac dysfunction during PO.

Editorial, see p 225Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that constantly undergo fusion and fission 5 to adapt to changes in the cellular environment. Although mitochondrial fusion allows mitochondria to maintain membrane potential by fusing depolarized mitochondria to intact ones, fission allows the segregation of unrecoverable mitochondria so that they can be eliminated by autophagy or mitophagy, a specialized form of autophagy.6 Mitochondrial fusion is critically

Background-Silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1), a class III histone deacetylase, retards aging and protects the heart from oxidative stress. We here examined whether Sirt1 is protective against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Methods and Results-Protein and mRNA expression of Sirt1 is significantly reduced by I/R. Cardiac-specific Sirt1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice exhibited a significant increase (44Ϯ5% versus 15Ϯ5%; Pϭ0.01) in the size of myocardial infarction/area at risk. In transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of Sirt1, both myocardial infarction/area at risk (15Ϯ4% versus 36Ϯ8%; Pϭ0.004) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive nuclei (4Ϯ3% versus 10Ϯ1%; PϽ0.003) were significantly reduced compared with nontransgenic mice. In Langendorff-perfused hearts, the functional recovery during reperfusion was significantly greater in transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of Sirt1 than in nontransgenic mice. Sirt1 positively regulates expression of prosurvival molecules, including manganese superoxide dismutase, thioredoxin-1, and Bcl-xL, whereas it negatively regulates the proapoptotic molecules Bax and cleaved caspase-3. The level of oxidative stress after I/R, as evaluated by anti-8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine staining, was negatively regulated by Sirt1. Sirt1 stimulates the transcriptional activity of FoxO1, which in turn plays an essential role in mediating Sirt1-induced upregulation of manganese superoxide dismutase and suppression of oxidative stress in cardiac myocytes. Sirt1 plays an important role in mediating I/R-induced increases in the nuclear localization of FoxO1 in vivo. Conclusions-These results suggest that Sirt1 protects the heart from I/R injury through upregulation of antioxidants and downregulation of proapoptotic molecules through activation of FoxO and decreases in oxidative stress. (Circulation. 2010;122:2170-2182.)Key Words: cardioprotection Ⅲ ischemia Ⅲ oxidative stress Ⅲ reperfusion injury S ilent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) is a member of the sirtuin family of class III histone deacetylases. 1 The class III histone deacetylases are distinguished from histone deacetylases in the other classes by their requirement of NAD ϩ for their enzyme activity. 2 Sirt1 is involved in gene silencing, differentiation, cell survival, metabolism, and longevity. 1 Sirt1 activity extends the lifespan of lower organisms, including yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, and flies. 3,4 In addition, resveratrol, which stimulates Sirt1, extends the lifespan of mice fed a high-fat diet, suggesting that Sirt1 may affect aging and/or lifespan in mammals. 5 The beneficial effects of caloric restriction may be dependent on Sirt1. 6 -8 Conversely, Sirt1 knockout mice exhibit developmental abnormalities, including septal and valvular heart defects. 9,10 Sirt1 regulates the function of transcription factors and cofactors, including MyoD, Ku, p53, PGC1, and the FoxO family of transcription factors, 11-19 through deacetylation. Clinical Perspective on p 2182Activation of mole...

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Background Mitochondrial autophagy is an important mediator of mitochondrial quality control in cardiomyocytes. The occurrence of mitochondrial autophagy and its significance during cardiac hypertrophy are not well understood. Methods and Results Mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and observed at multiple time points up to 30 days. Cardiac hypertrophy developed after 5 days, the ejection fraction was reduced after 14 days, and heart failure (HF) was observed 30 days after TAC. General autophagy was upregulated between 1 and 12 hours after TAC but was downregulated below physiological levels 5 days after TAC. Mitochondrial autophagy, evaluated by electron microscopy, mitochondrial content, and Mito-Keima, was transiently activated around 3–7 days post-TAC, coinciding with mitochondrial translocation of Drp1. However, it was downregulated thereafter, followed by mitochondrial dysfunction. Haploinsufficiency of Drp1 abolished mitochondrial autophagy and exacerbated the development of both mitochondrial dysfunction and HF after TAC. Injection of Tat-Beclin 1, a potent inducer of autophagy, but not control peptide, on Day 7 after TAC partially rescued mitochondrial autophagy, and attenuated mitochondrial dysfunction and HF induced by pressure overload (PO). Haploinsufficiency of either drp1 or beclin 1 prevented the rescue by Tat-Beclin 1, suggesting that its effect is mediated in part through autophagy, including mitochondrial autophagy. Conclusions Mitochondrial autophagy is transiently activated and then downregulated in the mouse heart in response to PO. Downregulation of mitochondrial autophagy plays an important role in mediating the development of mitochondrial dysfunction and HF, whereas restoration of mitochondrial autophagy attenuates dysfunction in the heart during PO.

Thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) facilitates the reduction of signaling molecules and transcription factors by cysteine thiol-disulfide exchange, thereby regulating cell growth and death. Here we studied the molecular mechanism by which Trx1 attenuates cardiac hypertrophy. Trx1 upregulates DnaJb5, a heat shock protein 40, and forms a multiple-protein complex with DnaJb5 and class II histone deacetylases (HDACs), master negative regulators of cardiac hypertrophy. Both Cys-274/Cys-276 in DnaJb5 and Cys-667/Cys-669 in HDAC4 are oxidized and form intramolecular disulfide bonds in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating hypertrophic stimuli, such as phenylephrine, whereas they are reduced by Trx1. Whereas reduction of Cys-274/Cys-276 in DnaJb5 is essential for interaction between DnaJb5 and HDAC4, reduction of Cys-667/Cys-669 in HDAC4 inhibits its nuclear export, independently of its phosphorylation status. Our study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy through which the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of class II HDACs is modulated by their redox modification in a Trx1-sensitive manner.

Diabetic patients develop cardiomyopathy characterized by hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, lipotoxicity, and mitochondrial dysfunction. How mitochondrial function is regulated in diabetic cardiomyopathy remains poorly understood. Mice were fed either a normal diet (ND) or a high fat diet (HFD, 60 kcal % fat). Mitophagy, evaluated with Mito‐Keima, was increased after 3 weeks of HFD feeding (mitophagy area: 8.3% per cell with ND and 12.4% with HFD) and continued to increase after 20 weeks (p<0.05). Although we have shown recently that mitophagy during the early phase of HFD feeding is mediated by Atg7‐dependent mechanisms, the mechanisms mediating mitophagy in the heart during the chronic phase of HFD feeding remain poorly understood. Phosphorylation of ULK1 was activated and Rab9 protein level was increased in the mitochondrial fraction within 20 weeks of HFD consumption (p<0.05). By isolating adult cardiomyocytes from GFP‐Rab9 transgenic mice fed HFD, we discovered that mitochondria were sequestrated by Rab9‐positive ring‐like structures. Since ULK1 regulates Rab9‐dependent mitophagy, we fed ULK1 cKO mice with HFD for 20 weeks. In wild type (WT) mice, cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction (EDPVR = 0.051±0.009 in ND and 0.115±0.006 in HFD) were induced after 20 weeks of HFD feeding (p<0.05). By crossing Tg‐Mito‐Keima mice with ULK1 cKO mice, we found that downregulation of ULK1 impaired mitophagy in response to ND or 20 weeks of HFD consumption (p<0.05). Deletion of ULK1 exacerbated diastolic dysfunction (EDPVR=0.115±0.006 in WT and 0.162±0.021 in ULK1 cKO, p<0.05) and even induced systolic dysfunction (ESPVR=22.74±2.13 in WT and 16.78±2.12 in ULK1 cKO, p<0.05) during HFD feeding. Electron microscopic analyses indicated that the mitochondrial cristae structure was disrupted more severely in ULK1 cKO mice with HFD feeding than control mice (p<0.05). In summary, genetic disruption of ULK1‐Rab9‐dependent mitophagy during the chronic phase of HFD feeding exacerbates mitochondrial dysfunction, thereby facilitating the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. ULK1‐Rab9‐dependent mitophagy serves as an essential quality control mechanism for cardiac mitochondria during HFD feeding. Support or Funding Information The project was supported by AHA and NIH (5R01HL138720‐02). This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.