Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) attenuates pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 20;12(4):e0176071. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176071. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Pressure overload in the heart induces pathological hypertrophy and is associated with cardiac dysfunction. Apoptosis and fibrosis signaling initiated by the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is known to contribute to these maladaptive effects. The aim of this study was to investigate whether reduction of ERS by a known chemical chaperone, tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) can attenuate pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling in a mouse model of transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Oral administration of TUDCA at a dose of 300 mg/kg body weight (BW) in the TUDCA-TAC group reduced ERS markers (GRP78, p-PERK, and p-eIf2α), compared to the Vehicle (Veh)-TAC group. TUDCA administration, for 4 weeks after TAC significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy as shown by the reduced heart weight (HW) to BW ratio, and expression of hypertrophic marker genes (ANF, BNP, and α-SKA). Masson's trichrome staining showed that myocardial fibrosis and collagen deposition were also significantly reduced in the TUDCA-TAC group. We also found that TUDCA significantly decreased expression of TGF-β signaling proteins and collagen isoforms. TUDCA administration also reduced cardiac apoptosis and the related proteins in the TUDCA-TAC group. Microarray analysis followed by gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis demonstrated that extracellular matrix genes responsible for hypertrophy and fibrosis, and mitochondrial genes responsible for apoptosis and fatty acid metabolism were significantly altered in the Veh-TAC group, but the alterations were normalized in the TUDCA-TAC group, suggesting potential of TUDCA in treatment of heart diseases related to pressure-overload.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / drug effects*
  • Gene Expression
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Ventricular Remodeling / drug effects*

Substances

  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • Hspa5 protein, mouse
  • Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid
  • ursodoxicoltaurine

Grants and funding

This work was supported by GIST Research Institute (GRI) grant funded by GIST in 2017, and the NRF grant funded by the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (NRF-2013M3A9A7046297).