G-MDSCs promote aging-related cardiac fibrosis by activating myofibroblasts and preventing senescence

Cell Death Dis. 2021 Jun 8;12(6):594. doi: 10.1038/s41419-021-03874-7.

Abstract

Aging is one of the most prominent risk factors for heart failure. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) accumulate in aged tissue and have been confirmed to be associated with various aging-related diseases. However, the role of MDSCs in the aging heart remains unknown. Through RNA-seq and biochemical approaches, we found that granulocytic MDSCs (G-MDSCs) accumulated significantly in the aging heart compared with monocytic MDSCs (M-MDSCs). Therefore, we explored the effects of G-MDSCs on the aging heart. We found that the adoptive transfer of G-MDSCs of aging mice to young hearts resulted in cardiac diastolic dysfunction by inducing cardiac fibrosis, similar to that in aging hearts. S100A8/A9 derived from G-MDSCs induced inflammatory phenotypes and increased the osteopontin (OPN) level in fibroblasts. The upregulation of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) expression in fibroblasts mediated by G-MDSCs promoted antisenescence and antiapoptotic phenotypes of fibroblasts. SOX9 is the downstream gene of FGF2 and is required for FGF2-mediated and G-MDSC-mediated profibrotic effects. Interestingly, both FGF2 levels and SOX9 levels were upregulated in fibroblasts but not in G-MDSCs and were independent of S100A8/9. Therefore, a novel FGF2-SOX9 signaling axis that regulates fibroblast self-renewal and antiapoptotic phenotypes was identified. Our study revealed the mechanism by which G-MDSCs promote cardiac fibrosis via the secretion of S100A8/A9 and the regulation of FGF2-SOX9 signaling in fibroblasts during aging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / pathology
  • Aging / physiology
  • Animals
  • Calgranulin A / metabolism
  • Calgranulin B / metabolism
  • Cardiomyopathies / etiology
  • Cardiomyopathies / pathology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cellular Senescence / physiology*
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / metabolism
  • Fibrosis / etiology
  • Fibrosis / metabolism
  • Granulocytes / physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / physiology*
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Myocardium / pathology*
  • Myofibroblasts / physiology*
  • SOX9 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Calgranulin A
  • Calgranulin B
  • SOX9 Transcription Factor
  • Sox9 protein, mouse
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2