Objective: Inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation play a role in cardiac rupture (CR) after myocardial infarction (MI). It has been found that the expression of inflammatory cytokine S100A8/A9 was elevated in acute MI patients, whereas its impact in CR after infarction remains unclear.
Patients and methods: Samples from cardiac tissue and peripheral blood of patients with CR after MI, MI, patients without CR, and healthy control (cardiotrauma) were collected to test the expressions of S100A8/A9, p-p65, and MMP-9. Co-culture system for HCF cells and macrophages were established to identify the impact of hypoxia-ischemia on the expressions of S100A8/A9 and TNFα. S100A9 and/or TNFα blocking agent were applied to examine the effect on macrophages migration, expressions of S100A8, S100A9, and TNFα. Western blot was adopted to determine levels of p-p65 and MMP-9 protein after the inhibition of S100A9 and/or TNFα.
Results: Compared with healthy control and non-CR patients, serum S100A8/A9 and MMP-9 levels were elevated in cardiac tissues of CR patients, while S100A8/A9, p-p65, and MMP-9 were also overexpressed. Hypoxia-ischemia significantly caused the increasing levels of S100A8/A9 and TNFα in macrophages (p < 0.05). The blockade of S100A9 and/or TNFα suppressed the activation and migration of macrophages. The inhibition of S100A9 expression also decreased the secretion of TNFα in macrophages, while the suppression of TNFα showed no significant impact on S100A8 and S100A9 levels. Downregulation of TNFα or NF-κB markedly declined p-p65 and MMP-9 protein levels in HCF cells from co-culture system or single culture, whereas the blockade of S100A9 only reduced their expressions in co-cultured HCF cells.
Conclusions: The level of S100A8/A9 was upregulated in MI patients with CR. S100A8/A9 induced the activation of NF-κB and expression of MMP-9 protein in HCF cells through facilitating secretion of TNFα from macrophages, which may play a role in triggering extracellular matrix degradation and CR.