Abstract 256: Ablation of 14-3-3 Protein Exacerbates Doxorubicin Induced Cardiomyopathy: Role of Apoptosis Signal Regulating Kinase-1

Abstract

Background: 14-3-3η family members are dimeric phosphoserine-binding proteins that participate in signal transduction and checkpoint control pathways. Anthracycline anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) can induce cardiotoxicity, which is believed to be based on inflammatory or oxidative injury. However, the role of 14-3-3η is not clear in Dox induced cardiac injury. We examined the role of 14-3-3η protein and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (Ask1) and inflammatory signaling by using transgenic mice with cardiac-specific expression of a dominant-negative 14-3-3η protein mutant (DN 14-3-3) in Dox induced cardiac injury. Methods: Cardiac dysfunction was induced by a single injection of Dox into wild-type (WT) and DN 14-3-3η mice. By the end of the study, echocardiography was performed to assess the cardiac function. The heart tissues were used for histopathology and western blotting. Results: Left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening and ejection fraction were dramatically decreased in DN 14-3-3η mice, when compared to WT mice after Dox injection. Inactivation of 14-3-3η protein significantly increased Dox induced mortality. Significant Ask1 activation in DN 14-3-3η after Dox injection was evidenced by pronounced de-phosphorylation at Ser-967 and intense immunofluorescence observed LV sections. Marked increase in myocardial apoptosis, cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis were observed with a corresponding up-regulation of proinflammatory factors and cytokine expression in DN 14-3-3η mice after Dox injection. Furthermore cardiac expression of high mobility group box (HMGB)1 and its cascade protein expressions were significantly up-regulated in DN 14-3-3η mice compared to WT mice after Dox injection. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings suggest that depletion of 14-3-3η protein causes reduce survival rate in mice with cardiac dysfunction, presumably via activation of downstream Ask1 signaling pathways. This may provide a novel therapeutic strategy against Dox-induced cardiac injury by regulating Ask1 signaling.