Inhibiting nucleolin reduces inflammation induced by mitochondrial DNA in cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia and reoxygenation.

Abstract

Background and purposeCellular debris causes sterile inflammation after myocardial infarction. Mitochondria constitute about 30 percent of the human heart. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a damage‐associated‐molecular‐pattern that induce injurious sterile inflammation. Little is known about mtDNA's inflammatory signalling pathways in cardiomyocytes and how mtDNA is internalized to associate with its putative receptor, toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9).Experimental ApproachWe hypothesized that mtDNA can be internalized in cardiomyocytes and induce an inflammatory response. Adult mouse cardiomyocytes were exposed to hypoxia‐reoxygenation and extracellular DNA. Microscale thermophoresis was used to demonstrate binding between nucleolin and DNA.Key resultsExpression of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and TNFα were upregulated by mtDNA, but not by nuclear DNA (nDNA), in cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia‐reoxygenation. Blocking the RNA/DNA binding protein nucleolin with midkine reduced expression of IL‐1β/TNFα and the nucleolin inhibitor AS1411 reduced interleukin‐6 release in adult mouse cardiomyocytes. mtDNA bound 10‐fold stronger than nDNA to nucleolin. In HEK293‐NF‐κB reporter cells, mtDNA induced NF‐κB activity in normoxia, while CpG‐DNA and hypoxia‐reoxygenation, synergistically induced TLR9‐dependent NF‐κB activity. Protein expression of nucleolin was found in the plasma membrane of cardiomyocytes and inhibition of nucleolin with midkine inhibited cellular uptake of CpG‐DNA. Inhibition of endocytosis did not reduce CpG‐DNA uptake in cardiomyocytes.Conclusion and implicationsmtDNA, but not nDNA, induce an inflammatory response in mouse cardiomyocytes during hypoxia‐reoxygenation. In cardiomyocytes, nucleolin is expressed on the membrane and blocking nucleolin reduce inflammation. Nucleolin might be a therapeutic target to prevent uptake of immunogenic DNA and reduce inflammation.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Featured Mechanisms and Approaches for Therapy Translation. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.22/issuetoc