Erythropoietin attenuates hypertrophy of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes induced by angiotensin‐II in vitro

Abstract

Objective: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a haematopoietic hormone that has been confirmed as a novel cardioprotective agent. In this study, we test the hypothesis that EPO inhibits angiotensin‐II (Ang‐II)‐induced hypertrophy in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Material and methods: Cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were used to evaluate the effects of EPO on Ang‐II‐induced hypertrophy in vitro. The surface area and mRNA expression of atrial natriuretic (ANF) myocytes were employed to detect cardiac hypertrophy. A phosphatidylinositol 3′‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 and an endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) inhibitor l‐NAME were also employed to detect the underlying mechanism of EPO. Intracellular signal molecules, such as Akt (PKB), phosphorylated Akt, eNOS and transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) protein expression were determined by Western blot. Nitric oxide (NO) levels in the supernatant of cultured cardiomyocytes were assayed using an NO assay kit. Results: The results indicate that EPO significantly attenuates Ang‐II‐induced hypertrophy shown as inhibition of increases in cell surface area and ANF mRNA levels. NO production was also increased proportionally in the EPO‐treated group. EPO enhanced Akt activation and eNOS protein expression, whereas LY294002 or l‐NAME partially abolished the anti‐hypertrophic effect of EPO, accompanied by a decrease in Akt activation, eNOS protein expression and/or a reduction of NO production. EPO also down‐regulated the protein expression of TGF‐β1. Conclusion: We conclude that EPO attenuates cardiac hypertrophy via activation of the PI3K‐Akt‐eNOS‐NO pathway and the down‐regulation of TGF‐β1.

• Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy
• nitric oxide
• nitric oxide synthase type III
• proto‐Oncogene proteins c‐akt
• transforming growth factor‐β1