Abstract
BACKGROUND: Whether ventricular remodeling from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
(HCM), systemic hypertension, or other pathologies arises through
a common signaling pathway or through independent molecular mechanisms
is unknown. To study this, we assessed cardiac hypertrophy in a mouse
model of HCM subjected to increased left ventricular (LV) load. METHODS
AND RESULTS: Transverse aortic banding of mice with or without an
Arg403Gln cardiac myosin heavy chain mutation (alphaMHC403/+) produced
similarly elevated LV pressures (120+/-30 versus 112+/-14 mm Hg;
P=NS). No mice developed heart failure, and mortality (26% alphaMHC403/+,
35% wild-type) was comparable. Load-induced hypertrophy was identical
in banded 129SvEv alphaMHC403/+ mice (LV anterior wall LVAW=1.28+/-0.11)
and 129SvEv wild-type mice (LVAW=1.29+/-0.11 mm; P=NS). Genetically
outbred Black Swiss (BS) alphaMHC403/+ mice showed only mildly exaggerated
hypertrophy in response to aortic banding (BS alphaMHC403/+ LVAW=1.30+/-0.13
mm; BS wild-type LVAW=1.17+/-0.15 mm; P=0.03), suggesting some effect
from a BS genetic locus that modifies hypertrophy induced by the
cardiac MHC Arg403Gln mutation. Histopathology and molecular markers
of hypertrophy were comparable in all banded 129SvEv or BS mice.
Banded alphaMHC403/+ mice had potential for greater hypertrophy,
because cyclosporin A treatment markedly augmented hypertrophy. CONCLUSIONS:
The uniform hypertrophic response to increased ventricular load in
wild-type and alphaMHC403/+ mice indicates independent cardiac remodeling
pathways and predicts that coexistent hypertension and HCM should
not profoundly exacerbate cardiac hypertrophy. In contrast, sarcomere
mutation and cyclosporin A-mediated calcineurin inhibition stimulate
a shared hypertrophic signaling pathway. Defining distinct signaling
pathways that trigger myocyte growth should help to tailor therapies
for cardiac hypertrophy.
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