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Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is widely expressed in humans and mice, and is activated by a variety of proteases, including thrombin. Recently, we showed that PAR1 contributes to the innate immune response to viral infection. Mice with a global deficiency of PAR1 expressed lower levels of CXCL10 and had increased Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis compared with control mice. In this study, we determined the effect of cell type-specific deletion of PAR1 in cardiac myocytes (CMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) on CVB3-induced myocarditis. Mice lacking PAR1 in either CMs or CFs exhibited increased CVB3 genomes, inflammatory infiltrates, macrophages and inflammatory mediators in the heart and increased CVB3-induced myocarditis compared with wild-type controls. Interestingly, PAR1 enhanced poly I:C induction of CXCL10 in rat CFs but not in rat neonatal CMs. Importantly, activation of PAR1 reduced CVB3 replication in murine embryonic fibroblasts and murine embryonic cardiac myocytes. In addition, we showed that PAR1 reduced autophagy in murine embryonic fibroblasts and rat H9c2 cells, which may explain how PAR1 reduces CVB3 replication. These data suggest that PAR1 on CFs protects against CVB3-induced myocarditis by enhancing the anti-viral response whereas PAR1 on both CMs and fibroblasts inhibits viral replication., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Aims: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and pathological cardiac aging share a complex pathophysiology, including extracellular matrix remodelling (EMR). Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) deficiency is associated with EMR. The roles of PAR1 and PAR2 have not been studied in HFpEF, age-dependent cardiac fibrosis, or diastolic dysfunction (DD)., Methods and Results: Evaluation of endomyocardial biopsies from patients with HFpEF (n = 14) revealed that a reduced cardiac PAR2 expression was associated with aggravated DD and increased myocardial fibrosis (r = -0.7336, P = 0.0028). In line, 1-year-old PAR2-knockout (PAR2ko) mice suffered from DD with preserved systolic function, associated with an increased age-dependent α-smooth muscle actin expression, collagen deposition (1.7-fold increase, P = 0.0003), lysyl oxidase activity, collagen cross-linking (2.2-fold increase, P = 0.0008), endothelial activation, and inflammation. In the absence of PAR2, the receptor-regulating protein caveolin-1 was down-regulated, contributing to an augmented profibrotic PAR1 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-dependent signalling. This enhanced TGF-β/PAR1 signalling caused N-proteinase (ADAMTS3) and C-proteinase (BMP1)-related increased collagen I production from cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). PAR2 overexpression in PAR2ko CFs reversed these effects. The treatment with the PAR1 antagonist, vorapaxar, reduced cardiac fibrosis by 44% (P = 0.03) and reduced inflammation in a metabolic disease model (apolipoprotein E-ko mice). Patients with HFpEF with upstream PAR inhibition via FXa inhibitors (n = 40) also exhibited reduced circulating markers of fibrosis and DD compared with patients treated with vitamin K antagonists (n = 20)., Conclusions: Protease-activated receptor 2 is an important regulator of profibrotic PAR1 and TGF-β signalling in the heart. Modulation of the FXa/FIIa-PAR1/PAR2/TGF-β-axis might be a promising therapeutic approach to reduce HFpEF., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2019. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Diabetes mellitus involves vascular inflammatory processes and is a main contributor to cardiovascular mortality. Notably, heightened levels of circulating tissue factor (TF) account for the increased thrombogenicity and put those patients at risk for thromboembolic events. Here, we sought to investigate the role of micro-RNA (miR)-driven TF expression and thrombogenicity in diabetes mellitus., Approach and Results: Plasma samples of patients with diabetes mellitus were analyzed for TF protein and activity as well as miR-126 expression before and after optimization of the antidiabetic treatment. We found low miR-126 levels to be associated with markedly increased TF protein and TF-mediated thrombogenicity. Reduced miR-126 expression was accompanied by increased vascular inflammation as evident from the levels of vascular adhesion molecule-1 and fibrinogen, as well as leukocyte counts. With optimization of the antidiabetic treatment miR-126 levels increased and thrombogenicity was reduced. Using a luciferase reporter system, we demonstrated miR-126 to directly bind to the F3-3'-untranslated region, thereby reducing TF expression both on mRNA and on protein levels in human microvascular endothelial cells as well as TF mRNA and activity in monocytes., Conclusions: Circulating miR-126 exhibits antithrombotic properties via regulating post-transcriptional TF expression, thereby impacting the hemostatic balance of the vasculature in diabetes mellitus., (© 2016 The Authors.)

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a unique group of four G-protein coupled receptors. They are widely expressed within the cardiovascular system and the heart. PARs are activated via cleavage by serine proteases. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that the activation of PAR1 and PAR2 plays a crucial role in virus induced inflammatory diseases. The receptors enable cells to recognize pathogen-derived changes in the extracellular environment. An infection with Coxsackie-virus B3 (CVB3) can cause myocarditis. Recent studies have been shown that PAR1 signaling enhanced the antiviral innate immune response via interferon β (IFNβ) and thus limited the virus replication and cardiac damage. In contrast, PAR2 signaling decreased the antiviral innate immune response via IFNβ und thus increased the virus replication, which caused severe myocarditis. Along with CVB3 other viruses such as influenza A virus (IAV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) can induce myocarditis. The role of PAR signaling in IAV infections is contrarily discussed. During HSV infections PARs facilitate the virus infection of the host cell. These studies show that PARs might be interesting drug targets for the treatment of virus infections and inflammatory heart diseases. First studies with PAR agonists, antagonists, and serine protease inhibitors have been conducted in mice. The inhibition of thrombin the main PAR1 activating protease decreased the IFNβ response and increased the virus replication in CVB3-induced myocarditis. This indicates that further studies with direct PAR agonists and antagonists are needed to determine whether PARs are useful drug targets for the therapy of virus-induced heart diseases.

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a family of G-protein-coupled receptors with a unique activation mechanism via cleavage by the serine proteases of the coagulation cascade, immune cell-released proteases, and proteases from pathogens. Pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, cause myocarditis and heart failure and PAR1 was shown to positively regulate the anti-viral innate immune response via interferon β during virus-induced myocarditis. In contrast, PAR2 negatively regulated the innate immune response and inhibited the interferon β expression. Thus, PARs play a central role for the innate immune response in the heart., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Myocarditis is induced by coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3). Myocardial inflammation is tied to the activation of coagulation. Coagulation factor (F) Xa, a central player in coagulation, activates matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), which modulate the remodeling., Aims: In this study, we investigated the effects of pharmacological FXa inhibition on myocardial function, inflammation, and remodeling during a CVB3-induced myocarditis., Methods and Results: Immune cells and matrix proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of cytokines was measured by real-time PCR and the activity of MMP-2 by zymography. Left ventricular function was analyzed using microconductance pressure catheter. Treatment with the FXa inhibitor fondaparinux led to an improved left ventricular function in CVB3-induced mice compared to saline-treated controls (dPdtmax: fondaparinux 4632 ± 499.6 vs. saline 3131 ± 374.0 [mmHg/s], P = 0.0503; SV: fondaparinux 33.19 ± 4.893 vs. saline 19.32 ± 2.236 [μL], P < 0.118; CO: fondaparinux 15124 ± 2183 vs. saline 8088 ± 1035 [μL/min], P < 0.05). Therapy with fondaparinux reduced the activity of MMP-2 (fondaparinux 1.208 ± 0.1247 vs. saline 1.565 ± 0.05476, P < 0.05). The collagen type I/III ratio as well as the expression of TIMP-1 was comparable in both infection groups postinfectionem (p.i.), despite an increased infiltration of macrophages into the hearts of mice treated with fondaparinux 8 days p.i. (CD68+: fondaparinux 494.2 ± 64.73 vs. saline 306.9 ± 43.73 [cells/mm(2) ], P < 0.05). Anti-inflammatory CD206-positive M2-type macrophages were increased in the infected hearts after fondaparinux treatment (CD206+: fondaparinux 182.1 ± 18.18 vs. saline 111.6 ± 21.07 [cells/mm(2) ], P < 0.05), whereas CD80-positive M1-type macrophages were comparable in both groups., Conclusion: In conclusion, selective inhibition of FXa improves the left ventricular function during CVB3-induced myocarditis and seems to be associated with an improved myocardial remodeling., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the role of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) in coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis., Background: An infection with CVB3 leads to myocarditis. PAR2 modulates the innate immune response. Toll-like receptor-3 (TLR3) is crucial for the innate immune response by inducing the expression of the antiviral cytokine interferon-beta (IFNβ)., Methods: To induce myocarditis, wild-type (wt) and PAR2 knockout (ko) mice were infected with 10(5) plaque-forming units CVB3. Mice underwent hemodynamic measurements with a 1.2-F microconductance catheter. Wt and PAR2ko hearts and cardiac cells were analyzed for viral replication and immune response with plaque assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry., Results: Compared with wt mice, PAR2ko mice and cardiomyocytes exhibited a reduced viral load and developed no myocarditis after infection with CVB3. Hearts and cardiac fibroblasts from PAR2ko mice expressed higher basal levels of IFNβ than wt mice did. Treatment with CVB3 and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid led to higher IFNβ expression in PAR2ko than in wt fibroblasts and reduced virus replication in PAR2ko fibroblasts was abrogated by neutralizing IFNβ antibody. Overexpression of PAR2 reduced the basal IFNβ expression. Moreover, a direct interaction between PAR2 and Toll-like receptor 3 was observed. PAR2 expression in endomyocardial biopsies of patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy was positively correlated with myocardial inflammation and negatively with IFNβ expression and left ventricular ejection fraction., Conclusions: PAR2 negatively regulates the innate immune response to CVB3 infection and contributes to myocardial dysfunction. The antagonism of PAR2 is of therapeutic interest to strengthen the antiviral response after an infection with a cardiotropic virus., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)