1. Calhex231 ameliorates myocardial fibrosis post myocardial infarction in rats through the autophagy‐NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in macrophages
- Author
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Na Liu, Jiaxing Sun, Xin Zhang, Wenxiu Liu, Xue Ding, Xinhua Yin, Yutong Guo, Ningning Kang, Jinyu Chi, and Yue Liu
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Cardiac function curve ,autophagy ,↔original Article ,Inflammasomes ,Myocardial Infarction ,Fluorescent Antibody Technique ,macrophage ,Pharmacology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ,medicine ,Animals ,Myocardial infarction ,Receptor ,calcium‐sensing receptor ,Cyclohexylamines ,business.industry ,Macrophages ,Autophagy ,Inflammasome ,Original Articles ,Cell Biology ,medicine.disease ,Fibrosis ,Immunohistochemistry ,NLRP3 inflammasome ,Pathophysiology ,Rats ,Disease Models, Animal ,030104 developmental biology ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Benzamides ,Macrophages, Peritoneal ,Molecular Medicine ,Myocardial fibrosis ,Calcium-sensing receptor ,Cardiomyopathies ,business ,Biomarkers ,Signal Transduction ,medicine.drug - Abstract
The calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR) is involved in the pathophysiology of many cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI) and hypertension. The role of Calhex231, a specific inhibitor of CaSR, in myocardial fibrosis following MI is still unclear. Using Wistar rats, we investigated whether Calhex231 ameliorates myocardial fibrosis through the autophagy‐NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in macrophages post myocardial infarction (MI). The rats were randomly divided into sham, MI and MI + Calhex231 groups. Compared with the sham rats, the MI rats consistently developed severe cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells including macrophages. Moreover, inflammatory pathway including activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, IL‐1β and autophagy was significantly up‐regulated in myocardial tissue, infiltrated cardiac macrophages and peritoneal macrophages of the MI rats. These impacts were reversed by Calhex231. In vitro, studies revealed that calindol and rapamycin exacerbated MI‐induced autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in peritoneal macrophages. Calhex231 and 3‐Methyladenine (a specific inhibitor of autophagy) attenuated both autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome activation; however, the caspase‐1 inhibitor Z‐YVAD‐FMK did not. Our study indicated that Calhex231 improved cardiac function and ameliorated myocardial fibrosis post MI, likely via the inhibition of autophagy‐mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation; this provides a new therapeutic target for ventricular remodelling‐related cardiovascular diseases.
- Published
- 2020