CHIP enhances angiogenesis and restores cardiac function after infarction in transgenic mice

Carboxyl terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein (CHIP) is a chaperone/ubiquitin ligase that plays an important role in stress-induced apoptosis. However, the effect of CHIP on angiogenesis, cardiac function and survival 4 weeks after myocardial infarction (MI) remain to be explored.

Wild-type (WT) and transgenic mice (TG) with cardiac-specific overexpression of CHIP were used for coronary artery ligation. The cardiac function, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, inflammation and angiogenesis were examined by echocardiography, histological analysis, real-time PCR and Western blot analysis.

At 4 weeks of after coronary artery ligation, echocardiography demonstrated that cardiac remodeling and dysfunction were prevented in TG mice compared with WT mice. The infarct size, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammation were significantly reduced in TG mice than in WT mice. The survival rate after MI in TG mice was higher than that of WT mice. Furthermore, the levels of p53 protein was markedly decreased, but the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF, and the formation of capillary and arteriole after MI were significantly enhanced in TG mice compared with WT mice.

We report the first in vivo evidence that CHIP enhances angiogenesis, inhibits inflammation, restores cardiac function, and improves survival at 4 weeks after MI. The present study expands on previous results and defines a novel mechanism. Thus, increased CHIP level may provide a novel therapeutic approach for left ventricular dysfunction after MI.