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Tenascin-C may accelerate cardiac fibrosis by activating macrophages via the integrin αVβ3/nuclear
Naoshi Shimojo1, Ryotaro Hashizume2, Kazuki Kanayama2
1From the Department of Pathology and Matrix Biology (N.S., R.H., M.H., Y.S., T.N., M.H., T.Y., K.I.-Y.), and Department of Pathologic Oncology (K.K.), Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan; Mie University Research Center for Matrix Biology, Tsu, Mie, Japan (N.S., R.H., T.Y., K.I.-Y.); and Department of Cardiology, National Center of Global Health and Medicine, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan (M.H.). nshimojo@doc.medic.mie-u.ac.jp.
Abstract:
Tenascin-C (TN-C) is an extracellular matrix protein not detected in normal adult heart, but expressed in several heart diseases closely associated with inflammation. Accumulating data suggest that TN-C may play a significant role in progression of ventricular remodeling. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of TN-C in hypertensive cardiac fibrosis and underlying molecular mechanisms. Angiotensin II was administered to wild-type and TN-C knockout mice for 4 weeks. In wild-type mice, the treatment induced increase of collagen fibers and accumulation of macrophages in perivascular areas associated with deposition of TN-C and upregulated the expression levels of interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as compared with wild-type/control mice. These changes were significantly reduced in TN-C knockout/angiotensin II mice. In vitro, TN-C accelerated macrophage migration and induced accumulation of integrin αVβ3 in focal adhesions, with phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Src. TN-C treatment also induced nuclear translocation of phospho-NF-κB and upregulated interleukin-6 expression of macrophages in an NF-κB-dependent manner; this being suppressed by inhibitors for integrin αVβ3 and Src. Furthermore, interleukin-6 upregulated expression of collagen I by cardiac fibroblasts. TN-C may enhance inflammatory responses by accelerating macrophage migration and synthesis of proinflammatory/profibrotic cytokines via integrin αVβ3/FAK-Src/NF-κB, resulting in increased fibrosis.
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