Peroxiredoxin-1 ameliorates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis

Previous studies have demonstrated that Peroxiredoxin 1 (Prdx1) is a modulator of physiological and pathophysiological cardiovascular events. However, the roles of Prdx1 in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure (HF) have barely been explored. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether Prdx1 participates in cardiac hypertrophy and to elucidate the possible associated mechanisms.

Mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for four weeks to induce pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiomyocyte-specific Prdx1 overexpression in mice was achieved using an adeno-associated virus system. Morphological examination; echocardiography; and hemodynamic, biochemical and histological analyses were used to evaluate the roles of Prdx1 in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and HF.

First, the results showed that Prdx1 expression was noticeably upregulated in hypertrophic mouse hearts and cardiomyocytes with phenylephrine (PE)-induced hypertrophy in vitro. Prdx1 overexpression exerted protective effects against cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis and ameliorated cardiac dysfunction in mice subjected to pressure overload. In addition, Prdx1 overexpression decreased pressure overload-induced cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress. Further studies demonstrated that Prdx1 overexpression increased the levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream antioxidant protein, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), in mice. Moreover, Nrf2 knockdown offset the antihypertrophic and anti-oxidative stress effects of Prdx1 overexpression.

Prdx1 protects against pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and HF by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. These data indicate that targeting Prdx1 may be an attractive pharmacotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and HF.