A peptide inhibitor of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase reduces myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and infarct size in vivo.

Abstract

The c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade regulates cell function and survival after stress stimulation. Equally robust studies reported dichotomous results suggesting both protective and detrimental effects of JNK during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). The lack of a highly specific JNK inhibitor contributed to this controversy. We recently developed a cell-penetrating, protease-resistant peptide inhibitor of JNK, d-JNKI-1. Here we report on the effects of d-JNKI-1 in myocardial I/R. d-JNKI-1 was tested in isolated-perfused adult rat hearts. Increased activation of JNK, p38-MAPK, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2), as assessed by kinase assays and Western blotting, occurred during I/R. d-JNKI-1 delivered before onset of ischemia prevented the increase in JNK activity while not affecting ERK1/2 and p38-MAPK activation. JNK inhibition reduced ischemic injury, as manifested by increased time to contracture (P < 0.05) and decreased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure during ischemia (P < 0.01), and enhanced posthypoxic recovery of systolic and diastolic function (P < 0.01). d-JNKI-1 reduced mitochondrial cytochrome-c release, caspase-3 activation, and the number of apoptotic cells determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (P < 0.05), indicating suppression of the mitochondrial machinery of apoptosis. d-JNKI-1 delivered at the time of reperfusion did not improve functional recovery but still prevented apoptosis. In vivo, d-JNKI-1 reduced infarct size after coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion by approximately 50% (P < 0.01). In conclusion, d-JNKI-1 is an important compound that can be used in preclinical models to investigate the role of JNK signaling in vivo. Inhibition of JNK during I/R is cardioprotective in anesthetized rats in vivo.

• Authors: Giuseppina Milano, Sandrine Morel, Christophe Bonny, Michele Samaja, Ludwig K von Segesser, Pascal Nicod, Giuseppe Vassalli
• Journal: American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology (Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol) Vol. 292 Issue 4 Pg. H1828-35 (Apr 2007) ISSN: 0363-6135 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17158645 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Peptides
• JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
• D-JNKI-1

Topics

• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• MAP Kinase Signaling System (drug effects)
• Male
• Myocardial Infarction (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Myocardial Reperfusion Injury (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Peptides (pharmacokinetics, pharmacology)
• Phosphorylation (drug effects)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Recovery of Function (drug effects)