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Cardiovascular Research 2002 55(4):787-798; doi:10.1016/S0008-6363(02)00493-5
© 2002 by European Society of Cardiology
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Copyright © 2002, European Society of Cardiology

Molecular mechanisms of non-apoptosis by Fas stimulation alone versus apoptosis with an additional actinomycin D in cultured cardiomyocytes

Takuma Aoyamaa, Genzou Takemuraa, Rumi Maruyamaa, Ken-ichiro Kosaib, Tomoyuki Takahashib, Masahiko Kodaa, Kenji Hayakawaa, Yukinori Kawasea, Shinya Minatoguchia and Hisayoshi Fujiwaraa,*

aSecond Department of Internal Medicine, Gifu University School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-Machi, Gifu 500-8705, Japan
bDepartment of Cardiovascular Regeneration Science, Gifu University School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-Machi, Gifu 500-8705, Japan

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +81-58-267-2607; fax: +81-58-267-2933 gifuim-gif{at}umin.ac.jp

Objective: In cultured cardiomyocytes, apoptosis is induced not by Fas stimulation, a popular inducer of apoptosis, but by an additional treatment with actinomycin D (AD), a transcription inhibitor, although the mechanism is unknown. Our hypothesis is that Fas stimulation not only activates pro-apoptotic signals but also may inhibit some of them, and this inhibition is blocked by AD. Methods: Cultured neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes were treated with agonistic anti-Fas antibody (FA), AD, or both (FA+AD). In this system, apoptotic signals related to Fas-induced apoptotic pathways were examined by RT-PCR and immunoblotting. In addition, antisense oligonucleotide (AS) studies were carried out. Results: The treatment with FA+AD induced up-regulation of Fas, activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which is one of the key molecules of the alternate pathway of Fas-induced apoptosis, up-regulation of Bax, up-regulation and activation of caspase-3, activation of caspase-3-dependent DNase (CAD), and final DNA fragmentation and apoptotic morphologies in cardiomyocytes. FA alone or AD alone did not affect any part of the above pathway. However, mRNA of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1), an inactivator of JNK, was up-regulated by FA alone, but not by FA+AD or AD alone. Pretreatment with AS against MKP-1 induced apoptosis in FA alone-treated cardiomyocytes, whereas AS against JNK1 prevented apoptosis induced by FA+AD. On the other hand, FA+AD did not result in the activation of either caspase-8, one of the key molecules of the classic pathway in Fas-induced apoptosis, p38 MAPK, or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Conclusions: Cardiomyocyte apoptosis by FA+AD depends on the alternate pathway through the JNK, Bax and caspase-3, and CAD-dependent pathways including a positive feedback mechanism of Fas up-regulation. The molecular mechanism that prevents Fas stimulation alone from inducing apoptosis involves up-regulation of MKP-1, an inhibitor of JNK; this up-regulation is inhibited by AD.

KEYWORDS Apoptosis; Cell culture/isolation; Gene expression; Myocytes; Signal transduction


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