Insulin-like growth factor I stimulates cardiac myosin heavy chain and actin synthesis in the awake rat

Effects of regulatory factors on engineered cardiac tissue in vitro

We tested the hypothesis that supplemental regulatory factors can improve the contractile properties and viability of cardiac tissue constructs cultured in vitro. Neonatal rat heart cells were cultured on porous collagen sponges for up to 8 days in basal medium or medium supplemented with insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF), insulin-transferrin-selenium (ITS), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF), or angiopoietin-1 (ANG). IGF and ITS enhanced contractile properties of the 8-day constructs significantly more than with unsupplemented controls according to contractile amplitude and excitation threshold, and IGF also significantly increased the amount of cardiac troponin-I and enhanced cell viability according to different assays (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL)). PDGF significantly increased the contractile amplitude of 4-day constructs and enhanced cell viability according to MTT, LDH, and TUNEL; ANG enhanced cell viability according to the LDH assay. Our results demonstrate that supplemental regulatory molecules can differentially enhance properties of cardiac tissue constructs and imply that these constructs can provide a platform for systematic in vitro studies of the effects of complex stimuli that occur in vivo to improve our basic understanding of cardiogenesis and identify underlying mechanisms that can potentially be exploited to enhance myocardial regeneration.

IGF-I activates the eIF4F system in cardiac muscle in vivo

IGF-I acutely stimulates protein synthesis in cardiac muscle through acceleration of mRNA translation. In the present study, we examined the regulatory signaling pathways and translation protein factors that potentially contribute to the myocardial responsiveness of protein synthesis to IGF-I in vivo. IGF-I was injected IV into rats and 20 min later the hearts were excised and homogenized for assay of regulatory proteins. IGF-I increased assembly of the translationally active eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4G.eIF4E complex. The increased assembly of eIF4G.eIF4E was associated with an enhanced eIF4G phosphorylation and increased availability of eIF4E. Increased availability of eIF4E occurred as a consequence of diminished abundance of the inactive 4E-BP1.eIF4E complex following IGF-I. The assembly of the 4E-BP1.eIF4E complex appeared to be decreased through an IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of 4E-BP1. IGF-I also caused an increase in the phosphorylation of S6K1. Activation of the potential upstream regulators of 4E-BP1 and S6K1 phosphorylation via PKB and mTOR was also observed. In contrast, there was no effect of IGF-I on phosphorylation of elongation factor (eFE)2. The results suggest the major impact of IGF-I in cardiac muscle occurred via stimulation of translation initiation rather than elongation. Furthermore, the results are consistent with a role for assembly of active eIF4G.eIF4E complex and activation of S6K1 in mediating the stimulation of mRNA translation initiation by IGF-I through a PKB/mTOR signaling pathway.

IGF-I induced phosphorylation of S6K1 and 4E-BP1 in heart is impaired by acute alcohol intoxication

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether acute alcohol (EtOH) intoxication impairs the signal transduction pathway used to coordinate insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I stimulation of myocardial protein synthesis.

METHODS

Rats were injected intraperitoneally with EtOH or saline. After 2.5 h, IGF-I or saline was injected intravenously and the heart was excised at 2 min or 20 min. Additional rats were pretreated with RU486 or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding protein (BP) to assess the importance of elevations in glucocorticoids or TNF, respectively, as endogenous modulators of IGF-I signal transduction.

RESULTS

EtOH did not alter the total amount or tyrosine phosphorylation of the IGF-I receptor, IRS-1 or PKB under basal or IGF-stimulated conditions. However, EtOH attenuated the ability of IGF-I to phosphorylate ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K)-1 on residues T389 ( approximately 62%) and T421/S424 ( approximately 40%), and also reduced ribosomal protein S6 phosphorylation. Under basal conditions, EtOH altered the distribution of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E, as evidenced by a decreased amount of the active eIF4E.eIF4G complex (53%), an increased amount of inactive eIF4E.4E-BP1 complex ( approximately 3-fold), and decreased phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 (56%). EtOH also impaired the ability of IGF-I to reverse the above-mentioned changes in the eIF4E system. Pretreatment of rats with RU486 or TNFBP was unable to attenuate the EtOH-induced changes in either eIF4E distribution or the phosphorylation state of 4E-BP1, S6K1 or S6.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that acute EtOH intoxication alters selected aspects of translational control in the heart under basal conditions. Furthermore, despite appropriate stimulation of IGF-I receptor, IRS-1 and PKB, EtOH impairs IGF-I signaling via S6K1 and 4E-BP1 pathways, and this defect is regulated in a glucocorticoid- and TNF-independent manner. This IGF-I resistance may represent a participating mechanism by which alcohol limits protein synthesis in heart.

Acute IGF-I infusion stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and other tissues of neonatal pigs

Studies have shown that protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs is uniquely sensitive to a physiological rise in both insulin and amino acids. Protein synthesis in cardiac muscle, skin, and spleen is responsive to insulin but not amino acid stimulation, whereas in the liver, protein synthesis responds to amino acids but not insulin. To determine the response of protein synthesis to insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in this model, overnight-fasted 7- and 26-day-old pigs were infused with IGF-I (0, 20, or 50 microg. kg(-1). h(-1)) to achieve levels within the physiological range, while amino acids and glucose were clamped at fasting levels. Because IGF-I infusion lowers circulating insulin levels, an additional group of high-dose IGF-I-infused pigs was also provided replacement insulin (10 ng. kg(-0.66). min(-1)). Tissue protein synthesis was measured using a flooding dose of L-[4-(3)H]phenylalanine. In 7-day-old pigs, low-dose IGF-I increased protein synthesis by 25-60% in various skeletal muscles as well as in cardiac muscle (+38%), skin (+24%), and spleen (+32%). The higher dose of IGF-I elicited no further increase in protein synthesis above that found with the low IGF-I dose. Insulin replacement did not alter the response of protein synthesis to IGF-I in any tissue. The IGF-I-induced increases in tissue protein synthesis decreased with development. IGF-I infusion, with or without insulin replacement, had no effect on protein synthesis in liver, jejunum, pancreas, or kidney. Thus the magnitude, tissue specificity, and developmental change in the response of protein synthesis to acute physiological increases in plasma IGF-I are similar to those previously observed for insulin. This study provides in vivo data indicating that circulating IGF-I and insulin act on the same signaling components to stimulate protein synthesis and that this response is highly sensitive to stimulation in skeletal muscle of the neonate.