Protective effect and mechanism of AKAP1 on myocardial injury induced by highland hypobaric hypoxia / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and its possible mechanism of A-kinase anchored protein 1 (AKAP1) on the myocardial injury induced by highland hypobaric hypoxia. Methods: From January 2021 to May 2022, male C57BL/6 SPF grade mice were divided into wild type control (WT) group and highland hypobaric hypoxia (HH) group with 6 mice in each group. HH group simulated 6000 m altitude with low pressure oxygen chamber for 4 weeks to build the model. Primary myocardial cells of SD rats were divided into normoxia control group and hypoxia experimental group (n=3). Cell models were constructed in a three-gas hypoxia incubator with 1% oxygen concentration for 24 h. AKAP1 protein and mRNA expression in myocardial tissue and cells were detected by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). After myocardial point injection of the AKAP1 or the control adenovirus, the mice were divided into 3 groups (n=6) WT group, highland hypobaric hypoxia overexpression control group (HH+Ad-Ctrl group) and highland hypobaric hypoxia overexpression experimental group (HH+Ad-AKAP1 group). The cardiac function of mice was detected by noninvasive M-type ultrasonic cardiomotive, myocardial fibrosis was detected by Masson and Sirius Red staining, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was detected by wheat germ agglutinin. After the expression of AKAP1 in primary cardiomyocytes was downregulated by siRNA and upregulated by adenovirus, the cells were divided into three groups (n=3) normoxia control group, hypoxia interference control group (hypoxia+siCtrl group), hypoxia AKAP1 knockdown group (hypoxia+siAKAP1 group) ; normoxia control group, hypoxia overexpression control group (hypoxia+Ad-Ctrl group), hypoxia AKAP1 overexpression group (hypoxia+Ad-AKAP1 group). Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, AKAP1, apoptosis-related protein and mRNA expression levels were detected by western blotting and qPCR, mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 staining, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen specie (ROS) level was detected by MitoSOX. Results: The expression of AKAP1 in cardiac muscle of HH group was lower than that in the WT group, and the expression of AKAP1 in hypoxia experimental group was lower than that in normoxia control group (P<0.01). Compared with WT group, the left ventricular ejection fraction and fraction shortening of left ventricle in HH+Ad-Ctrl group were decreased (P<0.01), myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy were aggravated (P<0.01), and the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) was decreased, the expressions of BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX), Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 were increased (P<0.01). After AKAP1 overexpression, compared with HH+Ad-Ctrl group, the left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular fraction shortening were increased in HH+Ad-AKAP1 group (P<0.01), myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy were reduced (P<0.01), and the expression of BCL-2 was increased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 were decreased (P<0.01). Compared with normoxia control group, the expression of BCL-2 in hypoxia+siCtrl group was decreased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3, Caspase 9 were increased, the apoptosis level was increased (P<0.01), the mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased and the production of ROS was increased (P<0.01). After AKAP1 knockdown, compared with hypoxia+siCtrl group, the expression of BCL-2 in hypoxia+siAKAP1 group was decreased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3, Caspase 9 were increased, the apoptosis level was increased (P<0.01), mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased, and the production of ROS was increased (P<0.01). After AKAP1 overexpression, compared with hypoxia+Ad-Ctrl group, the expression of BCL-2 in hypoxia+Ad-AKAP1 group was increased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 were decreased (P<0.05), the apoptosis level was decreased (P<0.01), and the mitochondrial membrane potential was enhanced, and the production of ROS was decreased (P<0.01) . Conclusion: The downregulation of AKAP1 in cardiomyocytes under highland hypobaric hypoxia may lead to the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and the increase of ROS generation, leading to the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, and thus aggravating the myocardial injury at highland hypobaric hypoxia.