Cholesterol modulates function of connexin 43 gap junction channel via PKC pathway in H9c2 cells.

It has been shown that cholesterol modulates activity of protein kinase C (PKC), and PKC phosphorylates connexin 43 (Cx43) to regulate its function, respectively. However, it is not known whether cholesterol modulates function of Cx43 through regulating activity of PKC. In the present study, we demonstrated that cholesterol enrichment reduced the dye transfer ability of Cx43 in cultured H9c2 cells. Western blot analysis indicated that cholesterol enrichment enhanced the phosphorylated state of Cx43. Immunofluorescent images showed that cholesterol enrichment made the Cx43 distribution from condensed to diffused manner in the interface between the cells. In cholesterol enriched cells, PKC antagonists partially restored the dye transfer ability among the cells, downregulated the phosphorylation of Cx43 and redistributed Cx43 from the diffused manner to the condensed manner in the cell interface. In addition, reduction of cholesterol level suppressed PKC activity to phosphorylate Cx43 and restored Cx43 function in PKC agonist-treated cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that cholesterol enrichment upregulated the phosphorylated state of Cx43 at Ser368, while PKC antagonists reversed the effect. Taken together, cholesterol level in the cells plays important roles in regulating Cx43 function through activation of the PKC signaling pathway.

Effect of hydrodynamics-based delivery of IL-18BP fusion gene on rat experimental autoimmune myocarditis.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a powerful and important cytokine in myocarditis. IL-18-binding protein (IL-18BP), a naturally occurring antagonist of IL-18, is presumed to play a vital regulatory function in IL-18-mediated immune responses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the alterations of IL-18 and its related protein expressions and the effect of hydrodynamics-based delivery of the IL-18BP gene for treatment of rat experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM).Rats were immunized on Day 0 and killed on 2, 3 and 4 weeks to determine IL-18 and its related protein expression and target cells in EAM hearts. On Day 6, rats were injected with a recombinant plasmid encoding IL-18BP-Ig or SP-Ig. On Day 17, rats were detected with echocardiography and then be killed. IL-18BP gene therapy was effective in controlling EAM, as monitored by a decreased ratio of heart weight to body weight, reduced myocarditis areas, reduced expression of atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, IL-17, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-10. Furthermore, the effect of serum containing IL-18BP on the expression of immune-relevant genes in IL-1α-stimulated NC cells and splenocytes cultured from EAM rats was examined. The results showed that IL-18BP significantly suppressed the expression of IL-17 as well as other proinflammatory genes such as transforming growth factor-ß, prostaglandin E2 synthase, cyclooxygenase-2 in IL-1α-stimulated NC cells, and IL-18BP also significantly suppressed the expression of IL-17, IL-17R, IL-21 and IL-17-related transcriptional factor retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor, signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 and Foxp3 in IL-1α-stimulated splenocytes cultured from EAM rats. IL-18 and its related protein played an important role on the development of EAM. IL-18BP effectively prevented progression of EAM by blocking IL-17 and related inflammatory genes expression. This might be a possible mechanism of the amelioration of EAM by IL-18BP treatment.