Nanocurcumin Prevents Hypoxia Induced Stress in Primary Human Ventricular Cardiomyocytes by Maintaining Mitochondrial Homeostasis

PLoS One. 2015 Sep 25;10(9):e0139121. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139121. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Hypoxia induced oxidative stress incurs pathophysiological changes in hypertrophied cardiomyocytes by promoting translocation of p53 to mitochondria. Here, we investigate the cardio-protective efficacy of nanocurcumin in protecting primary human ventricular cardiomyocytes (HVCM) from hypoxia induced damages. Hypoxia induced hypertrophy was confirmed by FITC-phenylalanine uptake assay, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) levels and cell size measurements. Hypoxia induced translocation of p53 was investigated by using mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore blocker cyclosporin A (blocks entry of p53 to mitochondria) and confirmed by western blot and immunofluorescence. Mitochondrial damage in hypertrophied HVCM cells was evaluated by analysing bio-energetic, anti-oxidant and metabolic function and substrate switching form lipids to glucose. Nanocurcumin prevented translocation of p53 to mitochondria by stabilizing mitochondrial membrane potential and de-stressed hypertrophied HVCM cells by significant restoration in lactate, acetyl-coenzyme A, pyruvate and glucose content along with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPKα) activity. Significant restoration in glucose and modulation of GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 levels confirmed that nanocurcumin mediated prevention of substrate switching. Nanocurcumin prevented of mitochondrial stress as confirmed by c-fos/c-jun/p53 signalling. The data indicates decrease in p-300 histone acetyl transferase (HAT) mediated histone acetylation and GATA-4 activation as pharmacological targets of nanocurcumin in preventing hypoxia induced hypertrophy. The study provides an insight into propitious therapeutic effects of nanocurcumin in cardio-protection and usability in clinical applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Cell Hypoxia
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Curcumin / analogs & derivatives
  • Curcumin / pharmacology*
  • Cyclosporine / pharmacology
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / metabolism
  • Glucose Transporter Type 2 / metabolism
  • Heart Ventricles / cytology
  • Histone Acetyltransferases / metabolism
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Lactic Acid / metabolism
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Glucose Transporter Type 2
  • SLC2A1 protein, human
  • SLC2A2 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Lactic Acid
  • Cyclosporine
  • Histone Acetyltransferases
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Curcumin
  • Glucose

Grants and funding

The present work was funded by research fellowship only. Sarita Nehra is a recipient of University Grants Commission fellowship. Varun Bhardwaj is a recipient of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research fellowship.