Hydrogen sulfide alleviates myocardial collagen remodeling in association with inhibition of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Mol Med. 2015 Jan 20;20(1):503-15. doi: 10.2119/molmed.2013.00096.

Abstract

The study was designed to explore the role and possible mechanisms of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the regulation of myocardial collagen remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). We treated nine-week-old male SHRs and age- and sex-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) with NaHS (90 μmol/kg(-1)·day(-1)) for 9 wks. At 18 wks, plasma H2S, tail arterial pressure, morphology of the heart, myocardial ultrastructure and collagen volume fraction (CVF), myocardial expressions of collagen I and III protein and procollagen I and III mRNA, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), TGF-β type I receptor (TβR-I), type II receptor (TβR-II), p-Smad2 and 3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMP)-1 proteins were determined. TGF-β1-stimulated cultured cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were used to further study the mechanisms. The results showed that compared with WKYs, SHRs showed a reduced plasma H2S, elevated tail artery pressure and increased myocardial collagen, TGF-β1, TβR-II, p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 expressions. However, NaHS markedly decreased tail artery pressure and inhibited myocardial collagen, TGF-β1, TβR-II, p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 protein expressions, but H2S had no effect on the expressions of MMP-13 and TIMP-1. Hydralazine reduced blood pressure but had no effect on myocardial collagen, MMP-13 and TIMP-1 expressions and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. H2S prevented activation of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and abnormal collagen synthesis in CFs. In conclusion, the results suggested that H2S could prevent myocardial collagen remodeling in SHR. The mechanism might be associated with inhibition of collagen synthesis via TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arterial Pressure / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Collagen Type I / metabolism*
  • Collagen Type III / metabolism*
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Hydrogen Sulfide / blood
  • Hydrogen Sulfide / metabolism*
  • Hypertension / metabolism
  • Hypertension / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Myocardium / metabolism*
  • Myocardium / ultrastructure
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Rats, Inbred SHR
  • Rats, Inbred WKY
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Smad2 Protein / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Smad2 Protein / metabolism
  • Smad3 Protein / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Smad3 Protein / metabolism
  • Sulfides / pharmacology
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism

Substances

  • Collagen Type I
  • Collagen Type III
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Smad2 Protein
  • Smad2 protein, rat
  • Smad3 Protein
  • Smad3 protein, rat
  • Sulfides
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II
  • Tgfbr1 protein, rat
  • sodium bisulfide
  • Hydrogen Sulfide