First Author | Kunisada K | Year | 2000 |
Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 97 |
Issue | 1 | Pages | 315-9 |
PubMed ID | 10618415 | Mgi Jnum | J:136403 |
Mgi Id | MGI:3796278 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.97.1.315 |
Citation | Kunisada K, et al. (2000) Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in the heart transduces not only a hypertrophic signal but a protective signal against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97(1):315-9 |
abstractText | The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, a transcriptional factor downstream of several cytokines, is activated by Janus kinase families and plays a pivotal role in cardiac hypertrophy through gp130. To determine the physiological significance of STAT3 in vivo, transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of the Stat3 gene (STAT3-TG) were generated. STAT3-TG manifested myocardial hypertrophy at 12 wk of age with increased expression of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), beta-myosin heavy chain (MHC), and cardiotrophin (CT)-1 genes. The animals were injected i.p. with 15 mg/kg doxorubicin (Dox), an antineoplastic drug with restricted use because of its cardiotoxicity. The survival rates after 10 days were 25% (5/20) for control littermates (WT), but 80% (16/20) for STAT3-TG (P < 0.01). WT showed increased expression of beta-MHC and ANF mRNAs in the hearts 1 day after Dox treatment; this expression peaked at 3 days, suggesting that the WT suffered from congestive heart failure. Although the expression of these mRNAs was elevated in STAT3-TG hearts before Dox treatment, no additional increase was observed after the treatment. Dox administration significantly reduced the expression of the cardiac alpha-actin and Stat3 genes in WT hearts but not in STAT3-TG. These results provide direct evidence that STAT3 transduces not only a hypertrophic signal but also a protective signal against Dox-induced cardiomyopathy by inhibiting reduction of cardiac contractile genes and inducing cardiac protective factors. |