Connective tissue growth factor/CCN2 attenuates β-adrenergic receptor responsiveness and cardiotoxicity by induction of G protein-coupled receptor kinase-5 in cardiomyocytes

Mol Pharmacol. 2013 Sep;84(3):372-83. doi: 10.1124/mol.113.087312. Epub 2013 Jun 18.

Abstract

Myocardial connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is induced in heart failure, a condition associated with diminution of β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) responsiveness. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate whether CTGF could play a mechanistic role in regulation of β-AR responsiveness. Concentration-response curves of isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP generation in cardiomyocytes from transgenic mice with cardiac-restricted overexpression of CTGF (Tg-CTGF) or cardiomyocytes pretreated with recombinant human CTGF (rec-hCTGF) revealed marked reduction of both β₁-AR and β₂-AR responsiveness. Consistently, ventricular muscle strips from Tg-CTGF mice stimulated with isoproterenol displayed attenuation of maximal inotropic responses. However, no differences of maximal inotropic responses of myocardial fibers from Tg-CTGF mice and nontransgenic littermate control (NLC) mice were discerned when stimulated with supramaximal concentrations of dibutyryl-cAMP, indicating preserved downstream responsiveness to cAMP. Congruent with a mechanism of desensitization of β-ARs, mRNA and protein levels of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) were found isoform-selective upregulated in both cardiomyocytes from Tg-CTGF mice and cardiomyocytes exposed to rec-hCTGF. Corroborating a mechanism of GRK5 in CTGF-mediated control of β-AR sensitivity, Chinese hamster ovary cells pretreated with rec-hCTGF displayed increased agonist- and biased ligand-stimulated β-arrestin binding to β-ARs. Despite increased sensitivity of cardiomyocytes from GRK5-knockout (KO) mice to β-adrenergic agonists, pretreatment of GRK5-KO cardiomyocytes with rec-hCTGF, as opposed to cardiomyocytes from wild-type mice, did not alter β-AR responsiveness. Finally, Tg-CTGF mice subjected to chronic exposure (14 days) to isoproterenol revealed blunted myocardial hypertrophy and preserved cardiac function versus NLC mice. In conclusion, this study uncovers a novel mechanism controlling β-AR responsiveness in cardiomyocytes involving CTGF-mediated regulation of GRK5.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic Agonists / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Arrestins / metabolism
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Cardiomegaly / chemically induced
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor / genetics
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor / metabolism*
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor / pharmacology
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 5 / biosynthesis*
  • G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 5 / genetics
  • Gene Expression
  • Heart / drug effects*
  • Heart / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Isoproterenol / toxicity*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Myocardial Contraction / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Rats
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / pharmacology
  • beta-Arrestins

Substances

  • Adrenergic Agonists
  • Arrestins
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • beta-Arrestins
  • phospholamban
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor
  • G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 5
  • Isoproterenol