Inhibition of GTPase Rac1 expression by vitamin D mitigates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Figures

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  Fig. 1. Experimental design. Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: control or intact rats; Ctl (n = 10), abdominal aortic banding (AAB) as an experimental model of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy; AAB (n = 10), rats with AAB who received propylene glycol (PG); AAB + PG (n = 10), rats with AAB who received vitamin D (VitD); AAB + VitD (n = 10). After the 5-week intervention, hemodynamic parameters, cardiac redox status, expression of Rac1, and markers of hypertrophy were assessed. SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; MDA, malondialdehyde; SOD, superoxide dismutase; GPx, glutathione peroxidase; CAT, catalase; HW/BW, heart weight-to-body weight ratio; ANP and BNP, atrial and brain natriuretic peptide, respectively.

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  Fig. 2. Hemodynamic parameters. Effect of vitamin D (VitD) on (A) systolic and (B) diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively) and (C) heart rate (HR) in animals subjected to abdominal aortic banding (AAB). Values represent as mean ± SEM (n = 10). *p < 0.05 difference between groups. Ctl, control; PG, propylene glycol.

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  Fig. 3. Histological results and heart-to-body weight ratio. Effect of vitamin D (VitD) on (A) heart-to-body weight ratio (HW/BW, n = 10), (B) fibrosis (n = 6 sections from three hearts per group), and (C) cardiomyocyte area (150 cells were measured in each group) in animals subjected to abdominal aortic banding (AAB). Values represent as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05 difference between groups. Ctl, control; PG, propylene glycol. Note: the single data points were not considered in the myocyte area graph (C) due to the higher number of samples in this group.

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  Fig. 4. Molecular markers of hypertrophy. Effect of vitamin D (VitD) on cardiac mRNA expression of (A) atrial and (B) brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP, respectively) in animals subjected to abdominal aortic banding (AAB). Values represent as mean ± SEM (n = 7). *p < 0.05 difference between groups. Ctl, control; PG, propylene glycol.

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  Fig. 5. Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in the heart. Effect of vitamin D (VitD) on (A) malondialdehyde (MDA) content (a marker for oxidative lipid injury) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including (B) superoxide dismutase (SOD), (C) glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and (D) catalase (CAT) in animals subjected to abdominal aortic banding (AAB). Values represent as mean ± SEM (n = 7). *p < 0.05 difference between groups. Ctl, control; PG, propylene glycol.

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  Fig. 6. GTPase Rac1 protein and mRNA expression. Effect of vitamin D (VitD) on cardiac GTPase Rac1 (A) protein and (B) mRNA expression in animals subjected to abdominal aortic banding (AAB). (C) Reprehensive Western bot band of Rac1 protein expression in rat myocardium. Values represent as mean ± SEM (n = 7). *p < 0.05 difference between groups. Ctl, control; PG, propylene glycol.