Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling

Background Almost one-third of all deaths in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and hyperglycaemia are due to cardiovascular diseases. Chronic exposure of the heart to hyperglycaemia leads to a maladaptation called pathological cardiac remodelling and occurs via oxidative stress due to exc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Amtha, Nikhil
Other Authors: Gwanyanya, Asfree
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Human Biology 2024
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613212455731200
access_status_str Open Access
author Amtha, Nikhil
author2 Gwanyanya, Asfree
author_browse Amtha, Nikhil
Gwanyanya, Asfree
author_facet Gwanyanya, Asfree
Amtha, Nikhil
author_sort Amtha, Nikhil
collection Thesis
description Background Almost one-third of all deaths in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and hyperglycaemia are due to cardiovascular diseases. Chronic exposure of the heart to hyperglycaemia leads to a maladaptation called pathological cardiac remodelling and occurs via oxidative stress due to excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the heart, ROS modulates cardiac differentiation, cardiomyocyte proliferation, and myocardial tissue growth via ROS-sensitive protein kinases such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Although there are several different MAPKs, the p38 MAPKs are involved in cardiogenesis and implicated in stimulating myocyte apoptosis, hypertrophy, or even antiapoptotic effects. As such, the role of p38 MAPKs in diabetic cardiac remodelling, especially during cardiac development, remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the effect of hyperglycaemia on the p38 MAPK signalling pathway in a cardiac developmental model. Methods Pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were differentiated in vitro into cardiaclike pulsatile embryoid bodies (EBs) using the hanging drop method. Once pulsatile, EBs were further cultured for 72 hours in either baseline (25mM) or high glucose (50mM) media or with the pro-oxidant hydrogen peroxide (100μM). Changes in EB morphology and beating characteristics were observed using transmitted light microscopy. Immunocytochemistry and fluorescence microscopy imaging was used to detect changes in biomarkers. The nuclear uptake of propidium iodide (PI) was used to evaluate cell viability, whereas the 5-ethynyl-1- deoxyuridine (EdU) assay was used to determine cell proliferation. Western blot was used to analyse protein expression. Results Treatment with hydrogen peroxide stunted EB growth and decreased EB diameter, consistent with the presence of oxidative stress. High glucose increased the number of pyknotic-like nuclei and reduced the number of EdU-positive nuclei. Furthermore, hyperglycaemia elevated the expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, without altering total p38 MAPK expression levels. Inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB203580 in high glucose attenuated the increased number of pyknotic-like nuclei in high glucose and enhanced the number of EdUpositive nuclei compared to high glucose alone. High glucose also reduced the expression of the mitochondrial fusion regulatory protein, optic atrophy-1 (OPA1), with the inhibition of p38MAPK in high glucose attenuating this effect. Conclusion Hyperglycaemia induced pyknotic-like phenomenon, suppressed the proliferation, and reduced mitochondrial fusion protein machinery of mESC-derived cardiac-like cells. These effects were likely triggered by a mild form of oxidative stress and involved the activation of p38 MAPK. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying diabetic developmental cardiac remodelling and identify p38MAPKs as a potential therapeutic target.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39262
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:33.381Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher Department of Human Biology
publisherStr Department of Human Biology
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39262 A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling Amtha, Nikhil Gwanyanya, Asfree Medicine Background Almost one-third of all deaths in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and hyperglycaemia are due to cardiovascular diseases. Chronic exposure of the heart to hyperglycaemia leads to a maladaptation called pathological cardiac remodelling and occurs via oxidative stress due to excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the heart, ROS modulates cardiac differentiation, cardiomyocyte proliferation, and myocardial tissue growth via ROS-sensitive protein kinases such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Although there are several different MAPKs, the p38 MAPKs are involved in cardiogenesis and implicated in stimulating myocyte apoptosis, hypertrophy, or even antiapoptotic effects. As such, the role of p38 MAPKs in diabetic cardiac remodelling, especially during cardiac development, remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the effect of hyperglycaemia on the p38 MAPK signalling pathway in a cardiac developmental model. Methods Pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were differentiated in vitro into cardiaclike pulsatile embryoid bodies (EBs) using the hanging drop method. Once pulsatile, EBs were further cultured for 72 hours in either baseline (25mM) or high glucose (50mM) media or with the pro-oxidant hydrogen peroxide (100μM). Changes in EB morphology and beating characteristics were observed using transmitted light microscopy. Immunocytochemistry and fluorescence microscopy imaging was used to detect changes in biomarkers. The nuclear uptake of propidium iodide (PI) was used to evaluate cell viability, whereas the 5-ethynyl-1- deoxyuridine (EdU) assay was used to determine cell proliferation. Western blot was used to analyse protein expression. Results Treatment with hydrogen peroxide stunted EB growth and decreased EB diameter, consistent with the presence of oxidative stress. High glucose increased the number of pyknotic-like nuclei and reduced the number of EdU-positive nuclei. Furthermore, hyperglycaemia elevated the expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, without altering total p38 MAPK expression levels. Inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB203580 in high glucose attenuated the increased number of pyknotic-like nuclei in high glucose and enhanced the number of EdUpositive nuclei compared to high glucose alone. High glucose also reduced the expression of the mitochondrial fusion regulatory protein, optic atrophy-1 (OPA1), with the inhibition of p38MAPK in high glucose attenuating this effect. Conclusion Hyperglycaemia induced pyknotic-like phenomenon, suppressed the proliferation, and reduced mitochondrial fusion protein machinery of mESC-derived cardiac-like cells. These effects were likely triggered by a mild form of oxidative stress and involved the activation of p38 MAPK. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying diabetic developmental cardiac remodelling and identify p38MAPKs as a potential therapeutic target. 2024-03-28T09:31:20Z 2024-03-28T09:31:20Z 2023 2024-03-28T08:36:18Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39262 eng application/pdf Department of Human Biology Faculty of Health Sciences
spellingShingle Medicine
Amtha, Nikhil
A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling
thesis_degree_str Master's
title A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling
title_full A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling
title_fullStr A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling
title_full_unstemmed A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling
title_short A study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling
title_sort study on the role of oxidative stress and protein kinase signalling in hyperglycaemia induced cardiac remodelling
topic Medicine
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39262
work_keys_str_mv AT amthanikhil astudyontheroleofoxidativestressandproteinkinasesignallinginhyperglycaemiainducedcardiacremodelling
AT amthanikhil studyontheroleofoxidativestressandproteinkinasesignallinginhyperglycaemiainducedcardiacremodelling