Inhibition of p38α MAPK rescues cardiomyopathy induced by overexpressed β2-adrenergic receptor, but not β1-adrenergic receptor

We examined the role of p38 alpha MAPK in mediating cardiomyopathy in mice overexpressing beta(1)-adrenergic receptor (beta(1)-AR) or beta(2)-AR by mating them with dominant-negative p38 alpha (DNp38 alpha) MAPK mice. Both beta(1)-AR and beta(2)-AR Tg mice had enhanced LV ejection fraction (LVEF) as young adults and developed similar cardiomyopathy at 11-15 months, characterized by reduced LVEF, myocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and apoptosis. We inhibited p38 alpha MAPK by mating beta(1)-AR Tg and beta(2)-AR Tg mice with DNp38 alpha MAPK mice, which rescued the depressed LVEF and reduced apoptosis and fibrosis in bigenic beta(2)-AR x DNp38 alpha MAPK mice, but not bigenic beta(1)-AR x DNp38 alpha MAPK mice, and failed to reduce myocyte hypertrophy in either group. G(s alpha) was increased in both beta(1)-AR Tg and beta(2)-AR Tg mice and was still present in bigenic beta(1)-AR x DNp38 alpha MAPK mice, but not bigenic beta(2)-AR x DNp38 alpha MAPK mice. This suggests that p38 alpha MAPK is one critical downstream signal for the development of cardiomyopathy following chronic beta(2)-AR stimulation, but other kinases may be more important in ameliorating the adverse effects of chronic beta(1)-AR stimulation.