Mnk1 (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Interacting Kinase 1) Deficiency Aggravates Cardiac Remodeling in Mice

Identifying the key factor involved in cardiac remodeling is critically important for developing novel strategies to protect against heart failure. Here, the role of Mnk1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase-interacting kinase 1) in cardiac remodeling was clarified. Cardiac remodeling was induced by transverse aortic constriction in Mnk1-knockout mice and their wild-type control mice. After 4 weeks of transverse aortic constriction, Mnk1-knockout mice developed exaggerated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, dysfunction, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and showed increased ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2) activation along with reduced sprouty2 expression. In line with the in vivo studies, Mnk1 knockdown by Mnk1 siRNA transfection induced exaggerated angiotensin II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). Moreover, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Mnk1 in NRVMs protected cardiomyocytes from angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy. In addition, overexpression of sprouty2 rescued NRVMs with Mnk1 knockdown from angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy. In accordance with the in vivo studies, as compared with the control group, Mnk1 knockdown led to hyperphosphorylation of ERK1/2 and suppression of the sprouty2 expression in angiotensin II-treated NRVMs; furthermore, Mnk1 overexpression led to hypophosphorylation of ERK1/2 in angiotensin II-treated NRVMs. In addition, sprouty2 overexpression suppressed the activation of ERK1/2 in angiotensin II-treated NRVMs with Mnk1 knockdown. Impressively, MnK1-knockout mice with overexpression of sprouty2 exhibited signs of a blunted cardiac hypertrophic response. Mnk1 likely carries out a suppressive function in cardiac hypertrophy via regulating the sprouty2/ERK1/2 pathway. It implicates Mnk1 in the development of cardiac remodeling.