Cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein protects against cardiac remodeling induced by angiotensin II in mice

Abstract

The development of cardiac hypertrophy in response to increased hemodynamic load and neurohormonal stress is initially a compensatory response that may eventually lead to ventricular dilatation and heart failure. Cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP) is a homologue of caspase 8 without caspase activity that inhibits apoptosis initiated by death receptor signaling. Previous studies showed that cFLIP expression was markedly decreased in the ventricular myocardium of patients with end-stage heart failure. However, the critical role of cFLIP on cardiac remodeling remains unclear. To specifically determine the role of cFLIP in pathological cardiac remodeling, we used heterozygote cFLIP mice and transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of the human cFLIPL gene. Our results demonstrated that the cFLIP mice were susceptible to cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 signaling, whereas the transgenic mice displayed the opposite phenotype in response to angiotensin II stimulation. These studies indicate that cFLIP protein is a crucial component of the signaling pathway involved in cardiac remodeling and heart failure. © 2010 American Heart Association, Inc.