Atrial fibroblasts secrete exosomal miR-21 that up-regulates KCa3.1
channels in atrial myocytes via the PI3K-Akt pathway
Abstract
Background: Fibroblast-derived exosomes can regulate the
electrical remodeling of cardiomyocytes, and the KCa3.1 channel is an
important factor in atrial electrical remodeling; however, the
underlying molecular mechanisms that influence the fibroblast-derived
exosomes on the electrical remodeling of cardiomyocytes are blurry.
Therefore, our objective is to study the regulation of cardiac
electrophysiology by exosomes linked to KCa3.1. Methods: Atrial
myocytes (AMs) and atrial fibroblasts collected from Sprague-Dawley
suckling rats were isolated and cultured individually. The cellular
atrial fibrillation (AF) model was then established via electrical
stimulation (1.0 v/cm, 10 Hz), and fibroblast-derived exosomes were
isolated via ultracentrifugation. Moreover, these exosomes were
co-cultured with AMs to investigate their influences on KCa3.1 and its
potential mechanism. Various techniques, such as nanoparticle tracking
analysis, transmission electron microscopy, whole-cell patch clamp
technique, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),
Western blot, and immunofluorescence, were used. Results: Rapid
pacing promoted the secretion of exosomes from atrial fibroblasts (
P < 0.05), along with elevating the miR-21-5p
expression level in atrial fibroblasts and exosomes ( P
< 0.01). The expression of protein and current density of the
KCa3.1 channel significantly increased after rapid pacing in AMs (0.190
± 0.010 vs. 0.513 ± 0.057, P < 0.001). The KCa3.1
channel expression and PI3K/AKT pathway were further amplified after
co-culturing of AMs with exosomes secreted by atrial fibroblasts (0.513
± 0.057 vs. 0.790 ± 0.020, P < 0.001). However, the
KCa3.1 expression was reversed after the cells were co-cultured with
exosomes secreted by atrial fibroblasts transfected with miR-21-5p
inhibitors (0.790 ± 0.020 vs. 0.570 ± 0.056, P < 0.001)
or after the use of LY294002, a PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor (0.676 ±
0.025 vs. 0.480 ± 0.043, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Rapid pacing promoted the secretion of exosomes
from fibroblasts, and the miR-21-5p was upmodulated in exosomes.
Moreover, the miR-21-5p enriched in exosomes up-regulated the KCa3.1
channel expression in AMs via the PI3K/AKT pathway.