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Cardiac expression of HMOX1 and PGF in sickle cell mice and haem-treated wild type mice dominates organ expression profiles via Nrf2 (Nfe2l2)
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Cardiac expression of HMOX1 and PGF in sickle cell mice and haem-treated wild type mice dominates organ expression profiles via Nrf2 (Nfe2l2)

Oluwabukola T. Gbotosho, Samit Ghosh, Maria G. Kapetanaki, Yu Lin, Frances Weidert, Grant C. Bullock, Solomon F. Ofori-Acquah and Gregory J. Kato
British journal of haematology, Vol.187(5), pp.666-675
12/2019
DOI: 10.1111/bjh.16129
PMCID: PMC8007233
PMID: 31389006

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Abstract

Haemolysis is a major feature of sickle cell disease (SCD) that contributes to organ damage. It is well established that haem, a product of haemolysis, induces expression of the enzyme that degrades it, haem oxygenase-1 (HMOX1). We have also shown that haem induces expression of placental growth factor (PGF), but the organ specificity of these responses has not been well-defined. As expected, we found high level expression of Hmox1 and Pgf transcripts in the reticuloendothelial system organs of transgenic sickle cell mice, but surprisingly strong expression in the heart (P < 0 center dot 0001). This pattern was largely replicated in wild type mice by intravenous injection of exogenous haem. In the heart, haem induced unexpectedly strong mRNA responses for Hmox1 (18-fold), Pgf (4-fold), and the haem transporter Slc48a1 (also termed Hrg1; 2 center dot 4-fold). This was comparable to the liver, the principal known haem-detoxifying organ. The NFE2L2 (also termed NRF2) transcription factor mediated much of the haem induction of Hmox1 and Hrg1 in all organs, but less so for Pgf. Our results indicate that the heart expresses haem response pathway genes at surprisingly high basal levels and shares with the liver a similar transcriptional response to circulating haem. The role of the heart in haem response should be investigated further.
Hematology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Science & Technology

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