Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (Jan 2020)

Decrease of Cardiac Parkin Protein in Obese Mice

  • Amandine Thomas,
  • Stefanie Marek-Iannucci,
  • Kyle C. Tucker,
  • Allen M. Andres,
  • Roberta A. Gottlieb

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2019.00191
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6

Abstract

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Mitophagy plays a major role in heart physiology. Impairment of Parkin-dependent mitophagy in heart is known to be deleterious. Obesity is a known cardiovascular risk factor. Impaired autophagy has been reported in models of obesity or hyperlipidemia/hypercholesterolemia; however less is known regarding obesity and mitophagy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the regulation of Parkin expression in hearts of mice fed a high fat diet. Interestingly, we found a significant decrease in Parkin protein in hearts of HFD mice compared those fed a low-fat diet. This was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in the context of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). This downregulation was not associated with a decrease in Parkin mRNA expression. We did not detect any change in the degradation rate of Parkin and only a slight decrease in its translation. The reduction of Parkin protein abundance in HFD hearts remains a mystery and will need further studies. However, Parkin depletion in the setting of obesity may contribute to cardiovascular risk.

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