Go to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • All ...
  • Videos
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Resource and Technical Advances
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Editorials
    • Perspectives
    • Physician-Scientist Development
    • Reviews
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • In-Press Preview
  • Resource and Technical Advances
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Editorials
  • Perspectives
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Reviews
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
CaMKIIδ-mediated inflammatory gene expression and inflammasome activation in cardiomyocytes initiate inflammation and induce fibrosis
Andrew Willeford, Takeshi Suetomi, Audrey Nickle, Hal M. Hoffman, Shigeki Miyamoto, Joan Heller Brown
Andrew Willeford, Takeshi Suetomi, Audrey Nickle, Hal M. Hoffman, Shigeki Miyamoto, Joan Heller Brown
View: Text | PDF
Research Article Cardiology Inflammation

CaMKIIδ-mediated inflammatory gene expression and inflammasome activation in cardiomyocytes initiate inflammation and induce fibrosis

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

Inflammation accompanies heart failure and is a mediator of cardiac fibrosis. CaMKIIδ plays an essential role in adverse remodeling and decompensation to heart failure. We postulated that inflammation is the mechanism by which CaMKIIδ contributes to adverse remodeling in response to nonischemic interventions. We demonstrate that deletion of CaMKIIδ in the cardiomyocyte (CKO) significantly attenuates activation of NF-κB, expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines, and macrophage accumulation induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion. The inflammasome was activated by Ang II, and this response was also diminished in CKO mice. These events occurred prior to any evidence of Ang II–induced cell death. In addition, CaMKII-dependent inflammatory gene expression and inflammasome priming were observed as early as the third hour of infusion, a time point at which macrophage recruitment was not evident. Inhibition of either the inflammasome or monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) signaling attenuated macrophage accumulation, and these interventions, like cardiomyocyte CaMKIIδ deletion, diminished the fibrotic response to Ang II. Thus, activation of CaMKIIδ in the cardiomyocyte represents what we believe to be a novel mechanism for initiating inflammasome activation and an inflammatory gene program that leads to macrophage recruitment and ultimately to development of fibrosis.

Authors

Andrew Willeford, Takeshi Suetomi, Audrey Nickle, Hal M. Hoffman, Shigeki Miyamoto, Joan Heller Brown

×

Figure 3

Ang II–induced macrophage accumulation in the heart is attenuated by CaMKIIδ gene deletion in the cardiomyocyte, inhibition of NF-κB activation, and MCP1 receptor blockade.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
Ang II–induced macrophage accumulation in the heart is attenuated by CaM...
(A) Representative pictures of cardiac cryosections stained with antibody to the pan-macrophage marker CD68 taken from mice infused with saline (vehicle [Veh]) or Ang II (1.5 μg/kg/min) for 1 day (n = 3–6/group). Mouse groups include Camk2dfl/fl control (CTL) mice, cardiomyocyte-specific CaMKIIδ KO (CKO) mice, control mice injected intraperitoneally with the inhibitor of NF-κB activation BMS-345541 (BMS), and control mice injected with the MCP1 receptor antagonist RS102895 (RS). CD68, green; DAPI, blue. Mice in the BMS group were injected with water (–) or 45 mg/kg of BMS-345541 (+) at 3 time points throughout the 1-day infusion. Doses and injection times were 30 mg/kg at time 0 hours of infusion, 15 mg/kg at time 5 hours, and 60 mg/kg at time 8 hours infused with. Mice in the RS group were injected intraperitoneally with 1:1 DMSO/water (–) or 10 mg/kg RS102895 every 6 hours for 24 hours (+). (B) Quantitation of CD68 staining in cryosections taken from control and CKO mice infused with saline or Ang II. (C) Quantitation of CD68 staining in cryosections taken from control mice infused with saline or Ang II and injected with water or BMS. (D) Quantitation of CD68 staining in cryosections taken from control mice infused with saline or Ang II and injected with 1:1 DMSO/water or RS102895. Two-way ANOVA was used for all comparisons. *P < 0.05 vs. Veh; **P < 0.01 vs. Veh; #P < 0.05, CTL Ang II vs. CKO Ang II, Ang II vs. Ang II + BMS, or Ang II vs. Ang II + RS. Scale bars: 50 μm.

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN 2379-3708

Sign up for email alerts