Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice

Abstract The association between metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and cardiovascular disease is well characterized; however, the underlying mechanism is incompletely understood. Interestingly, hepatocyte‐specific silencing of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) prevents liv...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Natasha A. Trzaskalski, Melissa M. Dann, Antonio Hanson, Branka Vulesevic, Evgenia Fadzeyeva, Natasha Jeraj, Ilka Lorenzen‐Schmidt, Rick Seymour, Erin E. Mulvihill
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Physiological Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70453
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849330306175205376
author Natasha A. Trzaskalski
Melissa M. Dann
Antonio Hanson
Branka Vulesevic
Evgenia Fadzeyeva
Natasha Jeraj
Ilka Lorenzen‐Schmidt
Rick Seymour
Erin E. Mulvihill
author_facet Natasha A. Trzaskalski
Melissa M. Dann
Antonio Hanson
Branka Vulesevic
Evgenia Fadzeyeva
Natasha Jeraj
Ilka Lorenzen‐Schmidt
Rick Seymour
Erin E. Mulvihill
author_sort Natasha A. Trzaskalski
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The association between metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and cardiovascular disease is well characterized; however, the underlying mechanism is incompletely understood. Interestingly, hepatocyte‐specific silencing of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) prevents liver fibrosis and adipose tissue inflammation; however, how this affects the heart remains to be investigated. This study evaluates how diastolic function and molecular signatures of heart failure, like inflammation and fibrosis, are affected in male Dpp4+/+, Dpp4−/−, and Dpp4flox/flox mice injected with a TBG‐CRE to selectively eliminate DPP4 from hepatocytes (Dpp4hep−/−) and respective controls (Dpp4GFP), aged and fed an HFHC diet for 24 weeks. Mice underwent pulsed‐wave and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Further, speckle‐tracking strain analysis was performed to detect diastolic dysfunction. Differential mRNA analysis using the NanoString platform and qRT‐PCR were conducted using ventricular tissue to assess immunological pathway expression, as well as hypertrophy, modeling‐related, senescence, and metabolism gene expression. Immunological pathway analysis of ventricular tissue revealed downregulation of 12 immune‐related pathways in Dpp4hep−/− mice, including apoptosis and chemokine and cytokine signaling; however, this was not observed in Dpp4−/− mice. Further, fibrosis and ECM modeling‐related genes, Col1a1, Col3a1, Ctgf, and Myh7, were significantly upregulated in Dpp4−/− mice but unchanged in Dpp4hep−/− mice, compared to controls. Interestingly, cardiac hypertrophy and systolic and diastolic function evaluated with echocardiography were unchanged. Immune‐related pathways are downregulated in Dpp4hep−/− mice, while fibrosis genes are significantly upregulated in Dpp4−/− mice, compared to respective controls. Despite these molecular changes, cardiac hypertrophy and systolic and diastolic function were unchanged with systemic and organ‐specific loss of Dpp4.
format Article
id doaj-art-7bd9b95f0ca344cab35aadfcd535a47f
institution Kabale University
issn 2051-817X
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Physiological Reports
spelling doaj-art-7bd9b95f0ca344cab35aadfcd535a47f2025-08-20T03:46:58ZengWileyPhysiological Reports2051-817X2025-08-011315n/an/a10.14814/phy2.70453Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male miceNatasha A. Trzaskalski0Melissa M. Dann1Antonio Hanson2Branka Vulesevic3Evgenia Fadzeyeva4Natasha Jeraj5Ilka Lorenzen‐Schmidt6Rick Seymour7Erin E. Mulvihill8Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaThe University of Ottawa Heart Institute Ottawa Ontario CanadaThe University of Ottawa Heart Institute Ottawa Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario CanadaAbstract The association between metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and cardiovascular disease is well characterized; however, the underlying mechanism is incompletely understood. Interestingly, hepatocyte‐specific silencing of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) prevents liver fibrosis and adipose tissue inflammation; however, how this affects the heart remains to be investigated. This study evaluates how diastolic function and molecular signatures of heart failure, like inflammation and fibrosis, are affected in male Dpp4+/+, Dpp4−/−, and Dpp4flox/flox mice injected with a TBG‐CRE to selectively eliminate DPP4 from hepatocytes (Dpp4hep−/−) and respective controls (Dpp4GFP), aged and fed an HFHC diet for 24 weeks. Mice underwent pulsed‐wave and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Further, speckle‐tracking strain analysis was performed to detect diastolic dysfunction. Differential mRNA analysis using the NanoString platform and qRT‐PCR were conducted using ventricular tissue to assess immunological pathway expression, as well as hypertrophy, modeling‐related, senescence, and metabolism gene expression. Immunological pathway analysis of ventricular tissue revealed downregulation of 12 immune‐related pathways in Dpp4hep−/− mice, including apoptosis and chemokine and cytokine signaling; however, this was not observed in Dpp4−/− mice. Further, fibrosis and ECM modeling‐related genes, Col1a1, Col3a1, Ctgf, and Myh7, were significantly upregulated in Dpp4−/− mice but unchanged in Dpp4hep−/− mice, compared to controls. Interestingly, cardiac hypertrophy and systolic and diastolic function evaluated with echocardiography were unchanged. Immune‐related pathways are downregulated in Dpp4hep−/− mice, while fibrosis genes are significantly upregulated in Dpp4−/− mice, compared to respective controls. Despite these molecular changes, cardiac hypertrophy and systolic and diastolic function were unchanged with systemic and organ‐specific loss of Dpp4.https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70453cardiovascular dysfunctiondiastolic dysfunctiondipeptidyl peptidase‐4echocardiographyhepatokine
spellingShingle Natasha A. Trzaskalski
Melissa M. Dann
Antonio Hanson
Branka Vulesevic
Evgenia Fadzeyeva
Natasha Jeraj
Ilka Lorenzen‐Schmidt
Rick Seymour
Erin E. Mulvihill
Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice
Physiological Reports
cardiovascular dysfunction
diastolic dysfunction
dipeptidyl peptidase‐4
echocardiography
hepatokine
title Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice
title_full Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice
title_fullStr Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice
title_full_unstemmed Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice
title_short Elimination of hepatocyte‐derived DPP4 downregulates cardiac immune‐ and collagen‐related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice
title_sort elimination of hepatocyte derived dpp4 downregulates cardiac immune and collagen related genes but does not alter cardiac function in aged male mice
topic cardiovascular dysfunction
diastolic dysfunction
dipeptidyl peptidase‐4
echocardiography
hepatokine
url https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70453
work_keys_str_mv AT natashaatrzaskalski eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT melissamdann eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT antoniohanson eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT brankavulesevic eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT evgeniafadzeyeva eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT natashajeraj eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT ilkalorenzenschmidt eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT rickseymour eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice
AT erinemulvihill eliminationofhepatocytederiveddpp4downregulatescardiacimmuneandcollagenrelatedgenesbutdoesnotaltercardiacfunctioninagedmalemice