An essential role of the JAK-STAT pathway in ischemic preconditioning

Y. T. Xuan, Y. Guo, H. Han, Y. Zhu, R. Bolli

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239 Scopus citations

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine the role of the Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK)-signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway in the late phase of ischemic preconditioning (PC). A total of 230 mice were used. At 5 min after ischemic PC (induced with six cycles of 4-min coronary occlusion/4-min reperfusion), immunoprecipitation with anti-phosphotyrosine (anti-pTyr) antibodies followed by immunoblotting with anti-JAK antibodies revealed increased tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK1 (+257 ± 53%) and JAK2 (+238 ± 35%), indicating rapid activation of these two kinases. Similar results were obtained by immunoblotting with anti-pTyr-JAK1 and anti-pTyr-JAK2 antibodies. Western analysis with anti-pTyr-STAT antibodies demonstrated a marked increase in nuclear pTyr-STAT1 (+301 ± 61%) and pTyr-STAT3 (+253 ± 60%) 30 min after ischemic PC, which was associated with redistribution of STAT1 and STAT3 from the cytosolic to the nuclear fraction and with an increase in STAT1 and STAT3 γ-IFN activation site DNA-binding activity (+606 ± 64%), indicating activation of STAT1 and STAT3. No nuclear translocation or tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT2, STAT4, STAT5A, STATSB, or STAT6 was observed. Pretreatment with the JAK inhibitor AG-490 20 min before the six occlusion/reperfusion cycles blocked the enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK1 and JAK2 and the increased tyrosine phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and enhanced DNA-binding activity of STAT1 and STAT3. The same dose of AG-490 abrogated the protection against myocardial infarction and the concomitant up-regulation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) protein and activity observed 24 h after ischemic PC. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ischemic PC induces isoform-selective activation of JAK1, JAK2, STAT1, and STAT3, and that ablation of this response impedes the up-regulation of iNOS and the concurrent acquisition of ischemic tolerance. This study demonstrates that the JAK-STAT pathway plays an essential role in the development of late PC. The results reveal a signaling mechanism that underlies the transcriptional up-regulation of the cardiac iNOS gene and the adaptation of the heart to ischemic stress.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9050-9055
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume98
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 31 2001
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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