Inhibitory effect of sirtuin6 on EndMT by regulating oxidative stress
and autophagy in coxsackievirus B3-induced cardiac endothelial cells
Abstract
Endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) serves as a crucial source
of myofibroblasts and exerts a significant impact on fibrosis diseases
through an unidentified underlying mechanism. Sirtuin6 (Sirt6) is widely
involved in the physiology and pathology of cardiovascular diseases.
However, the role of Sirt6 on the EndMT in viral myocarditis (VMC)
remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Sirt6 on
the EndMT in coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-infected mouse cardiac endothelial
cells (MCECs). Firstly, the occurrence of EndMT was confirmed in
CVB3-induced MCECs, and a down-regulation of Sirt6 expression was
observed during this process. To further explore the impact of Sirt6 on
EndMT, the expression of Sirt6 in MCECs was manipulated using lentiviral
transfection. The results showed that Sirt6 over-expression led to a
up-regulation in the endothelial marker ve-Cadherin and a concomitant
down-regulation in the mesenchymal marker α-Sma, partially reversing the
EndMT caused by CVB3 stimulation or Sirt6 deficiency. Flow cytometry and
western blot were used to detect apoptosis, and the results indicated
that Sirt6 over-expression might reduce apoptosis through the Caspase-3
pathway. Subsequently, proteomic analysis was conducted based on MCECs
with Sirt6 knockdown. The results suggested that Sirt6 deficiency was
closely associated with apoptosis, biological oxidation, and energy
metabolism. Further detection of oxidative stress and autophagy levels
in MCECs revealed that CVB3 stimulation led to enhanced oxidative stress
and reduced autophagy. This condition was exacerbated by lack of Sirt6
but partially mitigated by its over-expression. These findings suggested
that Sirt6 might inhibit the EndMT by ameliorating oxidative stress and
autophagy in CVB3-induced MCECs.