Sustained augmentation of cardiac α1A-adrenergic drive results in pathological remodeling with contractile dysfunction, progressive fibrosis and reactivation of matricellular protein genes

We previously reported that transgenic (TG) mice with cardiac-restricted α1A-adrenergic receptor (α1A-AR)-overexpression showed enhanced contractility, but no hypertrophy. Since chronic inotropic enhancement may be deleterious, we investigated if long-term, cardiac function and longevity are compromised. α1A-TG mice, but not their non-TG littermates (NTLs), showed progressive loss of left ventricular (LV) hypercontractility (dP/dtmax: 14,567 ± 603 to 11,610 ± 915 mmHg/s, P < 0.05, A1A1 line: 170-fold overexpression; and 13,625 ± 826 to 8322 ± 682 mmHg/s, respectively, P < 0.05, A1A4 line: 112-fold overexpression, at 2 and 6 months, respectively). Both TG lines developed LV fibrosis, but not LV dilatation or hypertrophy, despite activation of hypertrophic signaling pathways. Microarray and real time RT-PCR analyses revealed activation of matricellular protein genes, including those for thrombospondin 1, connective tissue growth factor and tenascin C, but not transforming growth factor β1. Life-span was markedly shortened (mean age at death: 155 days, A1A1 line; 224 days, A1A4 line compared with NTLs: > 300 days). Telemetric electrocardiography revealed that death in the α1A-AR TG mice was due to cardiac standstill preceded by a progressive diminution in QRS amplitude, but not by arrhythmias. The QRS changes and sudden death could be mimicked by α1-AR activation, and reversed preterminally by α1-AR blockade, suggesting a relationship to stress- or activity-associated catecholamine release. Thus, long-term augmentation of cardiac α1A-adrenergic drive leads to premature death and progressive LV fibrosis with reactivation of matricellular protein genes. To our knowledge this is the first evidence in vivo for a role of the α1A-AR in ventricular fibrosis and in pathological cardiac remodeling.