Relationship between the autoantibody and expression of β3-adrenoceptor in lung and heart
Authors: Miaobing Liu
Zhe Chen
Guobin Miao
Lin Zhang
Gang Hao
Huiling An
Zhiyong Zhang
Xiangyang Fang
Jian Zhang
Lingqiao Lu
Journal: PLoS ONE (2013)
Discipline: Multidisciplinary
Keywords: β3-AR; heart failure; pulmonary congestion; edema; anti-β3-AR autoantibody
Affiliations: Department of Internal Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Abstract:  Background: Evidences suggest that β3 -adrenoceptor (β3-AR) plays an important role in heart failure (HF), although no data is reported indicating how these effects may change with the increasing age. Pulmonary congestion and edema are the major life-threatening complications associated with HF. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the anti-β3-AR autoantibody and the expression of β3-AR in the lungs and heart for both aged patients and rats with HF. Methods: Synthetic β3-AR peptides served as the target antigens in ELISA were used to screen the anti-β3-AR autoantibody in aged patients and rats. Two aged rat models were constructed based on aortic banding and sham-operation. The expression of β3-AR mRNA and protein in the lung and heart was measured in intervention and non-intervention groups by Western blot analysis at the baseline, 5(th), 7(th), 9(th) and 11(th) week, respectively. Results: The frequency and titer of anti-β3-AR autoantibody in aged patients and rats with HF were higher than those in the control group (p&lt;0.05). The expression of β3-AR mRNA and protein in pulmonary tissues decreased continually from the 7(th) week (p&lt;0.05), followed by HF observed during the 9(th) week. The expression of β3-AR in myocardial tissues continued to increase after the 9(th) week (p&lt;0.05), and the expression of both β3-AR mRNA and protein in the BRL group [HF group with BRL37344 (4-[-[2-hydroxy-(3-chlorophenyl)ethyl-amino] phenoxyacetic acid) (a β3-AR agonist) injection] was positively correlated with BRL37344 when compared with non-BRL group (HF group without BRL37344 injection) (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Anti-β3-AR autoantibody was detected in aged patients and rats with HF. The expression of β3-AR mRNA and protein in pulmonary tissues decreased continually, and began earlier than in the heart, but its expression in myocardial tissues increased continually and could be further promoted by β3-AR agonist. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
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 Reposting some figures that did not survive the software upgrade. Figure 3: two panels appear to show an overlap (blue boxes). Boxes of other colors show possible overlaps with panels from a previous paper by the same group, i.e. Zhe Chen, Journal of Receptors and Signal Transduction, 2010, DOI: 10.3109 10799891003801918, where they sometimes represent different conditions. ![file] , 
 Figure 5. * Red boxes: The b-actin panel in Figure 5A looks similar to a panel in Figure 2 of Zhe Chen, et al. Journal of Receptors and Signal Transduction, 2010; 30(4): 227u2013233, DOI: 10.3109 10799891003801918. * Blue boxes: The GAPDH panel in Figure 5C looks similar to a panel in Figure 3 of the Zhe Chen 2010 paper. ![file] ,