B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Exerts Broad Functional Opposition to Transforming Growth Factor-β in Primary Human Cardiac Fibroblasts

Abstract

The natriuretic peptides, including human B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), have been implicated in the regulation of cardiac remodeling. Because transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is associated with profibrotic processes in heart failure, we tested whether BNP could inhibit TGF-β–induced effects on primary human cardiac fibroblasts. BNP inhibited TGF-β–induced cell proliferation as well as the production of collagen 1 and fibronectin proteins as measured by Western blot analysis. cDNA microarray analysis was performed on RNA from cardiac fibroblasts incubated in the presence or absence of TGF-β and BNP for 24 and 48 hours. TGF-β, but not BNP, treatment resulted in a significant change in the RNA profile. BNP treatment resulted in a remarkable reduction in TGF-β effects; 88% and 85% of all TGF-β–regulated mRNAs were affected at 24 and 48 hours, respectively. BNP opposed TGF-β–regulated genes related to fibrosis (collagen 1, fibronectin, CTGF, PAI-1, and TIMP3), myofibroblast conversion (α-smooth muscle actin 2 and nonmuscle myosin heavy chain), proliferation (PDGFA, IGF1, FGF18, and IGFBP10), and inflammation (COX2, IL6, TNFα-induced protein 6, and TNF superfamily, member 4). Lastly, BNP stimulated the extracellular signal-related kinase pathway via cyclic guanosine monophosphate–dependent protein kinase signaling, and two mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitors, U0126 and PD98059, reversed BNP inhibition of TGF-β–induced collagen-1 expression. These findings demonstrate that BNP has a direct effect on cardiac fibroblasts to inhibit fibrotic responses via extracellular signal-related kinase signaling, suggesting that BNP functions as an antifibrotic factor in the heart to prevent cardiac remodeling in pathological conditions.