Association of angiotensin II receptor 1 and lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 mediates the cardiac hypertrophy induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein

To date the molecular mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy has not been completely elucidated. Since oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is considered a risk marker for early ventricular remodeling, we speculated that ox-LDL may be related to cardiac hypertrophy. We observed the significantly upregulation of plasma ox-LDL and hypertrophic responses, such as cardiomyocyte size and specific gene expressions in Apo E−/-mice fed with high fat diet, accompanied by the upregulation of AT1-R and lectin-like oxidized low-density protein receptor 1 (LOX-1). Ox-LDL treatment with neonatal rat cardiomyocyte for 24 h significantly induced similar hypertrophic responses and also upregulation of AT1-R and LOX-1. The analysis of co-immunoprecipitation and the bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay proved that LOX-1 and AT1-R could directly bind together in the presence of ox-LDL, suggesting a critical role of the association between LOX-1 and AT1-R in ox-LDL-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Furthermore, we found that the AT1-R blocker Losartan and LOX-1 neutralizing antibody through inhibiting AT1-R or LOX-1 could both decline ox-LDL-induced hypertrophic responses whereas angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor Enalapril only partially inhibited the responses stimulated by ox-LDL. These findings suggested that ox-LDL could induce cardiac hypertrophy through the direct association of AT1-R and LOX-1.