Wnt/β-catenin signaling mediates both heart and kidney injury in type 2 cardiorenal syndrome

In type 2 cardiorenal syndrome, chronic heart failure is thought to cause or promote chronic kidney disease; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of Wnt signaling in heart and kidney injury in a mouse model of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). At 8 weeks after TAC, cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation, and fibrosis were prominent, and echocardiography confirmed impaired cardiac function. The cardiac lesions were accompanied by upregulation of multiple Wnt ligands and activation of β-catenin, as well as activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Wnt3a induced multiple components of the RAS in primary cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. TAC also caused proteinuria and kidney fibrosis, accompanied by klotho depletion and β-catenin activation in the kidney. Pharmacologic blockade of β-catenin with a small molecule inhibitor or the RAS with losartan ameliorated cardiac injury, restored heart function, and mitigated the renal lesions. Serum from TAC mice was sufficient to activate β-catenin and trigger tubular cell injury in vitro, indicating a role for circulating factors. Multiple inflammatory cytokines were upregulated in the circulation of TAC mice, and tumor necrosis factor-α was able to inhibit klotho, induce β-catenin activation, and cause tubular cell injury in vitro. These studies identify Wnt/β-catenin signaling as a common pathogenic mediator of heart and kidney injury in type 2 cardiorenal syndrome after TAC. Targeting this pathway could be a promising therapeutic strategy to protect both organs in cardiorenal syndrome.