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Kathy Zimmerman

Bio: Kathy Zimmerman is an academic researcher from Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. The author has contributed to research in topics: Aortic valve & Aortic valve stenosis. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 27 publications receiving 2684 citations. Previous affiliations of Kathy Zimmerman include United States Department of Veterans Affairs & University of Iowa.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
02 May 2008-Cell
TL;DR: It is shown that oxidation of paired regulatory domain methionine residues sustains CaMKII activity in the absence of Ca2+/CaM and highlights the critical importance of oxidation-dependent CaMK II activation to AngII and ischemic myocardial apoptosis.

989 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: T-tubule remodeling in response to thoracic aortic banding stress begins before echocardiographically detectable LV dysfunction and progresses over the development of overt structural heart disease.
Abstract: Rationale:The transverse tubule (T-tubule) system is the ultrastructural substrate for excitation–contraction coupling in ventricular myocytes; T-tubule disorganization and loss are linked to decreased contractility in end stage heart failure (HF). Objective:We sought to examine (1) whether pathological T-tubule remodeling occurs early in compensated hypertrophy and, if so, how it evolves during the transition from hypertrophy to HF; and (2) the role of junctophilin-2 in T-tubule remodeling. Methods and Results:We investigated T-tubule remodeling in relation to ventricular function during HF progression using state-of-the-art confocal imaging of T-tubules in intact hearts, using a thoracic aortic banding rat HF model. We developed a quantitative T-tubule power (TTpower) index to represent the integrity of T-tubule structure. We found that discrete local loss and global reorganization of the T-tubule system (leftward shift of TTpower histogram) started early in compensated hypertrophy in left ventricular (...

359 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this experimental setting, calcineurin blockade with CsA prevented LV hypertrophy due to pressure overload in mice and in vivo parameters of ventricular volume and function were examined using echocardiography.
Abstract: Background—Cardiac hypertrophy is considered a necessary compensatory response to sustained elevations of left ventricular (LV) wall stress. Methods and Results—To test this, we inhibited calcineur...

309 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that oxidized myocardial CaMKII mediates the cardiotoxic effects of aldosterone on the cardiac matrix and establish CaMK II as a nodal signal for the neurohumoral pathways associated with poor outcomes after myocardia infarction.
Abstract: Excessive activation of the β-adrenergic, angiotensin II (Ang II) and aldosterone signaling pathways promotes mortality after myocardial infarction, and antagonists targeting these pathways are core therapies for treating this condition. Catecholamines and Ang II activate the multifunctional Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), the inhibition of which prevents isoproterenol-mediated and Ang II-mediated cardiomyopathy. Here we show that aldosterone exerts direct toxic actions on myocardium by oxidative activation of CaMKII, causing cardiac rupture and increased mortality in mice after myocardial infarction. Aldosterone induces CaMKII oxidation by recruiting NADPH oxidase, and this oxidized and activated CaMKII promotes matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) expression in cardiomyocytes. Myocardial CaMKII inhibition, overexpression of methionine sulfoxide reductase A (an enzyme that reduces oxidized CaMKII) or NADPH oxidase deficiency prevented aldosterone-enhanced cardiac rupture after myocardial infarction. These findings show that oxidized myocardial CaMKII mediates the cardiotoxic effects of aldosterone on the cardiac matrix and establish CaMKII as a nodal signal for the neurohumoral pathways associated with poor outcomes after myocardial infarction.

224 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that activation of MC receptors in the central nervous system plays a critical role in the altered volume regulation and augmented sympathetic drive that characterize clinical heart failure.
Abstract: The mineralocorticoid (MC) receptor antagonist spironolactone (SL) improves morbidity and mortality in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). We tested the hypothesis that the central nervous system actions of SL contribute to its beneficial effects. SL (100 ng/h for 28 days) or ethanol vehicle (VEH) was administered intracerebroventricularly or intraperitoneally to rats with CHF induced by coronary artery ligation (CL) and to SHAM-operated controls. The intracerebroventricular SL treatment prevented the increase in sodium appetite and the decreases in sodium and water excretion observed within a week of CL in VEH-treated CHF rats. Intraperitoneal SL also improved volume regulation in the CHF rats, but only after 3 wk of treatment. Four weeks of SL treatment, either intracerebroventricularly or intraperitoneally, ameliorated both the increase in sympathetic drive and the impaired baroreflex function observed in VEH-treated CHF rats. These findings suggest that activation of MC receptors in the central nervous system plays a critical role in the altered volume regulation and augmented sympathetic drive that characterize clinical heart failure.

153 citations


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Journal ArticleDOI
27 Apr 2007-Science
TL;DR: It is found that a cardiac-specific microRNA (miR-208) encoded by an intron of the αMHC gene is required for cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and expression of βMHC in response to stress and hypothyroidism.
Abstract: The heart responds to diverse forms of stress by hypertrophic growth accompanied by fibrosis and eventual diminution of contractility, which results from down-regulation of alpha-myosin heavy chain (alphaMHC) and up-regulation of betaMHC, the primary contractile proteins of the heart. We found that a cardiac-specific microRNA (miR-208) encoded by an intron of the alphaMHC gene is required for cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and expression of betaMHC in response to stress and hypothyroidism. Thus, the alphaMHC gene, in addition to encoding a major cardiac contractile protein, regulates cardiac growth and gene expression in response to stress and hormonal signaling through miR-208.

1,636 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings reveal an important role for specific miRNAs in the control of hypertrophic growth and chamber remodeling of the heart in response to pathological signaling and point to mi RNAs as potential therapeutic targets in heart disease.
Abstract: Diverse forms of injury and stress evoke a hypertrophic growth response in adult cardiac myocytes, which is characterized by an increase in cell size, enhanced protein synthesis, assembly of sarcomeres, and reactivation of fetal genes, often culminating in heart failure and sudden death. Given the emerging roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in modulation of cellular phenotypes, we searched for miRNAs that were regulated during cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. We describe >12 miRNAs that are up- or down-regulated in cardiac tissue from mice in response to transverse aortic constriction or expression of activated calcineurin, stimuli that induce pathological cardiac remodeling. Many of these miRNAs were similarly regulated in failing human hearts. Forced overexpression of stress-inducible miRNAs was sufficient to induce hypertrophy in cultured cardiomyocytes. Similarly, cardiac overexpression of miR-195, which was up-regulated during cardiac hypertrophy, resulted in pathological cardiac growth and heart failure in transgenic mice. These findings reveal an important role for specific miRNAs in the control of hypertrophic growth and chamber remodeling of the heart in response to pathological signaling and point to miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets in heart disease.

1,536 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The sources of ROS within cells and what is known regarding how intracellular oxidant levels are regulated are discussed, with the recent observations that reduction–oxidation (redox)-dependent regulation has a crucial role in an ever-widening range of biological activities.
Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which were originally characterized in terms of their harmful effects on cells and invading microorganisms, are increasingly implicated in various cell fate decisions and signal transduction pathways. The mechanism involved in ROS-dependent signalling involves the reversible oxidation and reduction of specific amino acids, with crucial reactive Cys residues being the most frequent target. In this Review, we discuss the sources of ROS within cells and what is known regarding how intracellular oxidant levels are regulated. We further discuss the recent observations that reduction-oxidation (redox)-dependent regulation has a crucial role in an ever-widening range of biological activities - from immune function to stem cell self-renewal, and from tumorigenesis to ageing.

1,515 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Recent insights into hypertrophic signaling are summarized, several novel antihypertrophic strategies are considered and modulation of myocardial growth without adversely affecting contractile function is increasingly recognized as a potentially auspicious approach in the prevention and treatment of heart failure.
Abstract: Cardiac hypertrophy is the heart's response to a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic stimuli that impose increased biomechanical stress. While hypertrophy can eventually normalize wall tension, it is associated with an unfavorable outcome and threatens affected patients with sudden death or progression to overt heart failure. Accumulating evidence from studies in human patients and animal models suggests that in most instances hypertrophy is not a compensatory response to the change in mechanical load, but rather is a maladaptive process. Accordingly, modulation of myocardial growth without adversely affecting contractile function is increasingly recognized as a potentially auspicious approach in the prevention and treatment of heart failure. In this review, we summarize recent insights into hypertrophic signaling and consider several novel antihypertrophic strategies.

1,426 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: ROS chemistry and their pleiotropy make them difficult to localize, to quantify and to manipulate — challenges the authors must overcome to translate ROS biology into medical advances.
Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) react preferentially with certain atoms to modulate functions ranging from cell homeostasis to cell death. Molecular actions include both inhibition and activation of proteins, mutagenesis of DNA and activation of gene transcription. Cellular actions include promotion or suppression of inflammation, immunity and carcinogenesis. ROS help the host to compete against microorganisms and are also involved in intermicrobial competition. ROS chemistry and their pleiotropy make them difficult to localize, to quantify and to manipulate — challenges we must overcome to translate ROS biology into medical advances.

1,130 citations