Scientists identify novel way to prevent cardia...(vision migration and motility. We fo...),Health

We found that Epac activation exerts a very important impact on the function of fibroblasts, the cells responsible for making and secreting collagen and thus for producing tissue fibrosis, said Insel. Most exciting was our discovery that multiple agents that promote fibrosis decrease the expression and activation of Epac in fibroblasts from several different tissues not only in the heart but also in lung, liver and skin.

The researchers found decreased Epac expression in regions near the site of heart attacks in rats and mice. In addition, they found that by increasing Epac expression, they were able to block the ability of agents to promote fibrosis.

Because increases in cAMP levels can decrease the function of fibroblasts after cell injury, stimulation of the cAMP signaling pathway is a potential way to blunt fibrosis. Increases in Epac expression may provide a novel way to do this, especially in cardiac fibroblasts, Insel added. To test this possibility, the scientists treated fibroblast cells in culture in ways that altered Epac expression, increasing Epac expression using an adenoviral construct.

Using this strategy to overexpress Epac, we produced an anti-fibrotic effect, thereby inhibiting the synthesis of collagen said Insel. Other experiments showed that decreasing Epac expression favored fibrosis; in other words, were pro-fibrotic. Overall, the results show the central role of Epac in determining pro-fibrotic and anti-fibrotic response.

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