Downregulation of cardiac PIASy inhibits Cx43 SUMOylation and ameliorates ventricular arrhythmias in a rat model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury

Background:Dysfunction of the gap junction channel protein connexin 43(Cx43)contributes to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)-induced ventricular arrhythmias.Cx43 can be regulated by small ubiquitin-like modifier(SUMO)modification.Protein inhibitor of activated STAT Y(PIASy)is an E3 SUMO ligase for its target proteins.However,whether Cx43 is a target protein of PIASy and whether Cx43 SUMOylation plays a role in I/R-induced arrhythmias are largely unknown.Methods:Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with PIASy short hairpin ribonucleic acid(shRNA)using recombinant adeno-associated virus subtype 9(rAAV9).Two weeks later,the rats were subjected to 45 min of left coronary artery occlusion followed by 2 h reperfusion.Electrocardiogram was recorded to assess arrhythmias.Rat ventricular tissues were collected for molecular biological measurements.Results:Following 45 min of ischemia,QRS duration and QTc intervals statistically significantly increased,but these values decreased after transfecting PIASy shRNA.PIASy downregulation ameliorated ventricular arrhythmias induced by myocardial I/R,as evidenced by the decreased incidence of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation,and reduced arrythmia score.In addition,myocardial I/R statistically significantly induced PIASy expression and Cx43 SUMOylation,accompanied by reduced Cx43 phosphorylation and plakophilin 2(PKP2)expression.Moreover,PIASy downregulation remarkably reduced Cx43 SUMOylation,accompanied by increased Cx43 phosphorylation and PKP2 expression after I/R.Conclusion:PIASy downregulation inhibited Cx43 SUMOylation and increased PKP2 expression,thereby improving ventricular arrhythmias in ischemic/reperfused rats heart.