Myotrophin: purification of a novel peptide from spontaneously hypertensive rat heart that influences myocardial growth

Mechanisms involved in the development or the regression of myocardial hypertrophy cannot be fully explained as responses to blood pressure control alone. We had hypothesized that the development of hypertrophy is initiated by a signal (mechanical or humoral) to the myocardium, which in turn produces a soluble factor that triggers protein synthesis and initiates myocardial growth. Using the stimulation of protein synthesis in isolated cardiac myocytes obtained from normal rat hearts as an assay system, we have identified a soluble factor from the hypertrophied myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive rats. This factor, which has been purified to apparent homogeneity, is a protein of 12 kDa. The sequence of three internally liberated peptides containing 7-24 residues was determined. Based on the determined amino acid sequences of these peptides, this factor (designated myotrophin) appears to be a novel protein that shows no homology with any previously described growth factors. Myotrophin is present in human, dog, and rat hypertrophied hearts (28-35% stimulation of protein synthesis over control) and in small amounts in normal hearts (5-6% stimulation). Myotrophin causes two dose-dependent effects in neonatal cardiac myocytes: an increase in the surface area of the myocyte and the appearance of organized myofibrils, which become apparent within 48 h. Myotrophin may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy as well as in the normal development of cardiac myocytes.