The role of thrombospondin-1-mediated TGF-β1 on collagen type III synthesis induced by high glucose

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has been thought to play a major role during cardiac fibrosis in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy, and cardiac fibrosis mainly as a result of an increase of collagen type III occurs in the human hearts with diabetes. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) has been reported to activate the latent complex of TGF-β1. We examined the effects of TSP-1 on the expression of TGF-β1 and collagen type III by rat cardiac fibroblasts in high ambient glucose. We demonstrated that high glucose induces the mRNA and protein expression of collagen type III, TGF-β1, and TSP-1. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression of collagen type III induced by high glucose was downregulated after treatment with TGF-β1 antibody, or TSP-1 siRNA. The expression of TGF-β1 increased by high glucose was also reversed after treatment with TSP-1 siRNA. Our findings suggest that the TSP-1 participates in the upregulation of TGF-β1, collagen type III by high glucose and may provide new therapeutic strategies for diabetic cardiomyopathy.