Circulating mitochondria promoted endothelial cGAS-derived neuroinflammation in subfornical organ to aggravate sympathetic overdrive in heart failure mice

Sympathoexcitation contributes to myocardial remodeling in heart failure (HF). Increased circulating pro-inflammatory mediators directly act on the Subfornical organ (SFO), the cardiovascular autonomic center, to increase sympathetic outflow. Circulating mitochondria (C-Mito) are the novel discovered mediators for inter-organ communication. Cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS) is the pro-inflammatory sensor of damaged mitochondria.

This study aimed to assess the sympathoexcitation effect of C-Mito in HF mice via promoting endothelial cGAS-derived neuroinflammation in the SFO.

C-Mito were isolated from HF mice established by isoprenaline (0.0125 mg/kg) infusion via osmotic mini-pumps for 2 weeks. Structural and functional analyses of C-Mito were conducted. Pre-stained C-Mito were intravenously injected every day for 2 weeks. Specific cGAS knockdown (cGAS KD) in the SFO endothelial cells (ECs) was achieved via the administration of AAV9-TIE-shRNA (cGAS) into the SFO. The activation of cGAS in the SFO ECs was assessed. The expression of the mitochondrial redox regulator Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) and its interaction with cGAS were also explored. Neuroinflammation and neuronal activation in the SFO were evaluated. Sympathetic activity, myocardial remodeling, and cardiac systolic dysfunction were measured.

C-Mito were successfully isolated, which showed typical structural characteristics of mitochondria with double-membrane and inner crista. Further analysis showed impaired respiratory complexes activities of C-Mito from HF mice (C-Mito^HF) accompanied by oxidative damage. C-Mito entered ECs, instead of glial cells and neurons in the SFO of HF mice. C-Mito^HF increased the level of ROS and cytosolic free double-strand DNA (dsDNA), and activated cGAS in cultured brain endothelial cells. Furthermore, C-Mito^HF highly expressed DHODH, which interacted with cGAS to facilitate endothelial cGAS activation. C-Mito^HF aggravated endothelial inflammation, microglial/astroglial activation, and neuronal sensitization in the SFO of HF mice, which could be ameliorated by cGAS KD in the ECs of the SFO. Further analysis showed C-Mito^HF failed to exacerbate sympathoexcitation and myocardial sympathetic hyperinnervation in cGAS KD HF mice. C-Mito^HF promoted myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy, and cardiac systolic dysfunction in HF mice, which could be ameliorated by cGAS KD.

Collectively, we demonstrated that damaged C-Mito^HF highly expressed DHODH, which promoted endothelial cGAS activation in the SFO, hence aggravating the sympathoexcitation and myocardial injury in HF mice, suggesting that C-Mito might be the novel therapeutic target for sympathoexcitation in HF.