2.2. Ischemic Heart Disease
Copper deficiency results in ischemic heart disease (IHD), commonly called coronary heart disease
[16,18[53][54][55],
139], via dyslipidemia through multiple mechanisms involved in dysregulation of cholesterol, fatty acid, triglyceride, and lipoprotein metabolism
[140,141,142][56][57][58]. Copper deficiency results in the accumulation of free fatty acids in the heart and liver
[142,143,144][58][59][60]. One possible explanation is that copper deficiency increases fatty acid synthesis by increasing nuclear localization of mature sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBP1) and thereby increasing expression of de novo lipogenic genes, including fatty acid synthase (FASN), in rat livers
[143][59]. Copper deficiency also suppresses fatty acid oxidation and utilization. Transcriptomic analysis of the small intestine of copper-deficient rats showed that copper deficiency suppresses the expression of mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation genes, including carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (
Cpt1); L-3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (
Hadhb); acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1 and 3 (
Acsl1 and
Acsl3); δ-2-enoyl-CoA isomerase (
Peci); and carnitine-octanoyl transferase (
Crot)
[145][61]. Mao et al. reported that, in hearts of copper-deficient rats, the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) transcript level is low, and this contributes to cardiac lipid accumulation
[146][62]. Dietary copper supplementation (45 mg/kg) increased fatty acid uptake and oxidation by upregulating gene expression of fatty acid transport protein (
Fatp), fatty acid-binding protein (
Fabp),
Cpt1, and
Cpt2 in the liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue of rabbits
[147][63]. In addition, copper deficiency alters the fatty acid composition toward a profile that is positively associated with IHD incidence, with an increase in medium- and long-chain saturated fatty acids in various tissues and in the circulation
[148[64][65],
149], while copper supplementation decreases the proportions of unsaturated fatty acids
[150,151][66][67].
Moreover, copper deficiency causes hypercholesterolemia. Dietary copper restriction results in low plasma copper levels and low CP and SOD activities but increased plasma free cholesterol in humans
[152][68] and rodents
[153,154][69][70]. Conversely, supplementation of hypercholesterolemic patients with 5 mg/day copper for 45 days decreased total plasma cholesterol and slightly increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
[155][71]. It has not been thoroughly defined how copper controls cholesterol homeostasis, but animal studies provide some insights. Diet-induced copper deficiency increases hepatic glutathione (GSH) levels and subsequently increases the activity of cardiac hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, which controls the rate-limiting step of cholesterol biosynthesis
[153][69]. Furthermore, copper deficiency significantly increases the total plasma pool of cholesterol due to enlargement of plasma volume. Mice fed a marginal copper-deficient diet (1.6 mg/kg) first show a larger pool of plasma cholesterol at 3 weeks, followed by an increase in plasma cholesterol concentrations at 5 weeks. However, in rats fed a copper-deficient diet (0.6 mg/kg), both elevations of the plasma pool size and cholesterol concentration are detected at 3 weeks
[154][70].
Changes in the composition of lipoprotein components by copper deficiency are another contributor to IHD. In copper-deficient rats, the plasma levels of triglyceride-containing low- and very low-density lipoproteins (LDLs and VLDLs) increased by 1.6- and 2.7-fold, respectively. In addition, copper deficiency increases the susceptibility of LDLs and VLDLs to oxidation
[156][72]. Increased lipoprotein oxidation during copper deficiency is due to increases in the triglyceride content of these lipoproteins
[140][56] and decreases in SOD1 activity
[157][73]. Although copper deficiency increases the expression of the lipoprotein ApoE
[145][61] and HDL cholesterol concentrations
[158,159][74][75], it does not alter the lipid composition of HDLs. In addition, the activity, but not mRNA expression, of plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), which catalyzes esterification of free cholesterol in HDLs, is reportedly reduced in copper-deficient rats
[160][76]. However, it is unclear whether these HDLs in the copper-deficient state improve or worsen cholesterol efflux activity. Nonetheless, copper deficiency increases the ratio of atherogenic VLDL and LDL cholesterol to protective HDL cholesterol
[158,159][74][75]. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism resulting in dysregulation of lipid metabolism caused by copper deficiency will provide new insights to reduce the incidence of IHD.
During numerous attempts to identify the causes of IHD, copper supplementation and adequate dietary copper have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of IHD. In a study of adult men with moderately high cholesterol, 2 mg/day copper supplementation for 4 weeks increased both erythrocyte SOD1 and lipoprotein oxidation lag time, the latter of which is a risk factor for IHD
[161][77]. In another study of adult women with moderate hypercholesterolemia, 2 mg/day copper supplementation for 8 weeks elevated erythrocyte SOD1 and plasma CP levels. However, no significant changes in plasma cholesterol concentrations by copper supplementation were observed, which may be due to the small number of patients recruited and the different diets used. In addition, copper reduces the mean plasma oxidized LDL level (21 of 35 subjects showed a decrease), which helps to lower IHD risk
[162][78]. In healthy young women, copper supplementation (6 mg/day for three 4-week periods with 3-week washouts between periods increased erythrocyte SOD1 activity and decreased fibrinolytic factor plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 concentrations, suggesting that copper supplementation reduces IHD risks
[163][79]. Antioxidants, particularly carotenoids, are tightly linked to IHD
[164][80]. In humans, low levels of carotenoids are associated with a higher risk of myocardial infarction and the development of atherosclerosis and hypertension, as well as higher levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines
[164][80]. Low circulating carotenoid levels are also associated with high oxidative stress evidenced by decreased circulating SOD levels
[165][81]. Interestingly, in healthy adults, while copper supplementation increased red blood cell hemolysis time, which was positively and significantly correlated with circulating carotenoid levels, the administration of copper chelators reduced levels of circulating carotenoids, including lycopene and carotenes
[166][82]. However, the molecular mechanisms by which copper deficiency promotes IHD and copper supplementation benefits IHD have not been extensively investigated and must be further elucidated.
2.3. DM cardiomyopathy
Copper-deficient diet-induced cardiomyopathy is characterized by global decreases in circulating and cardiac copper concentrations. Cu
+ comprises 95% of total copper and localizes intracellularly, whereas Cu
2+ comprises 5% of total copper and localizes extracellularly
[167][83]. In contrast to copper deficiency-induced cardiomyopathy, increases in circulating copper concentrations and 2–3-fold increases in extracellular myocardial Cu
2+ levels, but decreases in intracellular myocardial Cu
+ levels, were reported in humans and rodents with DM cardiomyopathy. The reduced myocardial copper content and elevated systemic and total cardiac copper content in DM cardiomyopathy reflect defective uptake of copper by myocardiocytes
[168,169,170,171][84][85][86][87]. Glycosylation of proteins to form advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) is a deleterious consequence of hyperglycemia in diabetes and metabolic syndrome
[172][88]. In hearts of rats with DM, increased extracellular Cu
2+ increases gene expression of
Tgfβ,
Smad4, and collagens, which results in collagen deposition and increases the formation of AGEs of collagens. These events cause vascular injury and increase susceptibility to IHD
[173][89]. Elevated extracellular Cu
2+ in DM cardiomyopathy is likely loosely bound to extracellular matrix components, such as collagens
[168,169][84][85]. Interestingly, in rodents and humans with DM cardiomyopathy, Cu
2+-selective chelators, including trientine and triethylenetetramine (TETA) dihydrochloride, prevent excessive cardiac collagen deposition, improve cardiac structure and function, and restore antioxidant defense by promoting copper excretion
[168,174,175,176,177,178][84][90][91][92][93][94]. Zhang et al. reported that the expression of the
Ctr1 gene was downregulated in hearts of rats with DM, which is consistent with impaired cardiac copper uptake in DM
[176][92]. Although TETA decreases the expression of cardiac
Ctr1 in rats, it increases CTR2 localization to the plasma membrane and, thus, concomitantly normalizes the reduced cardiac Cu
+ levels in DM. In addition, TETA increases localization of ATP7A to the TGN and peri-nuclear region and corrects the defects in copper delivery to the secretory pathway and, thus, improves the utilization of copper by cuproenzymes, including ATOX1 and SOD1
[176][92]. These data suggest that TETA normalizes cardiac copper homeostasis and restores cardiac function in DM by restoring expression and localizations of copper transporters and copper-binding proteins. In addition, TETA restores mRNA and protein expression of copper chaperones, including COX11, COX17, CCS, and SOD1 and, thus, restores copper availability and trafficking, and improves cardiac functions in hearts of rats with DM
[175][91]. Although the highly selective Cu
2+ chelator trientine efficiently treats DM cardiomyopathy, long-term clinical studies are necessary to determine whether the improvement of cardiac function by trientine is associated with long-term benefits for mortality. Similarly, additional studies investigating the effects of trientine for treatment of other cardiomyopathies, such as IHD, are also warranted.