PTPMT1 protects cardiomyocytes from necroptosis induced by γ-ray irradiation through alleviating mitochondria injury

Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) progresses over time and may manifest decades after the initial radiation exposure, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The clinical benefit of radiotherapy is always counterbalanced by an increased risk of cardiovascular events in survivors. There is an urgent need to explore the effect and the underlying mechanism of radiation-induced heart injury. Mitochondrial damage widely occurs in irradiation-induced injury, and mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to necroptosis development. Experiments were performed using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) and rat H9C2 cells to investigate the effect of mitochondrial injury on necroptosis in irradiated cardiomyocytes and to further elucidate the mechanism underlying radiation-induced heart disease and discover possible preventive targets. After γ-ray irradiation, the expression levels of necroptosis markers were increased, along with higher oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury. These effects could be abated by overexpression of protein tyrosine phosphatase, mitochondrial 1 (PTPMT1). Inhibiting oxidative stress or increasing the expression of PTPMT1 could protect against radiation-induced mitochondrial injury and then decrease the necroptosis of cardiomyocytes. These results suggest that PTPMT1 may be a new target for the treatment of radiation-induced heart disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Effective strategies are still lacking for treating RIHD, with unclear pathological mechanisms. In cardiomyocytes model of radiation-induced injuries, we found γ-ray irradiation decreased the expression of PTPMT1, increased oxidative stress, and induced mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis in iPSC-CMs. ROS inhibition attenuated radiation-induced mitochondrial damage and necroptosis. PTPMT1 protected cardiomyocytes from necroptosis induced by γ-ray irradiation by alleviating mitochondrial injury. Therefore, PTPMT1 might be a potential strategy for treating RIHD.