p38β/MAPK11 Deficiency Exacerbates Cardiac Structural and Electrophysiological Remodeling and Contributes to Immune Dysregulation in the Aging Heart

Abstract

Aging is a major risk factor for cardiac diseases, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, and arrhythmias. Activation of p38 MAPKs regulates cardiac remodeling and contributes to age-related cardiac dysfunction. However, the isoform-specific roles of p38 kinases in the aging heart remain poorly understood. Although p38{beta} has been reported to exert cardioprotective effects in models of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and ischemia-reperfusion, its role in cardiac aging remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of p38{beta} using p38{beta} germline knockout (p38{beta}-/-) mice. Aged p38{beta}-/- mice exhibited increased LV hypertrophy, QT prolongation, calcium mishandling, heightened susceptibility to arrhythmias, increased myocardial fibrosis, and an altered inflammatory microenvironment, compared with age-matched wild-type controls. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that p38{beta} deletion reprograms the cardiac transcriptome in aged mice, suppressing innate immune and proteostasis-related pathways while promoting adaptive immune activation, developmental, extracellular vesicle-mediated, and ion-transport pathways. Collectively, these findings identify p38{beta} as a critical regulator of structural, electrophysiological, and immune homeostasis in the aging heart and demonstrate that its loss promotes maladaptive remodeling and arrhythmogenic vulnerability. NEW AND NOTEWORTHYWe identify p38{beta} as a previously unrecognized regulator of cardiac aging. Systemic loss of p38{beta} disrupts structural, electrophysiological, and immune homeostasis in the aging heart, revealing its protective role in maintaining cardiac function with age. These findings underscore the importance of isoform-specific p38 signaling and suggest that broadly targeting p38 MAPKs may have unintended consequences in age-related cardiovascular diseases.