Contributions of [Ca2+]i, [Pi]i, and pHi to altered diastolic myocyte tone during partial metabolic inhibition

Proteomics analysis of normal and senescent NG108-15 cells: GRP78 plays a negative role in cisplatin-induced senescence in the NG108-15 cell line

Accelerated senescence (ACS) leading to proliferative arrest is a physiological mechanism of the DNA damage response that occurs during tumor therapy. Our experiment was designed to detect unknown genes that may play important roles in cisplatin-induced senescence and to illustrate the related senescence mechanism. Using 2-dimension electrophoresis (2-DE), we identified 5 protein spots with different expression levels in the normal and senescent NG108-15 cells. According to MALDI-TOF MS analysis, the 5 proteins were determined to be peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA), peroxiredoxin 1 (PRX1), glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1), vimentin (VIM) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). Then, we investigated how cisplatin-induced senescence was mediated by GRP78 in the NG108-15 cells. Knockdown of GRP78 significantly increased P53 expression in NG108-15 cells. Additionally, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG)-induced GRP78 overexpression protected the NG108-15 cells from cisplatin-induced senescence, which was accompanied by the obvious suppression of P53 and p-CDC2 expression. Inhibition of Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stores was also found to be associated with the anti-senescence effect of 2DG-induced GRP78 overexpression. In conclusion, we found 5 proteins that were differentially expressed in normal NG108-15 cells and senescent NG108-15 cells. GRP78 plays an important role in cisplatin-induced senescence in NG108-15 cells, mainly through its regulation of P53 expression and ER calcium efflux.

Calcium binding of ARC mediates regulation of caspase 8 and cell death

Apoptosis repressor with CARD (ARC) possesses the ability not only to block activation of caspase 8 but to modulate caspase-independent mitochondrial events associated with cell death. However, it is not known how ARC modulates both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent cell death. Here, we report that ARC is a Ca(2+)-dependent regulator of caspase 8 and cell death. We found that in Ca(2+) overlay and Stains-all assays, ARC protein bound to Ca(2+) through the C-terminal proline/glutamate-rich (P/E-rich) domain. ARC expression reduced not only cytosolic Ca(2+) transients but also cytotoxic effects of thapsigargin, A23187, and ionomycin, for which the Ca(2+)-binding domain of ARC was indispensable. Conversely, direct interference of endogenous ARC synthesis by targeting ARC enhanced such Ca(2+)-mediated cell death. In addition, binding and immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that the protein-protein interaction between ARC and caspase 8 was decreased by the increase of Ca(2+) concentration in vitro and by the treatment of HEK293 cells with thapsigargin in vivo. Caspase 8 activation was also required for the thapsigargin-induced cell death and suppressed by the ectopic expression of ARC. These results suggest that calcium binding mediates regulation of caspase 8 and cell death by ARC.

Cardiac dysfunction in mice lacking cytochrome-c oxidase subunit VIaH

Cytochrome-c oxidase subunit VIaH (COXVIaH) has been implicated in the modulation of COX activity. A gene-targeting strategy was undertaken to generate mice that lacked COXVIaH to determine its role in regulation of oxidative energy production and mechanical performance in cardiac muscle. Total COX activity was decreased in hearts from mutant mice, which appears to be a consequence of altered assembly of the holoenzyme COX. However, total myocardial ATP was not significantly different in wild-type and mutant mice. Myocardial performance was examined using the isolated working heart preparation. As left atrial filling pressure increased, hearts from mutant mice were unable to generate equivalent stroke work compared with hearts from wild-type mice. Direct measurement of left ventricular end-diastolic volume using magnetic resonance imaging revealed that cardiac dysfunction was a consequence of impaired ventricular filling or diastolic dysfunction. These findings suggest that a genetic deficiency of COXVIaH has a measurable impact on myocardial diastolic performance despite the presence of normal cellular ATP levels.

Metabolic support as an adjunct to inotropic support in the hypoperfused heart

In situations such as severe low-flow ischemia, where myocardial work output is low and dependence on anaerobic glycolysis is high, increasing the myocardial supply of glucose and insulin is cardioprotective. Our goal was to determine whether this strategy of "metabolic support" would also be cardioprotective in the moderately hypoperfused heart receiving inotropic stimulation, i.e. when myocardial work was near normal, and reliance on anaerobic glycolysis was minimal. Isovolumic left ventricular performance and cardiac energetics (31P-NMR spectroscopy) were measured in 20 isolated rat hearts perfused with red blood cell containing perfusate (hematocrit 40%) with either normal (5 m M, 15 microU/ml) or increased (19.5 m M, 250 microU/ml) glucose and insulin in addition to normal levels of lactate and free fatty acids. Lowering global coronary flow to 30% of normal decreased left ventricle developed pressure by 50%. Administering dobutamine for 40 min restored developed pressure to 95+/-13% of baseline but caused diastolic pressure to increase by 23+/-6 mmHg and [ATP] to decrease by 44+/-6%. Glucose and insulin prevented the increase in end-diastolic pressure, and [ATP] fell by only 14+/-3%. Despite these improvements in cardiac energetics and diastolic function, left ventricle developed pressure was not improved by increased glucose and insulin during, or after the hypoperfusion. We conclude that inotropic support of the hypoperfused heart can cause new diastolic dysfunction, but that this diastolic dysfunction can be eliminated by preserving myocardial high-energy phosphates with increased glucose and insulin.

Molecular aspects and gene therapy prospects for diastolic failure

Because of safety issues, components of the beta-adrenergic signaling pathway cannot currently be viewed as attractive targets for human gene therapy. Rather, the balance of evidence supports strategies that will target gene products specifically and directly at diastolic regulation. Augmenting the activity of the SR Ca2+ ATPase by AAV-mediated delivery of the SERCA2a gene, directed by a cardiac-specific promoter with a tightly regulable on-off switch is perhaps the most attractive strategy. PLB and cTnI also are attractive targets but only if molecular techniques can be devised to modulate their activity specifically and conditionally. Such techniques may involve modifying the phosphorylation sites in vitro and replacing wild type proteins in the failing heart with the modified forms, again using regulated AAV vectors for gene delivery.

Diacylglycerol delays pH(i) overshoot after reperfusion and attenuates contracture in isolated, paced myocytes

Although protein kinase C (PKC) plays a pivotal role in ischemic preconditioning, it is not clear what the end effector is that protects the myocardium. In isolated, paced (1.25 Hz, 36-37 degrees C) adult rat cardiomyocytes, the effects of PKC preactivation by diacylglycerol on cell motion, intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i); indo 1), and intracellular pH (pH(i); seminaphthorhodafluor-1) during simulated ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) were investigated. The degree of reperfusion-induced contracture was significantly attenuated in the myocytes pretreated with 10 microM 1, 2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG; n = 19) compared with the untreated myocytes (n = 23, P < 0.02). There were no differences in twitch amplitude, end-diastolic [Ca(2+)](i), or peak-systolic [Ca(2+)](i) during I/R between the DOG-pretreated and untreated myocytes. Although there were no differences in pH(i) during ischemia, the pH(i) overshoot during reperfusion was significantly delayed in the DOG-pretreated myocytes compared with the untreated myocytes (n = 17 for each, P < 0.01). Chelerythrine completely abolished the favorable effects of DOG on the reperfusion-induced contracture and the pH(i) overshoot. These data suggest that diacylglycerol attenuates I/R injury in isolated, paced cardiomyocytes, which may be related to the slower pH(i) overshoot during reperfusion.

Increased calcium loading and inotropy without greater cell death in hypoxic rat cardiomyocytes

To test whether contractile function in "hypoxic" myocytes treated with high glucose (19.5 mM) can be improved by increasing intracellular Ca2+ without accelerating cell contracture or death, we challenged metabolically inhibited, paced myocytes with high extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o) and measured simultaneously cell shortening and intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). NaCN exposure at a physiological [Ca2+]o level (1.2 mM) caused a decline of contractile function to 58 +/- 8% of the pre-NaCN value (P < 0.001) but increased systolic and diastolic [Ca2+]i by 104 +/- 17 and 37 +/- 9% above baseline (P < 0.01), respectively. Consequent doubling of [Ca2+]o to 2.4 mM, in the presence of NaCN, immediately restored contractile function, and twitch amplitude after 18 min was 123 +/- 14% (P < 0.001) of baseline pre-NaCN values, whereas systolic [Ca2+]i increased further to 225 +/- 63% (P < 0.05) and diastolic [Ca2+]i to 73 +/- 16% above baseline (P < 0.01). This marked increase in [Ca2+]i had no deleterious effect on myocyte diastolic function or survival. These results suggest that if adequate metabolic substrate is provided, contractile function in metabolically inhibited, hypoxic myocytes can be restored by increasing [Ca2+]i without causing short-term cell injury.

Calcium transient alternans in blood-perfused ischemic hearts: observations with fluorescent indicator fura red

Ischemia produces striking electrophysiological abnormalities in blood-perfused hearts that may be caused, in part, by effects of ischemia on intracellular calcium. To test this hypothesis, intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) transients were recorded from the epicardial surface of blood- and saline-perfused rabbit hearts using the long-wavelength indicator Fura Red. Calcium transients were much larger than the movement artifact, representing up to 29% of the total signal. Switching the perfusate from saline to blood did not affect the time course of the transients or the apparent level of [Ca2+]i. Compartmentation of Fura Red fluorescence was estimated by exposure to Mn2+. The results were cytosol 60 +/- 3%, organelles 12 +/- 2%, and autofluorescence plus partly deesterified Fura Red 29 +/- 4%. [Ca2+]i transients were calibrated in situ by perfusion of the extracellular space with high-Ca2+ and Ca(2+)-free EGTA solutions. Peak systolic [Ca2+]i was 663 +/- 74 nM, and end-diastolic [Ca2+]i was 279 +/- 59 nm. Ischemia was produced by interruption of aortic perfusion for 2.5 min during pacing (150 beats/min). Ischemia produced broadening of the [Ca2+]i transient, along with beat-to-beat alternations in the peak systolic and end-diastolic level of [Ca2+]i (calcium transient alternans). [Ca2+]i transient alternans occurred in 82% of blood-perfused hearts vs. 43% of saline-perfused hearts. The discrepancy between large and small transients (mean alternans ratio) was larger in the blood-perfused hearts (0.23 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.07 +/- 0.03, P = 0.005). These observations are important because of the apparent relationship of [Ca2+]i transient alternans to electrical alternans and arrhythmias during ischemia.

Negative inotropic effect of adrenomedullin in isolated adult rabbit cardiac ventricular myocytes

BACKGROUND

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a potent vasodilator peptide. AM-induced vasodilatation is mediated by an increase of NO as well as cAMP. Both AM and binding sites for this peptide have been found in cardiac tissue, indicating the possible existence of an autocrine or paracrine system of AM in the heart.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Myocytes were isolated by use of retrograde coronary perfusion with physiological solution containing collagenase and hyaluronidase from adult rabbit ventricles. Contraction of cardiac myocytes was traced with a video motion detector, and [Ca2+]i was measured with indo 1 at 37 degrees C. The Ica was measured with a whole-cell patch clamp at 23 degrees C. AM and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), another member of the same peptide family, showed a concentration-dependent negative inotropic effect (10(-7) mol/L AM: contraction amplitude, 64 +/- 7% of control; [Ca2+]i, 52 +/- 5% of control; n = 10; 10(-6) mol/L CGRP: contraction amplitude, 64 +/- 25%; [Ca2+]i, 70 +/- 3%; n = 5; mean +/- SD). Ica was decreased to 60 +/- 39% by superfusion with AM after the cessation of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), an NO synthase inhibitor. Pretreatment with L-NMMA (10 mumol/L) abolished the negative inotropic effect of AM, whereas switching from AM+L-NMMA to AM+L-arginine (1 mmol/L) restored it. Superfusion with 8-bromo-cGMP also showed a negative inotropic effect. AM significantly increased the intracellular content of cGMP, a second messenger of NO, but not that of cAMP. AM (10 nmol/L) blunted the effect of 1 mumol/L forskolin.

CONCLUSIONS

AM has a negative inotropic effect and decreased both [Ca2+]i and Ica, with these effects being at least party mediated via the L-arginine-NO pathway in adult rabbit ventricular myocytes.

Effects of the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside on intracellular pH and contraction in hypertrophied myocytes

BACKGROUND

We compared the effects of the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on intracellular pH (pHi), intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) transients, and cell contraction in hypertrophied adult ventricular myocytes from aortic-banded rats and age-matched controls.

METHODS AND RESULTS

pHi was measured in individual myocytes with SNARF-1, and [Ca2+]i transients were measured with indo 1 simultaneously with cell motion. Experiments were performed at 37 degrees C in myocytes paced at 0.5 Hz in HEPES-buffered solution (extracellular pH = 7.40). At baseline, calibrated pHi, diastolic and systolic [Ca2+]i values, and the amplitude of cell contraction were similar in hypertrophied and control myocytes. Exposure of the control myocytes to 10(-6) mol/L SNP caused a decrease in the amplitude of cell contraction (72 +/- 7% of baseline, P < .05) that was associated with a decrease in pHi (-0.10 +/- 0.03 U, P < .05) with no change in peak systolic [Ca2+]i. In contrast, in the hypertrophied myocytes exposure to SNP did not decrease the amplitude of cell contraction or cause intracellular acidification (-0.01 +/- 0.01 U, NS). The cGMP analogue 8-bromo-cGMP depressed cell shortening and pHi in the control myocytes but failed to modify cell contraction or pHi in the hypertrophied cells. To examine the effects of SNP on Na(+)-H+ exchange during recovery from intracellular acidosis, cells were exposed to a pulse and washout of NH4Cl. SNP significantly depressed the rate of recovery from intracellular acidosis in the control cells compared with the rate in hypertrophied cells.

CONCLUSIONS

SNP and 8-bromo-cGMP cause a negative inotropic effect and depress the rate of recovery from intracellular acidification that is mediated by Na(+)-H+ exchange in normal adult rat myocytes. In contrast, SNP and 8-bromo-cGMP do not modify cell contraction or pHi in hypertrophied myocytes.

Endothelin and angiotensin II stimulation of Na+-H+ exchange is impaired in cardiac hypertrophy

We compared the effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on intracellular pH, intracellular [Ca2+]i, and cell contraction in hypertrophied adult ventricular myocytes from ascending aortic banded rats and age-matched controls. Intracellular pH (pH(i)) was measured in individual myocytes with SNARF-1, and [Ca2+]i was measured with indo-1, simultaneous with cell motion. Experiments were performed at 36 degrees C in myocytes paced at 0.5 Hz in Hepes-buffered solution (pH(o) 7.40) containing 1.2 mM CaCl2. At baseline, calibrated pH(i), diastolic and systolic [Ca2+]i values, and the amplitude of cell contraction were similar in hypertrophied and control myocytes. Exposure of the control myocytes to 10 nM ET-1 caused an increase in the amplitude of cell contraction to 163+/-22% of baseline (P < 0.05), associated with intracellular alkalinization (pH(i) + 0.08+/-0.02 U, P < 0.05) and a slight increase in peak systolic [Ca2+]i (104+/-11% of baseline, P < 0.05). In contrast, in the hypertrophied myocytes, exposure to ET-1 did not increase the amplitude of cell contraction or cause intracellular alkalinization (-0.01+/-0.02 U, NS). Similar effects were observed in the hypertrophied and control myocytes in response to exposure to 10 nM angiotensin II. ET-1 also increased the rate of recovery from intracellular acidosis induced by the washout of NH4Cl in the control cells, but did not do so in the hypertrophied cells. In the presence of 10 microM 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)-amiloride, which inhibits Na+-H+ exchange, ET-1 did not cause a positive inotropic effect or intracellular alkalinization in control cells. The activation of protein kinase C by exposure to phorbol ester caused intracellular alkalinization and it increased the rate of recovery from intracellular acidification induced by an NH4Cl pulse in control cells but not in hypertrophied cells. ET-1, as well as angiotensin II, and phorbol ester, fail to stimulate forward Na+-H+ exchange in adult hypertrophied myocytes. These data suggest a defect in the coupling of protein kinase C signaling with Na+-H+ exchange in adult hypertrophied myocytes.

Long-term angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition with fosinopril improves depressed responsiveness to Ca2+ in myocytes from aortic-banded rats

BACKGROUND

We have previously shown that long-term ACE inhibition with fosinopril prolongs survival and improves ventricular function despite persistent severe left ventricular pressure overload in ascending aortic-banded rats with left ventricular hypertrophy during the transition from compensation to failure.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To study the cellular mechanism of the effects of long-term ACE inhibition on the modification of the transition to failure in pressure-overload hypertrophy, we measured simultaneous intracellular Ca2+ transients and myocyte shortening in isolated left ventricular myocytes from fosinopril-treated aortic-banded rats (n = 9), untreated aortic-banded rats (n = 9), and normal age-matched control rats (n = 10). Fosinopril therapy was begun 6 weeks after banding and was continued until week 21 after banding, when the animals were killed. Collagenase-dissociated myocytes loaded with indo 1-AM were paced at 3 Hz at 36 degrees C and superfused at [Ca2+]o of 0.6, 1.2, and 3.0 mmol/L. In myocytes from untreated aortic-banded rats, peak systolic [Ca2+]i was higher than in control myocytes, and the relationship between myocyte shortening and [Ca2+]i was depressed relative to control myocytes, implicating impaired responsiveness to Ca2+. Long-term fosinopril treatment improved both myocyte shortening and the relationship of shortening to [Ca2+]i (P < .05 versus myocytes from untreated aortic-banded rats). Maximal Ca(2+)-activated force was depressed in chemically skinned left ventricular fibers from untreated aortic-banded hypertrophied rats relative to age-matched controls but not in the fosinopril-treated aortic-banded rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term ACE inhibition improves responsiveness to Ca2+ in the presence of normalization of maximal Ca(2+)-activated force in aortic-banded rats subjected to persistent pressure overload. This may contribute to the favorable effects whereby ACE inhibition modifies the transition from compensated hypertrophy to failure.

K+ self-exchange by the Na+ pump: regulation by P(i) and metabolic perturbations

We have previously demonstrated that the Na(+)-K+ pump on the basolateral membrane of the rabbit cortical collecting duct can function in the K+/K+ exchange mode. Increasing intracellular phosphate in red blood cells inhibits the Na+ pump and increases K+/K+ exchange. We found that maneuvers designed to increase intracellular phosphate in collecting duct cells caused an increase in K+/K+ exchange. Subjecting the cells to a metabolic insult (cyanide) increased K+/K+ exchange by the pump as judged by its ouabain sensitivity and lack of electrogenic or conductive characteristics. The results demonstrate that the rate of K+/K+ exchange by the Na(+)-K+ pump can be altered by changes in intracellular phosphate over a range that is physiologically or pathologically achievable. The results also suggest a mechanism for inhibition of vectorial Na+ transport during metabolic stress.

Immediate-early gene induction and MAP kinase activation during recovery from metabolic inhibition in cultured cardiac myocytes

To investigate how cardiac myocytes recover from a brief period of ischemia, we used a metabolic inhibition (MI) model, one of the in vitro ischemic models, of chick embryo ventricular myocytes, and examined the induction of immediate-early (IE) genes mRNAs and the activity of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. We performed Northern blot analysis to study the expression of c-jun, c-fos, and c-myc mRNAs during MI using 1 mM NaCN and 20 mM 2-deoxy-d-glucose, and also during the recovery from MI of 30 min. The c-fos mRNA was induced transiently at 30 and 60 min during the recovery. The expression of c-jun mRNA was significantly augmented at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min during the recovery (3.0-, 4.7-, 2.4-, and 1.9-fold induction, respectively) and so did the expression of c-myc mRNA (1.4-, 1.7-, 1.8-, and 2.0-fold induction, respectively). In contrast, the levels of these mRNAs remained unchanged during MI. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that AP-1 DNA binding activity markedly increased at 120 min during the recovery. When the cells were pretreated with protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, 100 microM H-7 or 1 microM staurosporine, the induction of c-jun mRNA at 60 min during the recovery was markedly suppressed (95 or 82% reduction, respectively). The c-jun induction was partially inhibited when the cells were treated with 2 mM EGTA during MI and the recovery (42% reduction). MAP kinase activity quantified with in-gel kinase assay was unchanged during MI, but significantly increased at 5, 10, and 15 min during the recovery (3.0-, 4.1-, and 3.4-fold increase, respectively). S6 kinase activity was also augmented significantly at 15 min during the recovery. Thus, these data suggest that IE genes as well as MAP kinase may play roles in the recovery process of cardiac myocytes from MI, and that the augmentation of c-jun expression needs the activation of PKC and to some extent, [Ca2+]i.

Glycolytic inhibition: effects on diastolic relaxation and intracellular calcium handling in hypertrophied rat ventricular myocytes

We tested the hypothesis that glycolytic inhibition by 2-deoxyglucose causes greater impairment of diastolic relaxation and intracellular calcium handling in well-oxygenated hypertrophied adult rat myocytes compared with control myocytes. We simultaneously measured cell motion and intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) with indo-1 in isolated paced myocytes from aortic-banded rats and sham-operated rats. There was no difference in either the end-diastolic or peak-systolic [Ca2+]i between control and hypertrophied myocytes (97 +/- 18 vs. 105 +/- 15 nM, 467 +/- 92 vs. 556 +/- 67 nM, respectively). Myocytes were first superfused with oxygenated Hepes-buffered solution containing 1.2 mM CaCl2, 5.6 mM glucose, and 5 mM acetate, and paced at 3 Hz at 36 degrees C. Exposure to 20 mM 2-deoxyglucose as substitution of glucose for 15 min caused an upward shift of end-diastolic cell position in both control (n = 5) and hypertrophied myocytes (n = 10) (P < 0.001 vs. baseline), indicating an impaired extent of relaxation. Hypertrophied myocytes, however, showed a greater upward shift in end-diastolic cell position and slowing of relaxation compared with control myocytes (delta 144 +/- 28 vs. 55 +/- 15% of baseline diastolic position, P < 0.02). Exposure to 2-deoxyglucose increased end-diastolic [Ca2+]i in both groups (P < 0.001 vs. baseline), but there was no difference between hypertrophied and control myocytes (218 +/- 38 vs. 183 +/- 29 nM, respectively). The effects of 2-deoxyglucose were corroborated in isolated oxygenated perfused hearts in which glycolytic inhibition which caused severe elevation of isovolumic diastolic pressure and prolongation of relaxation in the hypertrophied hearts compared with controls. In summary, the inhibition of the glycolytic pathway impairs diastolic relaxation to a greater extent in hypertrophied myocytes than in control myocytes even in well-oxygenated conditions. The severe impairment of diastolic relaxation induced by 2-deoxyglucose in hypertrophied myocytes compared with control myocytes cannot be explained by greater diastolic Ca2+ overload, which implicates an increase in myofilament Ca(2+)-responsiveness as a possible mechanism.

Effects of levcromakalim and glibenclamide on paced guinea-pig atrial strips exposed to hypoxia

Isolated strips of guinea-pig atrial myocardium were mounted in isometric myographs and electrically paced for measurements of myocardial contractile function. Levcromakalim, a K+ channel opener, completely inhibited the contractile force in a concentration-dependent way (EC50 = 15 microM). Glibenclamide (3 microM), a blocker of ATP-regulated K+ channels (KATP), caused a 5-fold rightward shift of the concentration-effect curve. Exposure of the atrial strips to hypoxia caused a time-dependent loss of contractility from 100% to a minimum level of 60% within 12 min. Levcromakalim (1 microM, 3 microM and 10 microM) concentration-dependently enhanced the hypoxia-induced inhibition of contractile function whereas levcromakalim (0.01 microM and 0.1 microM) had no significant effect. In the presence of levcromakalim (10 microM) hypoxia reduced the contractile force to 25%. Glibenclamide (3 microM) totally antagonized the enhancing effect of levcromakalim. When hypoxia was induced in glucose-free Krebs solution with 2-deoxyglucose, the myocardial contractility was completely suppressed within 12 min. Glibenclamide by itself (3 microM) failed to influence the myocardial response to hypoxia both in normal Krebs solution and under conditions of impaired glycolysis. The results indicate that levcromakalim by activation of myocardial ATP-regulated K+ channels accelerates and enhances the hypoxia-induced inhibition of myocardial contractile function. This effect may possibly contribute to the mechanism by which K+ channel openers exert cardioprotection. The results further suggest that mechanisms different from activation of KATP take a major part in the depressant mechanical response to hypoxia and glycolytic blockade in the guinea-pig atrial myocardium.

Excitation-contraction coupling in ventricular myocytes: effects of angiotensin II

The effects of the vasoactive peptide angiotensin II (AII) on contractility and excitation-contraction coupling in isolated adult rabbit ventricular myocytes were investigated. In most ventricular myocytes, AII (10(-8) M) induced a significant increase in fractional shortening which was not associated with an increase in the calcium transient measured with indo-1. AII did increase the intracellular pH by approximately 0.2 5 pH units coincident with the positive inotropic effect. Effects of AII on pH and contractility were blocked by inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchange. AII also increased the rate of pHi recovery from intracellular acidosis at pHi values above 6.9. AII was shown not to affect the L-type inward calcium current. However, in an occasional cell, AII was observed to cause a slight increase in the calcium transient. We hypothesize that this response may reflect an increase of calcium influx on the sodium calcium exchanger, as a consequence of an increase in subsarcolemmal sodium concentration resulting from enhanced Na(+)-H+ exchange.

Effects of angiotensin II on intracellular Ca2+ and pH in isolated beating rabbit hearts and myocytes loaded with the indicator indo-1

1. Angiotensin II increases myocardial contractility in several species, including the rabbit and man. However, it is controversial whether the predominant mechanism is an increase in free cytosolic [Ca2+]i or a change in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. To address this question, we infused angiotensin II in isolated perfused rabbit hearts loaded with the Ca2+ indicator indo-1 AM and measured changes in beat-to-beat surface transients of the Ca2+i-sensitive 400:500 nm ratio and left ventricular contractility. The effects of angiotensin II were compared with the response to a Ca(2+)-dependent increase in the inotropic state produced by a change in the perfusate [Ca2+] from 0.9 to 3.6 nM. 2. In the isolated beating heart, an increase in perfusate [Ca2+] caused an increase in left ventricular pressure +dP/dt in association with an increase in peak systolic [Ca2+]i. Angiotensin II perfusion caused a similar increase in left ventricular +dP/dt in the absence of any increase in peak systolic [Ca2+]i. 3. To exclude any contribution of non-myocyte sources of Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescence which may be present in the intact heart, we also compared the effects of angiotensin II and a change in superfusate [Ca2+] in collagenase-dissociated paced adult rabbit ventricular myocytes loaded with indo-1 AM. In the isolated rabbit myocytes a change in perfusate [Ca2+] from 0.9 to 3.6 mM caused an increase in peak systolic cell shortening coincident with an increase in peak systolic [Ca2+]i. In contrast, angiotensin II caused a similar increase in peak systolic cell shortening whereas there was no increase in peak systolic [Ca2+]i. There was also no change in inward Ca2+ current (ICa) in response to angiotensin II. 4. To investigate further the mechanism of the positive inotropic action of angiotensin II, its effects on intracellular pH were studied in isolated rabbit myocytes loaded with the fluorescent H+ probe SNARF 1. These experiments demonstrated that angiotensin II induced a 0.2 pH unit increase coincident with the development of a positive inotropic effect in isolated rabbit myocytes. 5. In summary, angiotensin II has a direct positive inotropic effect in beating rabbit hearts and in isolated paced rabbit myocytes. These experiments provide support for the hypothesis that the predominant mechanism is not an increase in free cytosolic Ca2+ but is due in part to an increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity due to intracellular alkalosis.

Nitric oxide-mediated effects of interleukin-6 on [Ca2+]i and cell contraction in cultured chick ventricular myocytes

Cytokines have significant roles in some cardiovascular disorders, but direct myocardial effects of cytokines remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined both the early and delayed effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on cultured chick embryo ventricular myocytes. Exposure of these cells to human recombinant IL-6 significantly decreased peak systolic [Ca2+]i (71.0 +/- 0.6% of the control value) and the amplitude of cell contraction (66.0 +/- 7.4% of the control value) within a few minutes. Pretreatment with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) or methylene blue completely inhibited the IL-6-induced early changes. Subsequent addition of L-arginine reversed the effects of L-NMMA. The levels of cGMP were significantly increased after 30 minutes of exposure to IL-6 (134.4 +/- 9.1% of the control value). Pretreatment with L-NMMA or EGTA significantly inhibited the IL-6-induced early elevation of cGMP. These results suggest that IL-6 acutely decreases intracellular Ca2+ transients and depresses cell contraction by nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP-mediated pathway. Therefore, IL-6 may enhance the Ca(2+)-dependent constitutive NO synthase activity in cardiac myocytes. On the other hand, 24-hour exposure to IL-6 also increased the levels of cGMP (159.0 +/- 22.8% of the control value) regardless of pretreatment with EGTA. These delayed increases in cGMP were also shown to be coupled with decreases in intracellular Ca2+ transients and the amplitude of cell contraction. Thus, IL-6 may induce Ca(2+)-independent NO synthase in cardiac myocytes. Together with the previous reports that have suggested the possible roles of IL-6 in myocardial stunning or endotoxic shock, this negative inotropic effect of IL-6 may contribute to these clinical settings.

Acidemia and hypernatremia enhance postischemic recovery of excitation-contraction coupling

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether Na(+)-H+ and Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanges modulate postischemic recovery of excitation-contraction coupling. Experiments were performed in 43 isolated isovolumic dog hearts perfused with blood (pH 7.40, 141 mmol/L Na+, 34 degrees C, paced at 2 Hz). A 3 x 3-mm region at the left ventricular (LV) apex was loaded with aequorin for monitoring [Ca2+]i simultaneously with LV pressure. No-flow ischemia for 2 to 3 minutes was followed by 20 minutes of aerobic reperfusion with (1) unmodified control blood (141 mmol/L Na+, pH 7.40), (2) acidemic blood (141 mmol/L Na+, pH 6.60, at 0 to 3 minutes of reperfusion), (3) hypernatremic blood (149 or 157 mmol/L Na+, pH 7.40, at 0 to 20 minutes of reperfusion), or (4) hyperosmotic blood (141 mmol/L Na+ + 30 mmol/L mannitol, pH 7.40, at 0 to 20 minutes of reperfusion). Reperfusion with unmodified control blood was immediately followed by an increase in [Ca2+]i and LV systolic and diastolic pressure that persisted for 2 to 3 minutes before returning to or below baseline. Ventricular arrhythmia occurred during this period (> 80%). This transient increase of [Ca2+]i was attenuated by acidemic or hypernatremic perfusate. With acidemic or hypernatremic reperfusion, recovery of LV developed pressure at 20 minutes was more complete than with unmodified control reperfusion: acidemic blood (n = 7), 93 +/- 3% (P < .01); hypernatremic blood (149 mmol/L Na+, n = 7), 89 +/- 2% (P < .02); hypernatremic blood (157 mmol/L Na+, n = 4), 91 +/- 2% (P < .01); and unmodified control blood (n = 17), 80 +/- 2%. With hyperosmotic reperfusion, recovery of LV developed pressure at 20 minutes was not improved (82 +/- 3%). From these results we conclude that (1) an increase in intracellular Ca2+ occurs transiently after no-flow ischemia and may cause arrhythmia and decreased Ca2+ responsiveness of the contractile elements, (2) acidemic and hypernatremic reperfusion ameliorates postischemic dysfunction by preventing the increase in intracellular Ca2+, suggesting that (3) Na(+)-H+ and Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange may play important modulatory roles during reperfusion.

Effects of endothelin-1 on [Ca2+]i and pHi in trabecular meshwork cells

We examined the effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on [Ca2+]i and intracellular pH in cultured bovine trabecular meshwork cells and compared the effects of ET-1 with those of angiotensin II (another phospholipase C activating peptide). [Ca2+]i was measured with the Ca2+ fluorescent dye indo-1. Intracellular pH was measured using the pH sensitive fluorescent dye BCECF. Exposure to ET-1 (10 nM) produced a transient increase in [Ca2+]i (from 77.3 +/- 17.3 nM to 503.0 +/- 64.8 nM, p < 0.05, n = 12). Intracellular pH was also increased during exposure to 10 nM ET-1 (+0.081 unit, p < 0.05, n = 6). In the presence of 10 microM EIPA, ET-1 (10 nM) did not change intracellular pH. Angiotensin II did not significantly change [Ca2+]i or intracellular pH. These results suggest that ET-1 may be involved in the regulation of aqueous humor dynamics by changing [Ca2+]i and intracellular pH in trabecular meshwork cells.

Mechanism of the diastolic dysfunction induced by glycolytic inhibition. Does adenosine triphosphate derived from glycolysis play a favored role in cellular Ca2+ homeostasis in ferret myocardium?

Several lines of evidence indicate that glycolysis is especially important for normal diastolic relaxation and for the maintenance of cellular ion homeostasis in myocardium. To elucidate whether the glycolytic flux of ATP contributes to diastolic tone and to the regulation of intracellular Ca2+, myocardial content of sugar phosphates ([SP]) and intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were measured in isolated, perfused ferret hearts using nuclear magnetic resonance. Glucose and acetate were used as substrates for glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, respectively. Glycogen was effectively depleted after 15-min perfusion with glucagon (2 mg/liter), as verified by the lack of rise in [SP] during exposure to iodoacetate (100 microM) in substrate-free perfusate. Despite the fact that glycolytic flux had been blocked both by iodoacetate and by absence of substrate, end-diastolic left ventricular pressure (EDP) remained unchanged (P > 0.15, n = 6). The subsequent addition of glucose to the perfusate led to SP accumulation and a marked rise in EDP, with a significant correlation between EDP and [SP] (r = 0.86 +/- 0.04, P < 0.01, n = 6). A similar correlation was observed when glucose in the perfusate was replaced by 2-deoxyglucose (r = 0.78 +/- 0.09, P < 0.01, n = 3). Fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of [Ca2+]i verified that EDP faithfully reports changes in diastolic [Ca2+]i under the present experimental conditions. Thus, intracellular Ca2+ overload is caused by the accumulation of SP rather than by the inhibition of glycolysis per se. Glycolysis may appear to be important because its by-products are deleterious, and not necessarily because glycolytically derived ATP plays a favored role in ion homeostasis.

Myocardial energetics during ventricular fibrillation investigated by magnetization transfer nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is known to produce alterations in myocardial energetics, but the mechanism of these changes remains unclear. To investigate energy metabolism during VF, phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and magnetization transfer were applied to isolated perfused ferret hearts. VF was induced either by perfusion with digitalis (strophanthidin, 30 microM) or by high-frequency electrical stimulation. We measured the flux in two critical reactions: from inorganic phosphate (Pi) to ATP (ATP synthesis rate) and from phosphocreatine (PCr) to ATP (energy transfer capacity). During digitalis-induced VF, energy-related phosphates showed changes similar to those during hypoxia: myocardial [Pi] increased and [PCr] decreased. Concomitantly, the ATP synthesis rate increased to levels about threefold higher than control, whereas oxygen consumption increased by only 16%. The ATP synthesis rate exhibited a strong negative correlation with left ventricular pressure during VF (r = -0.95, n = 5, p < 0.02), whereas oxygen consumption did not (r = 0.19, p > 0.05). On the other hand, energy transfer capacity catalyzed by creatine kinase was significantly smaller during VF than in the control condition but still higher than the simultaneous ATP synthesis rate. In contrast to the marked energetic deterioration during VF induced by digitalis, electrically induced VF led to only a small increase in [Pi] and a small decrease in [PCr], and there were no significant changes in the ATP synthesis rate, energy transfer capacity, or O2 consumption. These results indicate that the rundown in energy metabolism during VF induced by digitalis was mainly attributable to a limitation of energy production through oxidative phosphorylation as well as to a marked increase in energy consumption. In contrast, myocardial energy generation remained unimpaired during VF induced by electrical stimulation. Intracellular calcium overload is more severe during VF induced by digitalis than during electrically induced VF (Circ Res 1991;68:1378-1389); severe calcium overload would be expected to compromise the capacity for energy generation by mitochondria. Thus, we propose that known differences in cellular calcium loading underlie the discrepant energetic patterns of the two types of VF.

Modulation of myocardial sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(++)-ATPase in cardiac hypertrophy by angiotensin converting enzyme?

Myocardial hypertrophy in response to hemodynamic overload is an established risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Partially, this may be due to alterations in cardiac gene expression, resulting in a more fetal-like myocyte phenotype with a fragile Ca(++)-homeostasis. Depressed expression of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(++)-ATPase is the hallmark of this overload phenotype, contributing to prolonged cytosolic Ca(++)-transients, disturbed diastolic relaxation, altered force-frequency relation, and probably, electrophysiologic instability with susceptibility to malignant arrhythmias. Since angiotensin II is a growth-promoting factor in several cellular systems, the local formation of angiotensin II within the myocardium might contribute to the trophic response and the phenotype shift of overloaded myocardium. Several observations are consistent with this hypothesis: the cardiac expression of ACE and angiotensinogen is enhanced in experimental myocardial overload and in human endstage congestive heart failure; prolonged observations of experimental cardiac overload with hypertrophy-induced putative normalisation of myocardial systolic wall stress demonstrated a renormalization of ventricular tissue ACE activity and of ventricular sarcoplasmic Ca(++)-ATPase expression and activity; normalizing ventricular tissue ACE activity in experimental cardiac overload by chronic nonhypotensive ACE inhibitor therapy caused a parallel partial normalization of hypertrophy and underexpression of sarcoplasmic CA(++)-ATPase. This partial normalization of myocyte Ca(++)-homeostasis in overload hypertrophy by non-hypotensive chronic ACE-inhibition is attenuated by concomitant chronic application of bradykinin-2 receptor blockade, indicating an involvement of altered bradykinin metabolism in the phenotype modulation due to chronic ACE inhibition. While these observations are consistent with a direct influence of local ACE activity on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the cell type contributing to the enhanced ACE expression in overload and the specific mechanism of this influence are unknown.

Diastolic dysfunction in pressure-overload hypertrophy and its modification by angiotensin II: current concepts

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response to an increased load imposed on the myocyte which allows the heart to perform increased work while maintaining normal myocardial fiber stress and shortening in systole. A deleterious consequence of pressure-overload hypertrophy is the prolongation of Ca(2+)-sensitive force inactivation (impaired myocardial relaxation) which is related to intrinsic alterations in cytosolic Ca2+ transport and reuptake in diastole. Additional factors appear to adversely modify myocardial relaxation in the hypertrophied heart, including the imposition of ischemia. There is also evidence that the expression and activity of the cardiac tissue renin angiotensin system (RAS) may be modified in the hypertrophied heart and contribute to diastolic dysfunction. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of increased cardiac angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) mRNA expression and activity in animal models of hypertrophy, including the aortic-banded rat with compensatory pressure-overload hypertrophy and rats with post-infarction remodeling. In the beating, isovolumic aortic-banded rat heart, the increased intracardiac activation of angiotensin I to II has been shown to be associated with a dose-dependent depression of diastolic relaxation. Preliminary studies suggest that the depression of diastolic function by angiotensin II in the hypertrophied heart can be prevented by the specific inhibition of cardiac ACE. In addition, the well-recognized susceptibility of the hypertrophied heart to severe ischemic diastolic dysfunction also appears to be favorably modified by the inhibition of cardiac ACE activity. The mechanisms responsible for the adverse effects of angiotensin II on diastolic relaxation in the hypertrophied heart are likely to be complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)