Ca2+ uptake by cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum from patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

We measured Ca2+ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum prepared from left ventricular myocardium obtained from six nonfailing human hearts and nine excised hearts from patients with class IV idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Ca2+ uptake had a Vmax of 593 +/- 82 nmol/mg-min, a K0.5 of 0.68 +/- 0.07 microM, and an nHill of 1.7 +/- 0.1 in the nonfailing hearts. The corresponding values in the excised failing hearts were 593 +/- 36 nmol/mg-min, 0.63 +/- 0.03 microM, and 1.6 +/- 0.1. The beta-receptor density in crude sarcolemma prepared from left ventricular myocardium was 110.0 +/- 15.3 fmol/mg in the unmatched donors and 52.1 +/- 4.5 fmol/mg in the excised failing hearts. These results suggest that abnormal Ca2+ handling in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in humans is not the result of any intrinsic alteration of Ca2+ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

Calcium-activated force in a turkey model of spontaneous dilated cardiomyopathy: adaptive changes in thin myofilament Ca2+ regulation with resultant implications on contractile performance.

Using saponin skinned fibers, we investigated whether decreased myofilament calcium responsiveness and contractile activation may in part contribute to heart failure in an animal model of idiopathic spontaneous cardiomyopathy (SCM). We addressed the question as to whether there are adaptive changes at the level of the thin myofilaments in turkey poults with SCM. The calcium concentration ([Ca2+]) required for 50% activation ([Ca2+]50%) was 0.80 +/- 0.12 microM (n = 12) vs. 0.76 +/- 0.08 microM (n = 12) and the Hill coefficient was 1.98 +/- 0.20 (n = 12) vs. 2.14 +/- 0.38 (n = 12) for control and SCM muscles respectively. Maximal Ca(2+)-activated force was not different between control fibers and fibers from failing hearts (3.83 +/- 0.88 g/mm2 vs. 3.65 +/- 0.39 g/mm2). These data indicate there are no differences in calcium-activation between fibers from control and failing myocardium. The effects of caffeine, an agent that increases myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, were also studied. Addition of 10 mM caffeine resulted in a 0.06 pCa unit leftward shift of the force-pCa relationship in control hearts and 0.14 pCa units in SCM hearts. Caffeine (30 mM) increased force by 26 +/- 2.1% (n = 7) in control fibers and 44.5 +/- 8.7% (n = 8) in myopathic fibers at a pCa of 6.0. The increased responsiveness of muscles from failing hearts to caffeine indicates adaptive changes at the level of the thin myofilaments. Addition of dibutyryl-3',5'-cyclic-Adenosine Monophosphate (D-cAMP) resulted in a 0.21 pCa rightward shift on the calcium axis to higher intracellular calcium concentrations in control myocardium and 0.38 pCa units in SCM failing myocardium. The muscles were also sinusoidally oscillated at frequencies ranging between 0.01 and 100 Hz. In this analysis the frequency at which dynamic stiffness is minimum is taken as a measure of cross-bridge cycling rate. In control muscles, the frequency of minimum stiffness (fmin) was 1.20 +/- 0.11 (n = 4) whereas it was 0.71 +/- 0.08 Hz (n = 4) in myopathic muscles. The addition of 10 microM D-cAMP shifted fmin from 1.20 +/- 0.11 Hz to 1.68 +/- 0.09 Hz (delta = 0.48 +/- 0.06) in control fibers whereas in SCM fibers it caused greater shift of fmin from 0.71 +/- 0.08 Hz to 1.73 +/- 0.08 Hz (delta = 1.02 +/- 0.07). This differential effect of D-cAMP indicates adaptive changes at the level of the myofilaments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Phosphorylation-dependent alteration in myofilament ca2+ sensitivity but normal mitochondrial function in septic heart

The subcellular mechanisms responsible for myocardial depression during sepsis remain unclear. Recent data suggest a role for impaired energy generation and utilization, resulting in altered contractile function. Here, we studied the energetic and mechanical properties of skinned fibers isolated from rabbit ventricle in a nonlethal but hypotensive model of endotoxemia. Thirty-six hours after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection (in the presence of altered myocardial contractility), mitochondrial respiration, coupling between oxidation and phosphorylation, and creatine kinase function were similar in preparations from endotoxemic (LPS) and control animals. The maximal Ca2+-activated force was similar in LPS and control preparations. However, the Ca2+ concentration corresponding to half-maximal force (pCa50, where pCa = -log10[Ca2+]) was 5.55 +/- 0.01 (n = 11) in LPS fibers versus 5.61 +/- 0.01 (n = 10) in control fibers (p < 0.01). Both protein kinase A (PKA) and alkaline phosphatase treatment led to the disappearance in the difference between control and LPS pCa50 values. Incubation of control fibers with the nitric oxide donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) did not change the Ca2+ sensitivity after subsequent skinning, whereas isoproterenol decreased pCa50 from 5.62 +/- 0.01 to 5.55 +/- 0.01 (p < 0.01). These data suggest that during sepsis, cardiac mitochondrial and creatine kinase systems remain unaltered, whereas protein phosphorylation decreases myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity and may contribute to the depression of cardiac contractility.     

Effects of ouabain, caffeine, and diltiazem, on spontaneous cyclic Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum in the skinned papillary muscles of guinea pigs]

The aim of this study was to assess whether ouabain has a direct action on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) sufficient to be responsible for the mechanism of the inotropic action, and whether caffeine and diltiazem, which inhibit ouabain-induced afterpotential and after-contraction, can inhibit the effects of ouabain on the SR. As one of the functions of SR, spontaneous cyclic contractions (cyclic Ca2+ release from the SR) in saponin-treated skinned fibers of guinea pig papillary muscles were used. Ouabain 10(-9)-10(-7) M increased the frequency of cyclic contractions and induced an incomplete muscle relaxation. Caffeine 1-5 mM and diltiazem 1-5 mM induced a sustained tension. In the fibers treated with ouabain, caffeine and diltiazem induced a sustained tension. In Brij-58 treated skinned fibers, 10(-9) M ouabain did not change the Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile system. It is now known that ouabain increases intracellular calcium transients. An incomplete muscle relaxation of cyclic contractions seems to be due to both increased SR Ca2+ release and decreased Ca2+ reuptake by SR. Thus, we suppose that ouabain-induced increase in intracellular calcium transients is due to increased intracellular Ca2+, which may be one of the mechanisms in the inotropic action. The masking effects of caffeine and diltiazem on the ouabain-induced increase in cyclic contractions seem to be responsible for the inhibitory effects of drugs on digitalis-induced afterpotential and after contraction.     

Relation between steady-state force and intracellular [Ca2+] in intact human myocardium. Index of myofibrillar responsiveness to Ca2+

A novel approach was developed allowing the measurement of steady-state force and intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in tetanized human ventricular trabeculae carneae without pharmacological intervention. We compared and contrasted three methods of assessing calcium sensitivity of the myofilaments: 1) force-[Ca2+] relations in skinned fiber preparations, 2) peak twitch force-peak [Ca2+]i relations, and 3) steady-state force-[Ca2+]i relations in intact muscles. Steady-state contractile activation was achieved rapidly by tetanizing intact human trabeculae, loaded with aequorin, a Ca2(+)-sensitive bioluminescent protein, at a stimulation frequency of 15-20 Hz. Steady-state force and [Ca2+]i were measured during tetani, and the force versus [Ca2+]i relation was obtained by varying the extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]o). Force-[Ca2+]i relations obtained from control and myopathic hearts were fitted to the Hill equation: %Force = [Ca2+]inh/([Ca2+]inh50% + [Ca2+]inh), where nh is the Hill coefficient, and [Ca2+]50% is the [Ca2+] required for 50% activation. The curves of tetani had Hill coefficients of 5.21 +/- 0.20 (n = 6) and 5.61 +/- 0.60 (n = 10) and [Ca2+]50% of 0.56 +/- 0.05 microM (n = 6) and 0.54 +/- 0.09 microM (n = 10) in control and myopathic muscles, respectively. We also constructed peak force-peak [Ca2+]i relations using isometric twitches from the same muscles. These curves were shifted toward higher [Ca2+]i compared with the steady-state force-[Ca2+]i curve derived from tetani. Ryanodine (1 microM), which increased the time course of the Ca2+ and force transients, shifted the peak force-peak [Ca2+]i relation to the left, without affecting the steady-state force-[Ca2+]i relation. Exposure to 10 mM caffeine shifted the steady-state force-[Ca2+]i relation to the left, whereas exposure to 3 microM isoproterenol shifted this relation to the right. Experiments using skinned fiber preparations were performed in parallel with experiments on intact muscles from the same hearts. The force-pCa (-log[Ca2+]) relations in saponin-skinned trabeculae from control and myopathic tissue were superimposable. Ryanodine (1 microM) had no effect on the force-pCa relation in skinned fibers. Maximal tension was evoked by the posttetanic twitch, which was larger than the tetanus. This potentiation was abolished in the presence of ryanodine, a sarcoplasmic reticulum inhibitor. We propose that the changes in the steady-state force-[Ca2+]i relations are correlated with alterations in the sensitivity of the myofilaments to Ca2+, whereas changes in the peak force-peak [Ca2+]i relations represent temporal changes in the twitch transient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Quercetin inhibits Ca2+ uptake but not Ca2+ release by sarcoplasmic reticulum in skinned muscle fibers.

Quercetin inhibited Ca2+-dependent ATP hydrolysis, ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake, chelator-induced [ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid] Ca2+ release, and ATP synthesis coupled to Ca2+ release in isolated vesicles of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Use of this inhibitor permitted evaluation of whether Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum in situ occurs through a reversal of the uptake pathway. Release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned muscle fibers can be detected by the measurement of tension in the fiber. If the sarcoplasmic reticulum of these preparations is first allowed to accumulate Ca2+, tension development may be induced by the addition of Ca2+ itself or of caffeine to the bathing medium or by depolarization with Cl-. The presence of quercetin during the loading phase inhibited Ca2+ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum in situ. When quercetin was added together with initiators of tension development, however, the rate of tension development was enhanced 4- to 7-fold and the relaxation rate of the fibers was greatly inhibited. These results suggest that quercetin had no effect on Ca2+ release in skinned fiber; its effect on Ca2+ reuptake could account for the apparent enhancement of the release rate and for the prolonged relaxation time. These observations rule out reversal of the Ca2+ pump as the mechanism of Ca2+ release in situ.     

Acute effects of doxorubicin on skinned cardiac muscle fibres of guinea pigs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the effect of doxorubicin on spontaneous cyclic Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned fibres, as measured by isometric tension development in EGTA free, Ca2+ free solution. METHODS: Experiments were done on fragments of papillary muscles from the right ventricles of guinea pigs. Skinned fibres were prepared by treatment with saponin. The effects of doxorubicin in concentrations of 2 x 10(-9) to 2 x 10(-5) M on cyclic contractions were evaluated in 20 muscles. The effects of doxorubicin in concentrations of 2 x 10(-7) and 2 x 10(-5) M on pCa-tension relation were examined in 14 muscles treated with Brij-58. RESULTS: Doxorubicin (2 x 10(-9) to 2 x 10(-5) M) increased the frequency of cyclic contractions and induced an incomplete muscle relaxation in a dose dependent manner. Doxorubicin 2 x 10(-7) M had no effect on pCa-tension relation. Doxorubicin 2 x 10(-5) M shifted the pCa-tension curve slightly to the left. CONCLUSIONS: An incomplete muscle relaxation is considered to be due to an increase in Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and a slight increase in the sensitivity of the contractile proteins to Ca2+. These observations suggest that one cause of the intracellular Ca2+ overload induced by doxorubicin, a putative mechanism of the doxorubicin induced cardiomyopathy, is attributable to the direct effects of doxorubicin on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, impairing its ability to sequester Ca2+.     

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate-enhanced sequestration of Ca2+ by sarcoplasmic reticulum in vascular smooth muscle

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the intracellular messenger cyclic GMP (cGMP) on sequestration of cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) into the intracellular Ca2+ store (the sarcoplasmic reticulum) of vascular smooth muscle. Using saponin-skinned primary cultures of rat aortic smooth muscle, we investigated the effect of cGMP on 45Ca uptake in monolayers of cells. The intracellular store was loaded with Ca2+ by exposing the skinned cells to a 45Ca-labeled 1-microM free Ca2+-containing solution for varying durations (0-20 minutes). Addition of 10 microM cGMP to six monolayers increased both the initial Ca2+ uptake at 2 minutes (control, 240 +/- 8 pmol Ca2+/10(6) cells; + cGMP 295 +/- 7; mean +/- SEM; n = 6, p less than 0.01) and the final steady-state uptake reached at 20 minutes (control, 0.96 +/- 0.03 nmol Ca2+/10(6) cells; + cGMP 1.12 +/- 0.03, p less than 0.02). This stimulation of uptake was quantitatively similar to that caused by 10 microM cyclic AMP. It occurred at varying ambient cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations (0.1-1.0 microM Ca2+) and was not further enhanced by addition of 10 microM cGMP-dependent protein kinase. The dose-response of stimulation of Ca2+ uptake with cGMP indicated an ED50 of 5 nM cGMP. The release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in response to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate or caffeine was unaffected by cGMP. We conclude that the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle with cGMP-producing vasodilators is mediated in part by sequestration of cytosolic Ca2+ by the sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

Identification and characterization of proteins in sarcoplasmic reticulum from normal and failing human left ventricles

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to the major sarcoplasmic reticulum proteins of rabbit skeletal and canine cardiac muscle have been used to identify and characterize the corresponding components of human cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. The Ca2(+)-transporting ATPase of human cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum was identified as a 105,000-Da protein antigenically distinct from its rabbit skeletal muscle counterpart. Human cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum also contained 53,000- 155,000- and 165,000-Da glycoproteins antigenically related to the low and high molecular weight glycoproteins of canine cardiac and rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. The ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ channel of human cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum was identified as a 400,000-Da protein antigenically related to its counterparts in canine cardiac and rabbit skeletal muscle. Human cardiac calsequestrin was identified as a 52,000-Da protein. Human phospholamban was identified as a 29,000-Da substrate for phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Immunoblots of sarcoplasmic reticulum from the normal left ventricles of four unmatched organ donors and the excised failing left ventricles of nine patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were compared in search of qualitative differences in the protein patterns of the failing hearts. No such differences were found with respect to the Ca2+ ATPase, the 53,000-Da glycoprotein, the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ channel, calsequestrin or phospholamban. In contrast, the 165,000-Da glycoprotein band, present in all four preparations from nonfailing hearts, was absent from three of nine preparations from failing hearts, and staining of the 155,000-Da glycoprotein in these three preparations appeared to be relatively increased. The absence of the 165,000-Da glycoprotein band may identify or reflect a pathogenetic mechanism in a subset of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.     

Calcium sensitivity and myosin light chain pattern of atrial and ventricular skinned cardiac fibers from patients with various kinds of cardiac disease

In the present study, the Ca2(+)-sensitivity and myosin light chain patterns of skinned fibers of right atrium and left papillary muscles of 27 patients suffering from mitral valve disease (MVD, moderate heart failure), ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM, severe heart failure), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, severe heart failure), and coronary heart disease (CHD, no heart failure, no atrial hypertrophy) were investigated. Myosin light chains of both chemically skinned and intact samples were studied by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE). Ca2(+)-sensitivity of ventricular fibers was about 0.14 pCa-units higher than that of atrial fibers in all groups except dilated cardiomyopathy where this difference was markedly diminished (only 0.06 pCa-units). Generally, Ca2(+)-sensitivity of skinned ventricular fibers was the same among the different heart diseases. Skinned atrial fibers from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, however, were significantly (about 0.08 pCa-units) more sensitive for Ca2+ than those of the other groups (coronary heart disease, mitral valve disease or ischemic cardiomyopathy) which showed similar Ca2(+)-tension relationships. Ventricle-specific P-light chain forms could be observed in atrial samples from patients of all groups, whereas no atrium-specific light chain forms were detectable in any ventricular sample. It is concluded that there is no difference in Ca2(+)-sensitivity of the ventricular contractile elements of the human heart in different heart diseases. In atrial myocardium, there is an increased Ca2(+)-sensitivity of skinned fibers from hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy which is probably related to an elevation of right atrial pressure.     

Length modulation of active force in rat cardiac myocytes: is titin the sensor?

The intrinsic cellular mechanisms by which length regulates myocardial contraction, the basis of the Frank-Starling relation, are uncertain. The aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that passive force, possibly via titin, participates in the modulation of Ca2+ sensitivity of cardiac contractile proteins induced by stretch. Titin degradation by a mild trypsin digestion modulated passive force induced by increasing from 1.9 to 2.3 microm sarcomere length in skinned rat cardiac cells. Force-pCa curves were established at these two sarcomere lengths after various durations of trypsin application that induced different passive force levels. They allowed us to evaluate myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity by the pCa of half-maximal activation (pCa50). In control conditions, stretching cells from 1.9 to 2.3 microm induced a leftward shift of pCa50 (DeltapCa50) of 0.39+/-0.03 pCa units (mean+/-SEM, n=8 cells), reflecting an increase in Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile machinery. Passive force measured every 2 min decreased exponentially after the beginning of the trypsin application (t1/2 approximately 12 min). The first 30% decrease of passive force did not affect the stretch-induced variation in Ca2+ sensitivity. Then, with further decrease in passive force, DeltapCa50 decreased. At the lowest passive force investigated 20% of initial passive force, DeltapCa50 decreased by approximately 55%. These effects were not accompanied by a significant modification of either maximal activated force at pCa 4.5 solution or pCa50 at 1.9 microm sarcomere length. This indicates that there was no major functional alteration of the contractile machinery during the protocol as also suggested by contractile and regulatory protein electrophoresis on 2.5-12% gradient and 15% SDS-PAGE gels. Thus, besides modulation induced by the reduced lattice spacing during enhanced heart refilling, Ca2+ sensitivity of the cardiac contractile machinery may be controlled at least partially by internal passive load, which is known to be largely attributable to titin.     

Dissociation between calcium influx blockage and smooth muscle relaxation by nifedipine in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Aortic smooth muscle isolated from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive, age-matched Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) was precontracted by potassium chloride. The relaxant effect of nifedipine (NIF) was much more pronounced in SHR than in WKY, while the relaxation produced by nitroglycerin (NTG) was similar in both tissues. EC50s were (in - log [M]) NIF:SHR 13.1 +/- 0.4 and WKY 9.4 +/- 0.2 (p less than 0.05); NTG:SHR 7.35 +/- 0.3 and WKY 7.26 +/- 0.18 (NS). Aortas from SHR were less sensitive to the contractile effect of Ca2+ than their WKY controls (EC50 was 3.18 +/- 0.03 in WKY and 2.76 +/- 0.13 in SHR, p less than 0.05). The relaxant effect of NIF was dissociated from its effect on Ca2+ influx in SHR aortas. NIF 10(-10) M relaxed the muscle by 100% without producing Ca2+ influx blockage, and NIF 10(-9) and 10(-8) M induced Ca2+ influx blockage while the muscle continued in the relaxed state. Chemically skinned aortic fibers from SHR were less sensitive to the contractile effect of Ca2+ than their normotensive (NR) controls (pCa for EC50 was 5.91 +/- 0.05 in SHR and 6.20 +/- 0.03 in NR, p less than 0.05). NIF 10(-10) M depressed the contractile response to Ca2+ significantly more in SHR than in NR skinned fibers (pCa for EC50 for 5.62 +/- 0.09 in SHR and 6.07 +/- 0.07 in NR, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations in troponin and alpha-tropomyosin have opposing effects on the calcium affinity of cardiac thin filaments

Dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can be caused by mutations in thin filament regulatory proteins of the contractile apparatus. In vitro functional assays show that, in general, the presence of dilated cardiomyopathy mutations decreases the Ca(2+) sensitivity of contractility, whereas HCM mutations increase it. To assess whether this functional phenomenon was a direct result of altered Ca(2+) affinity or was caused by altered troponin-tropomyosin switching, we assessed Ca(2+) binding of the regulatory site of cardiac troponin C in wild-type or mutant troponin complex and thin filaments using a fluorescent probe (2-[4'-{iodoacetamido}aniline]-naphthalene-6-sulfonate) attached to Cys35 of cardiac troponin C. The Ca(2+)-binding affinity (pCa(50)=6.57+/-0.03) of reconstituted troponin complex was unaffected by all of the HCM and dilated cardiomyopathy troponin mutants tested, with the exception of the troponin I Arg145Gly HCM mutation, which caused an increase (DeltapCa(50)=+0.31+/-0.05). However, when incorporated into regulated thin filaments, all but 1 of the 10 troponin and alpha-tropomyosin mutants altered Ca(2+)-binding affinity. Both HCM mutations increased Ca(2+) affinity (DeltapCa(50)=+0.41+/-0.02 and +0.51+/-0.01), whereas the dilated cardiomyopathy mutations decreased affinity (DeltapCa(50)=-0.12+/-0.04 to -0.54+/-0.04), which correlates with our previous functional in vitro assays. The exception was the troponin T Asp270Asn mutant, which caused a significant decrease in cooperativity. Because troponin is the major Ca(2+) buffer in the cardiomyocyte sarcoplasm, we suggest that Ca(2+) affinity changes caused by cardiomyopathy mutant proteins may directly affect the Ca(2+) transient and hence Ca(2+)-sensitive disease state remodeling pathways in vivo. This represents a novel mechanism for this class of mutation.     

Effects of myosin heavy chain isoform switching on Ca2+-activated tension development in single adult cardiac myocytes.

Cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms are known to play a key role in defining the dynamic contractile behavior of the heart during development. It remains unclear, however, whether cardiac MHC isoforms influence other important features of cardiac contractility, including the Ca2+ sensitivity of isometric tension development. To address this question, adult rats were treated chemically to induce the hypothyroid state and cause a transition in the ventricular cardiac MHC isoform expression pattern from predominantly the alpha-MHC isoform to exclusively the beta-MHC isoform. We found a significant desensitization in the Ca2+ sensitivity of tension development in beta-MHC-expressing ventricular myocytes (pCa50=5. 51+/-0.03, where pCa is -log[Ca2+], and pCa50 is pCa at which tension is one-half maximal) compared with that in predominantly alpha-MHC-expressing myocytes (pCa50=5.68+/-0.05). No differences between the 2 groups were observed in the steepness of the tension-pCa relationship or in the maximum isometric force generated. Instantaneous stiffness measurements were made that provide a relative measure of changes in the numbers of myosin crossbridges attached to actin during Ca2+ activation. Results showed that the relative stiffness-pCa relationship was shifted to the right in beta-MHC-expressing myocytes compared with the alpha-MHC-expressing cardiac myocytes (pCa50=5.47+/-0.05 versus 5.76+/-0.05, respectively). We conclude that MHC isoform switching in adult cardiac myocytes alters the Ca2+ sensitivity of stiffness and tension development. These results suggest that the activation properties of the thin filament are in part MHC isoform dependent in cardiac muscle, indicating an additional role for MHC isoforms in defining cardiac contractile function.     

A mutation in the human phospholamban gene, deleting arginine 14, results in lethal, hereditary cardiomyopathy

The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-cycling proteins are key regulators of cardiac contractility, and alterations in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-cycling properties have been shown to be causal of familial cardiomyopathies. Through genetic screening of dilated cardiomyopathy patients, we identified a previously uncharacterized deletion of arginine 14 (PLN-R14Del) in the coding region of the phospholamban (PLN) gene in a large family with hereditary heart failure. No homozygous individuals were identified. By middle age, heterozygous individuals developed left ventricular dilation, contractile dysfunction, and episodic ventricular arrhythmias, with overt heart failure in some cases. Transgenic mice overexpressing the mutant PLN-R14Del recapitulated human cardiomyopathy exhibiting similar histopathologic abnormalities and premature death. Coexpression of the normal and mutant-PLN in HEK-293 cells resulted in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase superinhibition. The dominant effect of the PLN-R14Del mutation could not be fully removed, even upon phosphorylation by protein kinase A. Thus, by chronic suppression of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, the nonreversible superinhibitory function of mutant PLN-R14Del may lead to inherited dilated cardiomyopathy and premature death in both humans and mice.     

Activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in failing and nonfailing human hearts.

OBJECTIVES: A hallmark of human heart failure is prolonged myocardial relaxation. Although the intrinsic mechanism of phospholamban coupling to the Ca(2+)-ATPase is unaltered in normal and failed human hearts, it remains possible that regulation of phospholamban phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent mechanisms or other second messenger pathways could be perturbed, which may account partially for the observed dysfunctions of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) associated with this disease. METHODS: cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase) were characterized initially by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography in hearts from patients with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy. We measured the activity of PKA and CaM kinase in left ventricular tissue of failing (idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy; ischemic heart disease) and nonfailing human hearts. RESULTS: Basal PKA activity was not changed between failing and nonfailing hearts. One major peak of CaM kinase activity was detected by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. CaM kinase activity was increased almost 3-fold in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. In addition, hemodynamical data (left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac index) from patients suffering from IDC positively correlate with CaM kinase activity. CONCLUSIONS: Increased CaM kinase activity in hearts from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy could play a role in the abnormal Ca2+ handling of the SR and heart muscle cell.     

Net Ca2+ influx and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ uptake in resting single myocytes of the rat heart: comparison with guinea-pig

We tested Shattock and Bers' (1989) hypothesis according to which in rat cardiac myocytes net Ca2+ influx during diastole via Na/Ca exchange provides the main route of entry of Ca2+ available for activation of contractions. We used injections of caffeine into the close vicinity of the single, isolated rat or guinea-pig ventricular myocytes in order to release Ca2+ from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The cells responded to caffeine with a transient contracture, the amplitude of which was regarded as a relative index of SR Ca2+ content. Application of caffeine deprived the SR of Ca2+. This was manifested by a very small (rat) or absent (guinea-pig) contractile response to the second application of caffeine and by a decrease of the amplitude of the first post caffeine contraction to 8 +/- 3% (rat) or to 16 +/- 6% (guinea-pig) of control. In the rat myocytes SR deprived of Ca2+ was able to recover its Ca2+ store even in the resting cell. This was indicated by the time dependent recovery of contractile response to the second application of caffeine and of the amplitude of the post-caffeine electrically evoked contractions. The recovery of post-caffeine contractile responses was completely inhibited by Ca2+ free solution, by 5.0 mM Ni+ and by low K+ (1.0 mM) hyperpolarising solution superfused from the first application of caffeine or during rest. The recovery was enhanced by superfusion of the cells with low Na+ (50%) solution. These results show that there is a considerable net Ca2+ influx by means of Na/Ca exchange and then the SR Ca2+ uptake in the resting rat myocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Can the binding of Ca2+ to two regulatory sites on troponin C determine the steep pCa/tension relationship of skeletal muscle?

The relationship between tension and Ca2+ concentration in single skinned muscle fibers has been determined with a high density of experimental points and the data have been fitted by a least squares method to the Hill equation. We find that the mean Hill coefficient for the slope of the tension/Ca2+ relationship is between 5 and 6, and the pKd is about 5.9. Because there are four Ca2+ binding sites on troponin C, and only two of these regulate hydrolysis of MgATP, we conclude that the regulation of tension by Ca2+ binding is greatly modified by other factors. One important factor is the time required for a cross-bridge to complete a cycle once initiated, relative to the time Ca2+ remains bound to troponin C. The pCa/tension relationship will shift to higher pCa values as the ratio of cross-bridge cycle time to the Ca2+ bound time increases. For example, the pCa/tension curve may progressively shift to the left with increase in tension because strain in the myofilament lattice progressively increases the cycle time. This left shift will produce a pCa/tension relationship that is steeper than the actual Ca2+ binding curve. The anticipated shift of the pCa/tension curve with cycle time also bears on interpretations of earlier experiments on the "active state" and on the effects of Ca2+ on the maximal velocity of shortening.     

Modulation of calcium-activation in control and pressure--overload hypertrophied ferret hearts: effect of DPI 201-106 on myofilament calcium responsiveness.

We examined the relationship between free Ca2+ and developed force in chemically skinned fibers from control and pressure-overload hypertrophied (POH) hearts of ferrets in the absence and presence of DPI 201-106 (4-([3-(4-diphenyl-methyl-l-piperazinyl)-2-hydroxypropoxy]-1H-indole-2- carbonitrile), a positive inotropic and negative lusitropic agent. Force production in both control and hypertrophied fibers increased with Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]) over a range from 10(-7) M to 10(-4) M, and did not differ significantly in response to Ca2+ under isometric conditions. The [Ca2+] required for half-maximal activation ([Ca2+]50%) was estimated to be 1.84 x 10(-6) M in control muscles and 1.76 x 10(-6) M in POH muscles. The maximal Ca2(+)-activated force was significantly higher in the POH group (3.68 +/- 0.27 g/mm2) as compared to the control muscles (2.41 +/- 0.56 g/mm2. A DPI concentration of 10(-6) M shifted the force-pCa relation leftward by 0.13-0.18 pCa units in the control hearts, and by 0.40-0.45 pCa units in the hypertrophied hearts. In the concentration range between 10(-8) M and 10(-5) M, DPI induced a concentration dependent increase in force production that reached about 40% in the hypertrophied hearts and only 18% in the control hearts at pCa 6. The influence of DPI on the myofibrillar Ca2+ binding may be due to the effect of the drug on the troponin T-tropomyosin complex. In view of our results, we propose that hypertrophied hearts may demonstrate an adaptational change in the contractile proteins at the level of the thin myofilaments. This adaptational change may result in altered contractile performance and response to agents that potentially act at the level of the myofilaments. Further, alteration at the level of the myofilaments may not be detected by standard force-[Ca2+] relationships.     

A proton gradient controls a calcium-release channel in sarcoplasmic reticulum

Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from mammalian skeletal muscle have previously been shown to develop a proton gradient (alkaline inside) of 0.15-0.5 pH units during active Ca2+ uptake. We found that dissipation of this gradient by the proton ionophores gramicidin, nigericin, and carbonyl cyanide p-trichloromethoxyphenylhydrazone caused a rapid transient tension in skinned rabbit psoas muscle fibers. Increases, but not decreases, in medium pH of approximately 0.2 units over the range from pH 6.5 to pH 7.5 also elicited transient tensions. In isolated vesicles, physiological levels of Ca2+ (3.3 microM), inhibited pH-induced Ca2+ release. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide blocked pH- and ionophore-induced Ca2+ release under conditions in which it could bind to sarcoplasmic reticulum proteins but did not inhibit Ca2+ uptake. We propose that a proton gradient generated across sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes during Ca2+ uptake maintains a Ca2+ release channel in a closed conformation and that dissipation of this gradient permits the Ca2+ release channel to open. We further propose that elevated myoplasmic Ca2+ also causes the Ca2+ channel to close, permitting Ca2+ uptake through Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase to function effectively. As the proteolipids of sarcoplasmic reticulum bind dicyclohexylcarbodiimide under conditions in which Ca2+ release is blocked and as they have previously been shown to have Ca2+ ionophoric activity, we propose that the Ca2+-release channel either resides in the proteolipids or is controlled by H+ fluxes through the proteolipids.