scholarly journals Taurine Decreases Lesion Severity In the Hearts of Cardiomyopathy Hamsters

Author(s):  
Jamshid Azari ◽  
Peter Brumbaugh ◽  
André Barbeau ◽  
Ryan Huxtable

SUMMARY:Cardiomyopathic Syrian hamsters develop necrotic lesions consequent upon calcium overload from 60 days of age onward. Taurine, given as a 0.1M solution in place of drinking water for one month prior to sacrifice of animals of initial age 35 days, decreased the severity of subsequently developing cardiac lesions by 40%. Calcium concentration in the heart was decreased by 57%. Magnesium and iron concentrations were unaltered. Taurine given in a similar manner for 4 months had a protective effect, decreasing lesion severity by 21% and calcium concentration by 35%. Magnesium concentrations were increased by 12%. Compared to randombred animals, cardiomyopathic hamsters at one and two months of age have the same concentrations of calcium, magnesium and iron in the quadrants of the heart, except in the left ventricle, which has significantly higher concentration of calcium. Calcium concentrations are 70%, 1320% and 2100% higher respectively in one month, two month and five month old animals. Five month old animals differ slightly but significantly in iron (17% decrease) and magnesium concentrations (17% increase).Cardiomyopathic hamsters have insignificant differences in β-adrenergic receptor density compared to random-bred animals and have a significantly higher rate of taurine influx.

Author(s):  
J. Azari ◽  
T. Reisine ◽  
A. Barbeau ◽  
H.I. Yamamura ◽  
R. Huxtable

SummaryIn light of the available information on the cardiomyopathy of Friedreich's ataxia, the cardiomyopathic Syrian hamster may be an appropriate laboratory model. Cardiomyopathy in these animals is a result of calcium accumulation. We analyzed the atria and right and left ventricles from cardiomyopathic (CM) and random bred (RB) animals for calcium, magnesium, and iron concentrations at 30-40 and 60-70 days of age (age of maximum lesioning). There are no significant differences in the concentration of iron or magnesium among age-matched groups. The concentration of calcium in the left ventricles of the CM animals at 60 days old is 14 fold higher than that of R B animals. Although there is a significant difference in the concentration of calcium in the left ventricles of younger animals, it is not as pronounced as the difference in older animals. Analysis of the taurine concentration in 30-40 day old animals revealed that the CM animals show slightly higher taurine concentrations than RB in the whole heart. In 60 day old CM hamsters the ß-adrenergic receptor density of the ventricles is unchanged. This indicates that calcium overload is not due to a drene rg i c super sensitivity.


2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (6) ◽  
pp. H2797-H2806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendell S. Akers ◽  
Andrew Cross ◽  
Robert Speth ◽  
Linda P. Dwoskin ◽  
Lisa A. Cassis

Angiotensin II and norepinephrine (NE) have been implicated in the neurohumoral response to pressure overload and the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. The purpose of this study was to determine the temporal sequence for activation of the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems in the rat after 3–60 days of pressure overload induced by aortic constriction. Initially on pressure overload, there was transient activation of the systemic renin-angiotensin system coinciding with the appearance of left ventricular hypertrophy ( day 3). At day 10, there was a marked increase in AT1 receptor density in the left ventricle, increased plasma NE concentration, and elevated cardiac epinephrine content. Moreover, the inotropic response to isoproterenol was reduced in the isolated, perfused heart at 10 days of pressure overload. The affinity of the β2-adrenergic receptor in the left ventricle was decreased at 60 days. Despite these alterations, there was no decline in resting left ventricular function, β-adrenergic receptor density, or the relative distribution of β1- and β2-receptor sites in the left ventricle over 60 days of pressure overload. Thus activation of the renin-angiotensin system is an early response to pressure overload and may contribute to the initial development of cardiac hypertrophy and sympathetic activation in the compensated heart.


1984 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald L. Curry ◽  
Leslie L. Bennett

Abstract. Rat pancreas perfusions were performed using a perfusate with a fixed calcium concentration of 5 mEq/l and magnesium varying from 0 to 0.6 mEq/dl. Insulin secretion was stimulated by a constant glucose infusion of 300 mg/dl. This glucose concentration produces the typical biphasic insulin secretory response. We observed that in the absence of magnesium, somatostatin concentrations of 0.5 and 2.0 ng/ml were without effect on first phase insulin secretion. However, these same somatostatin levels produced 50% or more inhibition of insulin secretion in the presence of magnesium at 0.3 or 0.6 mEq/l. Similarly, in the absence of magnesium, somatostatin at 50 ng/ml failed to inhibit second phase insulin secretion, whereas this same somatostatin level produced about 50% inhibition of insulin secretion in the presence of magnesium at 0.3 mEq/l. Thus, altering perfusate magnesium concentrations without changing calcium is an important determinant of the degree of inhibition of secretion produced by somatostatin. In particular, in the absence of magnesium ion, somatostatin concentrations which would 'normally' produce 50% inhibition of secretion (ID50) are without effect. Therefore, magnesium ion is necessary for the full inhibitory effect of somatostatin to occur. These results suggest that inhibitors, as well as potentiators, of the insulin secretory process may act by altering intracellular/membrane calcium-magnesium ratios, but in opposite directions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 315 (4) ◽  
pp. H885-H896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinrui Wang ◽  
Robert H. Fitts

Exercise training is known to protect the heart from ischemia and improve function during exercise by reducing cardiomyocyte action potential duration (APD) and increasing contractility. The cellular mechanisms involve β-adrenergic regulation and the ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel, but how each alters function of the left ventricle and sex specificity is unknown. To address this, female and male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to wheel-running (TRN) or sedentary (SED) groups. After 6–8 wk of training, myocytes were isolated from the left ventricle and field stimulated at 1, 2, and 5 Hz. TRN significantly increased cardiomyocyte contractility, the kinetics of the Ca2+ transient, and responsiveness to the adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (ISO), as reflected by an increased sarcomere shortening. Importantly, we demonstrated a TRN-induced upregulation of KATP channels, which was reflected by elevated content, current density, and the channel’s contribution to APD shortening at high activation rates and in the presence of the activator pinacidil. TRN induced increase in KATP current occurred throughout the left ventricle, but channel subunit content showed regional specificity with increases in Kir6.2 in the apex and SUR2A in base regions. In summary, TRN elevated cardiomyocyte cross-bridge kinetics, Ca2+ sensitivity, and the responsiveness of contractile function to β-adrenergic receptor stimulation in both sexes. Importantly, upregulation of the KATP channel accelerates repolarization and shortens APD during stress and exercise. These adaptations have clinical importance, as increased contractility and reduced APD would help protect cardiac output and reduce intracellular Ca2+ overload during stresses such as regional ischemia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our results demonstrate that regular exercise significantly increased ventricular myocyte shortening and relaxation velocity and the rate of rise in intracellular Ca2+ transient and enhanced the response of biomechanics and Ca2+ reuptake to β-adrenergic stimulation. Importantly, exercise training upregulated the cardiomyocyte sarcolemma ATP-sensitive K+ channel across the left ventricle in both sexes, as reflected by elevated channel subunit content, current density, and the channel’s contribution to reduced action potential duration at high activation rates.


1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (3) ◽  
pp. H634-H641 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Gilson ◽  
N. el Houda Bouanani ◽  
A. Corsin ◽  
B. Crozatier

Few models of heart failure (HF) are available for physiological and pharmacological studies. We report here a model of pressure plus volume overload induced in rabbits in which left ventricular (LV) function was studied in the conscious state after instrumentation of the animals with LV pressure catheter and ultrasonic crystals measuring LV diameter. Beta-Adrenoceptors were studied on crude membranes obtained from control (C) and HF rabbits using [3H]CGP 12177. LV weights and end-diastolic diameters were significantly increased in the HF group compared with the C group (by 79 and 38%, respectively). The percentage of diameter systolic shortening was decreased, in the control state, in rabbits with HF (15.3 +/- 1.6%) as compared with C rabbits (29.6 +/- 2.5%) and remained lower in the HF group when end-systolic pressures were matched. Chronotropic response to isoproterenol injection was significantly decreased in rabbits with HF compared with that of C rabbits. Beta-Adrenergic receptor density was decreased in rabbits with HF (39.3 +/- 3.7 fmol/mg) compared with C rabbits (56.7 +/- 4.2 fmol/mg) without affinity changes. This model of chronic HF thus produces a marked hypertrophy with ventricular dilatation and a depression of LV function within 2 mo, factors that are associated with a reduced cardiac responsiveness to catecholamines and a decreased ventricular beta-adrenergic receptor density.


1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (4) ◽  
pp. H1259-H1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Uemura ◽  
D. E. Vatner ◽  
Y. T. Shen ◽  
J. Wang ◽  
S. F. Vatner

The goal of this study was to determine whether enhanced vascular responsiveness during the development of perinephritic hypertension is selective or nonspecific. The effects of graded infusions of norepinephrine (NE), phenylephrine (PE), angiotensin II (ANG II), and vasopressin (VP) were examined on mean arterial pressure, total peripheral resistance (TPR), and aortic pressure-diameter relationships in conscious dogs. NE increased TPR significantly greater (P < 0.01) in hypertension than normotension, as did PE infusion, whereas ANG II and VP increased TPR similarly before and after hypertension. Analysis of aortic pressure-diameter relationships also demonstrated significant (P < 0.05) shifts in response to NE and PE, but not ANG II and VP, during the development of hypertension. In normotensive dogs, low doses of ANG II infusion also enhanced the vasoconstrictor response not only to NE and PE but also to VP. In contrast to what was observed in hypertension, in the presence of ANG II infusion after ganglionic blockade, enhanced responses to PE and NE were no longer observed. The alpha 1-adrenergic receptor density in membrane preparations from aortic tissue, as determined by [3H]prazosin binding, was higher (P < 0.05) in hypertensive dogs than control dogs. Thus the vascular responsiveness in the aorta and resistance vessels is enhanced to alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation, but not to all vasoconstrictors, during developing perinephritic hypertension. The mechanism appears to involve increased alpha 1-adrenergic receptor density.


1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (3) ◽  
pp. H815-H820 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Warner ◽  
P. L. Wisler ◽  
T. D. Hodges ◽  
A. M. Watanabe ◽  
D. P. Zipes

Mechanisms responsible for “denervation supersensitivity” in regionally denervated canine hearts were examined by measuring beta-adrenergic receptor density and affinity and the density of the alpha-subunit of the stimulatory G protein (Gs alpha). Sympathetic denervation was produced by applying an epicardial strip of phenol midway between the left ventricular (LV) base and apex. Six to eight days after denervation, dogs were anesthetized and then underwent functional studies (n = 4) or hearts were excised for biochemical analyses (n = 6). Biochemical studies were also done on 3 nondenervated hearts. Effective refractory periods (ERPs) were measured in innervated (base) and denervated (apex) LV myocardium. During sympathetic stimulation (2 and 4 Hz), the ERP shortened more (P < 0.05) at basal than at apical sites, whereas during norepinephrine infusion (0.05 to 0.5 mg.kg-1 x min-1), the ERP shortened more (P < 0.001) at apical than at basal sites. In regionally denervated hearts, however, the density and affinity of beta-adrenergic receptors did not differ significantly (P > 0.2) in nondenervated basal compared with denervated apical myocardium. Quantitative immunoblotting of the Gs alpha demonstrated that the density of the 47- and 52-kDa subunits was also similar (P > 0.6) in basal compared with apical myocardium from regionally denervated hearts. In addition, beta-adrenergic receptor density and affinity and Gs alpha density did not differ significantly (P > 0.5) in basal compared with apical myocardium from nondenervated control hearts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Parasitology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 133 (06) ◽  
pp. 729 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. N. ROCHA ◽  
S. GARCIA ◽  
L. E. D. GIMÉNEZ ◽  
C. C. Q. HERNÁNDEZ ◽  
J. F. V. SENRA ◽  
...  

1978 ◽  
Vol 176 (3) ◽  
pp. 1007-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Giudicelli

Adipocytes from thyroidectomized rats contain 3 times less [3H]dihydroalprenolol-binding sites (beta-adrenergic receptors) than adipocytes from euthyroid animals. This alteration is not solely due to cell-size differences, but also to a thyroidectomy-induced defect in beta-adrenergic receptor density per adipocyte surface area, a defect that is furthermore corrected by tri-iodothyronine treatment.


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