Aims:
Several studies suggest that abnormal energy metabolism contributes to heart failure or that the failing heart is energy starved. Here we aim at testing whether an increase in intracellular CK improves myocellular contractility in experimental myocardial dysfunction and protects from increased oxidative conditions.
Methods-Results:
We tested the response to the β-agonist isoproterenol (2.5 nM, ISO) in field-stimulated (.5 Hz, RT) adult cardiomyocytes isolated from wild-type (WT) mice and mice overexpressing cardiac myofibrillar or mitochondrial CK (CK-M or CK-mito) from sham and failing (8 wk transverse aortic constriction (TAC)) hearts, to dissect whether overexpressing CK alters myocyte function at baseline and during increased energetic demand. There were no differences in sarcomere fractional shortening (FS) or Ca2+ transients at baseline and with ISO among sham WT, CK-M or CK-mito myocytes. However, ISO effects were significantly reduced in WT TAC myocytes, consistent with prior reports. Conversely, in CK-M or CK-mito TAC myocytes, ISO-induced inotropy was fully preserved. Interestingly, incubation with the AMPK-stimulator AICAR (1mM for at least 90’) did not have any effect on WT TAC, but increased FS in TAC CK-M (+82%) and CK-mito (+42%) myocytes significantly, supporting the important metabolic role played by enhancing CK in failing hearts. To test whether overexpressing CK-M or CK-mito confer protection against acute oxidative stress, sham myocytes were exposed to H2O2 (50μM, 10’) and the interval (seconds) between the beginning of H2O2 superfusion and the appearance of irreversible arrhythmias was measured. WT and CK-M myocytes had a similar response (416±91s vs 411±68s), whereas in CK-mito this interval was significantly prolonged (600±64s). Similarly, upon acute infusion of the anticancer TKI sunitinib (2μM), whose cardiotoxic properties have been linked also to an increase in ROS, irreversible arrhythmias appeared after 657±43s in CK-mito (p<.5 vs 561±66 for WT and 467±88 for CK-M).
Conclusions:
Overexpressing CK-M and CK-mito under failing-TAC conditions improves myocyte function likely through better preserved Ca2+ handling, whereas only the up-regulation of CK-mito is more effective in buffering ROS effects.
Cardiac Raptor Ablation Impairs Adaptive Hypertrophy, Alters Metabolic Gene Expression, and Causes Heart Failure in Mice
