Suppression of ventricular arrhythmia by mitochondrial calcium uptake via mitochondrial calcium uniporter in the ischemic heart failure mice

Background In heart failure (HF), diastolic calcium (Ca) leak from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) via ryanodine receptor (RyR) causes delayed after depolarization (DAD), leading ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Recent study reported that Ca uptake into mitochondria via mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) suppress Ca waves (CaWs) and DAD in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, in which diastolic Ca leak is thought to be a major cause of VAs as in HF. However, such anti-arrhythmic effect of mitochondrial Ca uptake via MCU remains unclear in HF. Purpose We sought to investigate whether mitochondrial Ca uptake via MCU decreases CAWs and VAs incidence in ischemic HF mice. Methods Ten-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 2 groups; sham operation mice (Sham) or HF mice (HF) in which myocardial infarction was induced by left coronary artery ligation. After 4–6 weeks, cardiomyocyte or mitochondria was isolated respectively from the myocardium of Sham and the non-infarct myocardium of HF. Influence of MCU activation on Ca dynamics, VA inducibility and left ventricular hemodynamics were evaluated using Kaemenpferol, a MCU activator. Intracellular Ca dynamics and mitochondrial Ca uptake were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes loaded with Fluo-4 AM on an epifluorescence microscopy and by estimating the extra-mitochondrial Ca reduction with Fluo-5N on a spectrofluoro-photometer, respectively. VAs was induced by programmed stimulation in the Langendorff perfused hearts. Left ventricular (LV) pressure was measured using a microtip transducer catheter. Finally, the effect of intravenous administration of Kaempferol (5mg/kg) on hemodynamic parameters was examined 30 minutes after administration in Sham and HF. Results HF mice showed left ventricular dysfunction, as well as the increased heart and lung weights compared to Sham. MCU protein expression in cardiomyocytes did not differ between Sham and HF. Kaempferol increased mitochondrial Ca uptake in the isolated mitochondria both in Sham and HF. The number of the diastolic CaWs was higher in HF compared to Sham. Such increased number of CaWs in HF was attenuated by 10 μM Kaempferol, which was, however, abolished by a MCU blocker Ruthenium Red. The incidence of induced VA was significantly higher in HF than Sham, which was suppressed by Kaempferol. In vivo measurements, intravenous administration of Kaempferol did not show significant changes in hemodynamic parameters in Sham and HF mice. Conclusions Mitochondrial Ca uptake via MCU suppresses CaWs and VAs, but did not change LV hemodynamics in HF. Whereas traditional antiarrhythmic drugs have limited use in heart failure patients, a novel strategy that promotes Ca uptake into mitochondria might be a new and safer option for treating VAs in HF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None