Myocardial connexin-43 is upregulated in response to acute cardiac injury in rats

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 911-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csilla Viczenczova ◽  
Branislav Kura ◽  
Kiranj K. Chaudagar ◽  
Barbara Szeiffova Bacova ◽  
Tamara Egan Benova ◽  
...  

We aimed to explore whether myocardial intercellular channel protein connexin-43 (Cx43) along with PKCε and MMP-2 might be implicated in responses to acute cardiac injury induced by 2 distinct sublethal interventions in Wistar rats. Animals underwent either single chest irradiation at dose of 25 Gy or subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (ISO, 120 mg/kg) and were compared with untreated controls. Forty-two days post-interventions, the hearts were excised and left ventricles were used for analysis. The findings showed an increase of total as well as phosphorylated forms of myocardial Cx43 regardless of the type of interventions. Enhanced phosphorylation of Cx43 coincided with increased PKCε expression in both models. Elevation of Cx43 was associated with its enhanced distribution on lateral surfaces of the cardiomyocytes in response to both interventions, while focal areas of fibrosis without Cx43 were found in post-ISO but not post-irradiated rat hearts. In parallel, MMP-2 activity was decreased in the former while increased in the latter. Cardiac function was maintained and the susceptibility of the hearts to ischemia or malignant arrhythmias was not deteriorated 42 days after interventions when compared with controls. Altogether, the findings indicate that myocardial Cx43 is most likely implicated in potentially salutary responses to acute heart injury.

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 2121-2134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Ying Zhang ◽  
Feng Wu ◽  
Xiao-Ming Gu ◽  
Zhen-Xiao Jin ◽  
Ling-Heng Kong ◽  
...  

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine whether calpain is involved in Cl- -induced myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Methods: Isolated rat hearts were subjected to either 45 min of global no-flow ischemia followed by reperfusion or successive perfusion with Ca2+ -free KH solution for 3 min and normal KH solution for 30 min, also known as Ca2+ paradox. Results: The hearts in the I/R group exhibited increases in myocardial injury area, LDH release, caspase 3 activity and apoptotic indices and a marked decline in cardiac performance. As was the case regarding the effects of MDL 28170, an inhibitor of calpain, treatment with 5 µM NPPB, 5 µM DIDS and low Cl- significantly attenuated cardiac injury. Moreover, each of the treatments significantly protected against Ca2+ overload-induced injury in the setting of Ca2+ paradox. The Western blot and immunofluorescence data revealed that there was an increase in the percentages of calpain membrane-positive cells and the numbers of fragments resulting from the calpain-mediated proteolysis of α-fodrin in both the I/R and the Ca2+ paradox, indicating that the activation of calpain occurred. More importantly, these effects were mitigated by the blockade of transmembrane Cl- flux, as was accomplished via MDL 28170. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that the blockade of transmembrane Cl- flux mitigates I/R-induced cardiac injury via the inhibition of calpain activity. They also indicate that intracellular Ca2+ overload regulates calpain activation in the setting of Cl- -induced injury.


2019 ◽  
pp. 375-384
Author(s):  
E. PROKUDINA ◽  
L MASLOV ◽  
N. NARYZHNAYA ◽  
S. TSIBULNIKOV ◽  
Y. LISHMANOV ◽  
...  

The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of endogenous opioids in the mediation of stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC), and to evaluate which opioid receptors regulate heart resistance to immobilization stress. Wistar rats were subjected to 24 h immobilization stress. Stress-induced heart injury was assessed by 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation in the heart. The opioid receptor (OR) antagonists (naltrexone, NxMB – naltrexone methyl bromide, MR 2266, ICI 174.864) and agonists (DALDA, DAMGO, DSLET, U-50,488) were administered intraperitoneally prior to immobilization and 12 h after the start of stress. In addition, the selective µ OR agonists PL017 and DAMGO were administered intracerebroventricularly prior to stress. Finally pretreatment with guanethidine was used. Naltrexone did not alter the cardiac 99mTc-PP accumulation in stressed rats. NxMB aggravated stress-induced cardiomyopathy (P=0.005) (SIC). The selective µ OR agonist DALDA, which does not cross the blood-brain barrier, completely prevented (P=0.006) SIC. The µ OR agonist DAMGO exhibited weaker effect than DALDA. The selective δ ligand (DSLET) and κ OR ligand (U-50,488) did not alter stress-induced 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation in the heart. Intracerebroventricular administration of the µ OR agonists aggravated SIC. Pretreatment with guanethidine abolished this effect (P=0.01). Guanethidine alone exhibited cardioprotective properties. A stimulation of central µ OR promotes an appearance of SIC. In contrast, stimulation of peripheral µ OR contributes to an increase in cardiac tolerance to stress.


2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 633-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Benova ◽  
Csilla Viczenczova ◽  
Jana Radosinska ◽  
Barbara Bacova ◽  
Vladimir Knezl ◽  
...  

We hypothesized that the pineal hormone melatonin, which exhibits cardioprotective effects, might affect myocardial expression of cell-to-cell electrical coupling protein connexin-43 (Cx43) and protein kinase C (PKC) signaling, and hence, the propensity of the heart to lethal ventricular fibrillation (VF). Spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar rats fed a standard rat chow received melatonin (40 μg/mL in drinking water during the night) for 5 weeks, and were compared with untreated rats. Melatonin significantly reduced blood pressure and normalized triglycerides in SHR, whereas it decreased body mass and adiposity in Wistar rats. Compared with healthy rats, the threshold to induce sustained VF was significantly lower in SHR (18.3 ± 2.6 compared with 29.2 ± 5 mA; p < 0.05) and increased in melatonin-treated SHR and Wistar rats to 33.0 ± 4 and 32.5 ± 4 mA. Melatonin attenuated abnormal myocardial Cx43 distribution in SHR, and upregulated Cx43 mRNA, total Cx43 protein, and its functional phosphorylated forms in SHR, and to a lesser extent, in Wistar rat hearts. Moreover, melatonin suppressed myocardial proapoptotic PKCδ expression and increased cardioprotective PKCε expression in both SHR and Wistar rats. Our findings indicate that melatonin protects against lethal arrhythmias at least in part via upregulation of myocardial Cx43 and modulation of PKC-related cardioprotective signaling.


2005 ◽  
Vol 289 (2) ◽  
pp. H614-H623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harjot K. Saini ◽  
Vijayan Elimban ◽  
Naranjan S. Dhalla

Extracellular ATP is known to augment cardiac contractility by increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cardiomyocytes; however, the status of ATP-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in hearts undergoing ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) has not been examined previously. In this study, therefore, isolated rat hearts were subjected to 10–30 min of global ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion, and the effect of extracellular ATP on [Ca2+]i was measured in purified cardiomyocytes by fura-2 microfluorometry. Reperfusion for 30 min of 20-min ischemic hearts, unlike 10-min ischemic hearts, revealed a partial depression in cardiac function and ATP-induced increase in [Ca2+]i; no changes in basal [Ca2+]i were evident in 10- or 20-min I/R preparations. On the other hand, reperfusion of 30-min ischemic hearts for 5, 15, or 30 min showed a marked depression in both cardiac function and ATP-induced increase in [Ca2+]i and a dramatic increase in basal [Ca2+]i. The positive inotropic effect of extracellular ATP was attenuated, and the maximal binding characteristics of 35S-labeled adenosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate with crude membranes from hearts undergoing I/R was decreased. ATP-induced increase in [Ca2+]i in cardiomyocytes was depressed by verapamil and Cibacron Blue in both control and I/R hearts; however, this response in I/R hearts, unlike control hearts, was not affected by ryanodine. I/R-induced alterations in cardiac function and ATP-induced increase in [Ca2+]i were attenuated by treatment with an antioxidant mixture and by ischemic preconditioning. The observed changes due to I/R were simulated in hearts perfused with H2O2. The results suggest an impairment of extracellular ATP-induced Ca2+ mobilization in I/R hearts, and this defect appears to be mediated through oxidative stress.


1984 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick de Wildt ◽  
Bart Sangster ◽  
Johanna Langemeijer ◽  
Gerard de Groot

2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (1) ◽  
pp. H180-H191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norishige Morita ◽  
Jong-Hwan Lee ◽  
Aneesh Bapat ◽  
Michael C. Fishbein ◽  
William J. Mandel ◽  
...  

Selective glycolytic inhibition (GI) promotes electromechanical alternans and triggered beats in isolated cardiac myocytes. We sought to determine whether GI promotes triggered activity by early afterdepolarization (EAD) or delayed afterdepolarizations in intact hearts isolated from adult and aged rats. Dual voltage and intracellular calcium ion (Cai2+) fluorescent optical maps and single cell glass microelectrode recordings were made from the left ventricular (LV) epicardium of isolated Langendorff-perfused adult (∼4 mo) and aged (∼24 mo) rat hearts. GI was induced by replacing glucose with 10 mM pyruvate in oxygenated Tyrode's. Within 20 min, GI slowed Cai2+ transient decline rate and shortened action potential duration in both groups. These changes were associated with ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the aged hearts (64 out of 66) but not in adult hearts (0 out of 18; P < 0.001). VF was preceded by a transient period of focal ventricular tachycardia caused by EAD-mediated triggered activity leading to VF within seconds. The VF was suppressed by the ATP-sensitive K (KATP) channel blocker glibenclamide (1 μM) but not (0 out of 7) by mitochondrial KATP block. The Ca-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) blocker KN-93 (1 μM) prevented GI-mediated VF ( P < 0.05). Block of Na-Ca exchanger (NCX) by SEA0400 (2 μM) prevented GI-mediated VF (3 out of 6), provided significant bradycardia did not occur. Aged hearts had significantly greater LV fibrosis and reduced connexin 43 than adult hearts ( P < 0.05). We conclude that in aged fibrotic unlike in adult rat hearts, GI promotes EADs, triggered activity, and VF by activation of KATP channels CaMKII and NCX.


Author(s):  
Alexander B Veitinger ◽  
Audrey Komguem ◽  
Lena Assling-Simon ◽  
Martina Heep ◽  
Julia Schipke ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVES Esmolol-based cardioplegic arrest offers better cardioprotection than crystalloid cardioplegia but has been compared experimentally with blood cardioplegia only once. We investigated the influence of esmolol crystalloid cardioplegia (ECCP), esmolol blood cardioplegia (EBCP) and Calafiore blood cardioplegia (Cala) on cardiac function, metabolism and infarct size in non-infarcted and infarcted isolated rat hearts. METHODS Two studies were performed: (i) the hearts were subjected to a 90-min cardioplegic arrest with ECCP, EBCP or Cala and (ii) a regional myocardial infarction was created 30 min before a 90-min cardioplegic arrest. Left ventricular peak developed pressure (LVpdP), velocity of contractility (dLVP/dtmax), velocity of relaxation over time (dLVP/dtmin), heart rate and coronary flow were recorded. In addition, the metabolic parameters were analysed. The infarct size was determined by planimetry, and the myocardial damage was determined by electron microscopy. RESULTS In non-infarcted hearts, cardiac function was better preserved with ECCP than with EBCP or Cala relative to baseline values (LVpdP: 100 ± 28% vs 86 ± 11% vs 57 ± 7%; P = 0.002). Infarcted hearts showed similar haemodynamic recovery for ECCP, EBCP and Cala (LVpdP: 85 ± 46% vs 89 ± 55% vs 56 ± 26%; P = 0.30). The lactate production with EBCP was lower than with ECCP (0.6 ± 0.7 vs 1.4 ± 0.5 μmol/min; P = 0.017). The myocardial infarct size and (ECCP vs EBCP vs Cala: 16 ± 7% vs 15 ± 9% vs 24 ± 13%; P = 0.21) the ultrastructural preservation was similar in all groups. CONCLUSIONS In non-infarcted rat hearts, esmolol-based cardioplegia, particularly ECCP, offers better myocardial protection than Calafiore. After an acute myocardial infarction, cardioprotection with esmolol-based cardioplegia is similar to that with Calafiore.


2020 ◽  
Vol 127 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao Puente ◽  
Junhui Sun ◽  
Maria Fergusson ◽  
Julia Liu ◽  
Anna Kosmach ◽  
...  

Background: Mitochondrial calcium flux and signaling is integral to cardiac function and contraction. However, during pathologic conditions such as ischemic/reperfusion injury, mitochondrial calcium overload can induce the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transitioning pore (PTP), resulting in the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP depletion, and generation of reactive oxygen species, all together leading to cell death. Hence, modulation of mitochondrial calcium and inhibition of the PTP is a promising target for cardioprotection and prevention of cardiomyocyte death. The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complex mediates rapid mitochondrial calcium uptake. MICU3 is a regulator of the MCU complex and has been shown to be a highly potent stimulator of MCU-dependent calcium uptake in neuronal cells. We found that MICU3 is expressed in hearts and we therefore investigated the role of MICU3 in the heart. We examined the role of MICU3 in the development of hypertrophy and in a separate study we examined the response to ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Given its role in regulating mitochondrial calcium uptake, we hypothesized that loss of MICU3 confers protection against cardiac injury. Methods: Mice with global deletion of Micu3 (Micu3 -/- ) were created utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Adult knockout and littermate wild type mice were treated with Isoproterenol (15mg/kg/day) for two weeks to induce hypertrophy. Echocardiograms were performed at baseline and after treatment to assess changes in left ventricular size and function. I/R injury was studied using Langendorff ex vivo perfused heart system, exposing knockout and wild type hearts to 20 minutes of ischemia and 90 minutes of reperfusion. Hemodynamic data and infarct size were collected and compared. Student t-test and 2-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. Result: Micu3 -/- mice had normal cardiac function at baseline. There was no sex difference in cardiac function. Micu3 -/- mice continued to show normal function after 2 weeks of treatment with Isoproterenol, whereas wild type mice exhibited depressed function (median FS 35% vs. 24% p = 0.0001, EF 64% vs. 50% p = 0.0001). Wild type mice developed LV dilation from baseline (median 4.15mm vs. 4.57mm, p = 0.0014), whereas LV dimension remained stable in Micu3 -/- mice (median 4.12mm vs. 4.18mm, p= 0.9892). Micu3 - /- mice were also protected from I/R injury. Compared to wild types, Micu3 -/- hearts demonstrated less contractile dysfunction at end reperfusion (median rate pressure product 62% vs. 41%, p = 0.002), and significantly smaller infarct size (median 33% vs. 53%, p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Loss of MICU3 confers cardioprotection against ischemic reperfusion injury and Isoproterenol induced cardiac dysfunction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Gang Li ◽  
Wen-Rui Li ◽  
Ya-Ge Jin ◽  
Qi-Qiang Jie ◽  
Cheng-Yu Wang ◽  
...  

Oxidative damage is closely involved in the development of doxorubicin- (DOX-) induced cardiotoxicity. It has been reported that tetrandrine can prevent the development of cardiac hypertrophy by suppressing reactive oxygen species- (ROS-) dependent signaling pathways in mice. However, whether tetrandrine could attenuate DOX-related cardiotoxicity remains unclear. To explore the protective effect of tetrandrine, mice were orally given a dose of tetrandrine (50 mg/kg) for 4 days beginning one day before DOX injection. To induce acute cardiac injury, the mice were exposed to a single intraperitoneal injection of DOX (15 mg/kg). The data in our study showed that tetrandrine prevented DOX-related whole-body wasting and heart atrophy, decreased markers of cardiac injury, and improved cardiac function in mice. Moreover, tetrandrine supplementation protected the mice against oxidative damage and myocardial apoptotic death. Tetrandrine supplementation also reduced ROS production and improved cell viability after DOX exposure in vitro. We also found that tetrandrine supplementation increased nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) expression and activity in vivo and in vitro. The protection of tetrandrine supplementation was blocked by Nrf2 deficiency in mice. In conclusion, our study found that tetrandrine could improve cardiac function and prevent the development of DOX-related cardiac injury through activation of Nrf2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Ni ◽  
Yihai Liu ◽  
Lina Kang ◽  
Lian Wang ◽  
Zhonglin Han ◽  
...  

AbstractHuman trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) have been confirmed to play a cardioprotective role in heart failure. However, whether trophoblast stem cell-derived exosomes (TSC-Exos) can protect cardiomyocytes from doxorubicin (Dox)-induced injury remains unclear. In the present study, TSC-Exos were isolated from the supernatants of human trophoblasts using the ultracentrifugation method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and western blotting. In vitro, primary cardiomyocytes were subjected to Dox and treated with TSC-Exos, miR-200b mimic or miR-200b inhibitor. Cellular apoptosis was observed by flow cytometry and immunoblotting. In vivo, mice were intraperitoneally injected into Dox to establish a heart failure model. Then, different groups of mice were administered either PBS, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-vector, AAV-miR-200b-inhibitor or TSC-Exos via tail vein injection. Then, the cardiac function, cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in each group were evaluated, and the downstream molecular mechanism was explored. TSC-Exos and miR-200b inhibitor both decreased primary cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Similarly, mice receiving TSC-Exos and AAV-miR-200b inhibitor exhibited improved cardiac function, accompanied by reduced apoptosis and inflammation. The bioinformatic prediction and luciferase reporter results confirmed that Zeb1 was a downstream target of miR-200b and had an antiapoptotic effect. TSC-Exos attenuated doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury by playing antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory roles. The underlying mechanism could be an increase in Zeb1 expression by the inhibition of miR-200b expression. In summary, this study sheds new light on the application of TSC-Exos as a potential therapeutic tool for heart failure.


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