Histamine Contributes to Ischemia-Related Activation of Cardiac Spinal Afferents: Role of H1 Receptors and PKC

2005 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 713-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wu Fu ◽  
Walter Schunack ◽  
John C. Longhurst

Myocardial ischemia activates cardiac spinal afferents that transmit the nociceptive information leading to chest pain and elicit excitatory cardiovascular reflexes. Previous studies have shown that histamine is increased in coronary sinus blood during myocardial ischemia and that this autacoid stimulates abdominal visceral afferents. The present investigation evaluated the role of endogenous histamine in stimulation of ischemically sensitive cardiac spinal afferents. Nerve activity of single-unit cardiac afferents was recorded from the left sympathetic chain or rami communicans (T2–T5) in anesthetized cats. Sixty-four cardiac afferents were identified. Injection (5–30 μg/kg) of histamine into the left atrium (LA) stimulated 7 ischemically sensitive cardiac afferents resulting in a significant increase in their activity in a dose-dependent manner. Also, LA injection of histamine (10 μg/kg) stimulated 7 of 8 ischemically insensitive cardiac spinal afferents. Administrations of 2-(3-chlorophenyl)histamine (250 μg/kg, LA), a specific H1 receptor agonist and histamine (10 μg/kg, LA), stimulated 9 other ischemically sensitive cardiac afferents (0.48 ± 0.10 to 1.40 ± 0.20 imp/s). In contrast, dimaprit (500 μg/kg, LA), an H2 receptor agonist, stimulated only one of the 9 afferents and thus did not alter their overall activity (0.40 ± 0.09 to 0.54 ± 0.09 imp/s). ( R)α-Methyl-histamine (500 μg/kg, LA), an H3 receptor agonist, did not stimulate any of the 9 afferents. Pyrilamine (300 μg/kg, iv), a selective H1 receptor antagonist, attenuated the activity of 8 afferents during 5 min of ischemia from 3.32 ± 0.38 to 1.87 ± 0.28 imp/s and abolished the response of 9 other cardiac afferents to histamine. Finally, administration of PKC-(19–36) (30 μg/kg, iv), a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C, attenuated the response of 8 cardiac afferents to histamine by 32%. These data indicate that endogenous histamine contributes to activation of cardiac sympathetic afferents during myocardial ischemia through H1 receptors and that the action of histamine on these cardiac afferents is partially dependent on the intracellular PKC pathway.

2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (6) ◽  
pp. H1762-H1771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wu Fu ◽  
John C. Longhurst

Myocardial ischemia activates cardiac sympathetic afferents leading to chest pain and reflex cardiovascular responses. Brief myocardial ischemia leads to ATP release in the interstitial space. Furthermore, exogenous ATP and α,β-methylene ATP (α,β-meATP), a P2X receptor agonist, stimulate cutaneous group III and IV sensory nerve fibers. The present study tested the hypothesis that endogenous ATP excites cardiac afferents during ischemia through activation of P2 receptors. Nerve activity of single unit cardiac sympathetic afferents was recorded from the left sympathetic chain or rami communicates (T2-T5) in anesthetized cats. Single fields of 45 afferents (conduction velocities = 0.25–4.92 m/s) were identified in the left ventricle with a stimulating electrode. Five minutes of myocardial ischemia stimulated 39 of 45 cardiac afferents (8 Aδ, 37 C fibers). Epicardial application of ATP (1–4 μmol) stimulated six ischemically sensitive cardiac afferents in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, epicardial ATP (2 μmol), ADP (2 μmol), a P2Y agonist, and α,β-meATP (0.5 μmol) significantly activated eight other ischemically sensitive afferents. Third, pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonic acid, a P2 receptor antagonist, abolished the responses of six afferents to epicardial ATP (2 μmol) and attenuated the ischemia-related increase in activity of seven other afferents by 37%. In the absence of P2 receptor blockade, cardiac afferents responded consistently to repeated application of ATP ( n = 6) and to recurrent myocardial ischemia ( n = 6). Finally, six ischemia-insensitive cardiac spinal afferents did not respond to epicardial ATP (2–4 μmol), although these afferents did respond to epicardial bradykinin. Taken together, these data indicate that, during ischemia, endogenously released ATP activates ischemia-sensitive, but not ischemia-insensitive, cardiac spinal afferents through stimulation of P2 receptors likely located on the cardiac sensory neurites.


2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (1) ◽  
pp. H100-H109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wu Fu ◽  
John C. Longhurst

Myocardial ischemia activates cardiac spinal afferents that mediate chest pain and excitatory reflex cardiovascular responses. Platelets are activated during myocardial ischemia and release 5-hydroxytryptamine, which stimulates abdominal spinal afferents. This study investigated the role of activated platelets in excitation of cardiac spinal afferents during ischemia. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) were obtained from cats and incubated with collagen (2 mg/ml) or thrombin (5 U/ml). We observed reduction of platelets in PRP indicative of platelet activation by collagen and thrombin, respectively. Activity of single-unit, ischemia-sensitive cardiac spinal afferents was recorded from the left sympathetic chain in anesthetized cats. Injection of 1.5 ml PRP + collagen (activated platelets) into the left atrium (LA) stimulated 12 of 13 cardiac afferents. PRP + saline (nonactivated platelets, LA) and PPP + collagen did not alter activity of these afferents. PRP + thrombin (1.5 ml, LA) stimulated eight of nine other cardiac afferents, whereas PPP + thrombin did not stimulate any of the nine afferents. Antiplatelet immune serum (1 ml/kg iv) significantly decreased circulating platelets as well as neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes, PMNs) in eight other cats, and in each animal, attenuated the ischemia-related increase in activity of cardiac afferents. Conversely, responses of five separate cardiac afferents to ischemia were not diminished after treatment with anti-PMN immune serum when concentration of circulating platelets was maintained by infusion of donated PRP despite the decrease in circulating PMNs. These data indicate activated platelets stimulate ischemia-sensitive cardiac spinal afferents and contribute to activation of these afferents during ischemia.


Zygote ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-144
Author(s):  
G. Sánchez Toranzo ◽  
L. Zelarayán ◽  
F. Bonilla ◽  
J. Oterino ◽  
M.I. Bühler

SummaryAmphibian oocytes meiotic arrest is released under the stimulus of progesterone; this hormone interacts with the oocyte surface and starts a cascade of events leading to the activation of a cytoplasmic maturation promoting factor (MPF) that induces germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), chromosome condensation and extrusion of the first polar body.The aim of this work was to determine whether the activation of a GABAA receptor is able to induce GVBD in fully grown denuded oocytes of Bufo arenarum and to analyse its possible participation in progesterone-induced maturation. We also evaluated the role of purines and phospholipids in the maturation process induced by a GABAA receptor agonist such as muscimol.Our results indicated that the activation of the GABAA receptor by muscimol induces maturation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and that this activation is a genuine maturation that enables oocytes to form pronuclei. Assays with a receptor antagonist, picrotoxine, showed that the maturation induced by muscimol was inhibited. Treatment with picrotoxine, however, shows that the participation of GABAA receptor in progesterone-induced maturation is not significant.In addition, our results indicate that high intracellular levels of purines obtained by the use of db-AMPc and theophylline or the inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 hydrolysis by neomycin and PIP2 turn over by LiCl, respectively, inhibited the maturation induced by muscimol. Treatment with H-7 indicated, however, that PKC activation is not necessary for GVBD induced by the GABAA receptor agonist. Results suggest that the transduction pathway used by the GABAA receptor to induce maturation is different from those used by progesterone.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wu Fu ◽  
Stephanie C. Tjen-A-Looi ◽  
Sherwin Barvarz ◽  
Zhi-Ling Guo ◽  
Shaista Malik

AbstractMyocardial ischemia evokes powerful reflex responses through activation of vagal and sympathetic afferents in the heart through the release of ischemic metabolites. We have demonstrated that extracellular ATP stimulates cardiac sympathetic afferents through P2 receptor-mediated mechanism, and that opioid peptides suppress these afferents’ activity. However, the roles of both P2 receptor and endogenous opioids in cardiac sympathoexcitatory reflex (CSR) responses remain unclear. We therefore hypothesized that activation of cardiac P2 receptor evokes CSR responses by stimulating cardiac sympathetic afferents and these CSR responses are modulated by endogenous opioids. We observed that intrapericardial injection of α,β-methylene ATP (α,β-meATP, P2X receptor agonist), but not ADP (P2Y receptor agonist), caused a graded increase in mean arterial pressure in rats with sinoaortic denervation and vagotomy. This effect of α,β-meATP was abolished by blockade of cardiac neural transmission with intrapericardial procaine treatment and eliminated by intrapericardial A-317491, a selective P2X2/3 and P2X3 receptor antagonist. Intrapericardial α,β-meATP also evoked CSR response in vagus-intact rats. Furthermore, the P2X receptor-mediated CSR responses were enhanced by intrapericardial naloxone, a specific opioid receptor antagonist. These data suggest that stimulation of cardiac P2X2/3 and P2X3, but not P2Y receptors, powerfully evokes CSR responses through activation of cardiac spinal afferents, and that endogenous opioids suppress the P2X receptor-mediated CSR responses.


2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (1) ◽  
pp. H235-H244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wu Fu ◽  
John C. Longhurst

Myocardial ischemia is a complex process leading to the simultaneous release of a number of mediators, including thromboxane A2 (TxA2) and bradykinin (BK), that activate cardiac spinal afferents. The present study tested the hypothesis that TxA2 and BK reciprocally interact to excite ischemically sensitive cardiac afferents. Nerve activity of single cardiac afferent units was recorded from the left sympathetic chain or rami communicantes (T2–T5) of anesthetized cats. Fifty-two ischemically sensitive afferents (conduction velocity = 0.27–3.35 m/s, 7 Aδ-fibers and 45 C-fibers) were identified. Repeated injections (1 μg) of BK into the left atrium (LA) 4 min after the administration of U-46619 (5 μg into the LA), a TxA2 mimetic, induced a significantly larger cardiac afferent response than the first response to BK (0.61 ± 0.14 to 1.95 ± 0.29 vs. 0.66 ± 0.09 to 2.75 ± 0.34 impulses/s, first injection vs. second injection, n = 8). Conversely, blockade of TxA2 receptors with BM-13,177 (30 mg/kg iv) attenuated the responses of eight other afferents to BK (1 μg into the LA) by 45%. In contrast, repeated BK (1 μg into the LA) induced consistent discharge activity in six separate afferents. We then observed that the coadministration of U-46619 (5 μg) and BK (1 μg into the LA) together caused a total response that was significantly higher than the predicted response by the simple addition of the individual responses. BK (1 μg) facilitated eight cardiac afferent responses to U-46619 (5 μg into the LA) by 64%. In contrast, repeated U-46619 (5 μg into the LA) without intervening BK stimulation evoked consistent responses in seven other ischemically sensitive afferents. Finally, inhibition of cyclooxygenase with indomethacin (5 mg/kg iv) eliminated the potentiating effects of BK on the cardiac afferent response to U-46619 (5 μg into the LA) but did not alter the afferent response to U-46619. These data suggest that BK and TxA2 reciprocally interact to stimulate ischemically sensitive cardiac afferent endings leading to synergistic afferent responses and that the BK sensitization effect is mediated by cyclooxygenase products.


2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (3) ◽  
pp. G367-G372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen E. Raybould ◽  
Jorg Glatzle ◽  
Carla Robin ◽  
James H. Meyer ◽  
Thomas Phan ◽  
...  

Intestinal perfusion with carbohydrates inhibits gastric emptying via vagal and spinal capsaicin-sensitive afferent pathways. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of 1) 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)3receptors (5-HT3R) in mediating glucose-induced inhibition of gastric emptying and 2) 5-HT3R expression in vagal and spinal afferents in innervating the duodenum. In awake rats fitted with gastric and duodenal cannulas, perfusion of the duodenum with glucose (50 and 100 mg) inhibited gastric emptying. Intestinal perfusion of mannitol inhibited gastric emptying only at the highest concentration (990 mosm/kgH2O). Pretreatment with the 5-HT3R antagonist tropisetron abolished both glucose- and mannitol-induced inhibition of gastric emptying. Retrograde labeling of visceral afferents by injection of dextran-conjugated Texas Red into the duodenal wall was used to identify extrinsic primary afferents. Immunoreactivity for 5-HT3R, visualized with an antibody directed to the COOH terminus of the rat 5-HT3R, was found in >80% of duodenal vagal and spinal afferents. These results show that duodenal extrinsic afferents express 5-HT3R and that the receptor mediates specific glucose-induced inhibition of gastric emptying. These findings support the hypothesis that enterochromaffin cells in the intestinal mucosa release 5-HT in response to glucose, which activates 5-HT3R on afferent nerve terminals to evoke reflex changes in gastric motility. The primary glucose sensors of the intestine may be mucosal enterochromaffin cells.


1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (5) ◽  
pp. H2114-H2124 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Huang ◽  
G. L. Stahl ◽  
J. C. Longhurst

We have shown previously that reactive oxygen species stimulate abdominal sympathetic afferents to cause reflex cardiovascular activation. Because myocardial ischemia and reperfusion also generate reactive oxygen species, we investigated the possibility that cardiovascular reflexes could be induced by topical application of H2O2 to the anterior or posterior ventricular surface in cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), left ventricular (LV) pressure, aortic flow (AF), and first derivative of LV pressure at 40 mmHg developed pressure (LV dP/dt40) were monitored. H2O2 (44 and 130 mumol) significantly increased MAP but not HR or LV dP/dt40 in intact cats (n = 8). Application of H2O2 (44 mumol) significantly increased MAP (129 +/- 9 to 152 +/- 10 mmHg), HR (240 +/- 11 to 245 +/- 10 beats/min), AF (191 +/- 13 to 212 +/- 17 ml/min), total peripheral resistance (0.68 +/- 0.13 to 0.73 +/- 0.04 peripheral resistance units), and LV dP/dt40 (2,666 +/- 145 to 3,012 +/- 205 mmHg/s) after bilateral cervical vagotomy (n = 6). These H2O2-induced excitatory responses were abolished after bilateral T1-T4 ganglionectomy. In six additional cats, H2O2 (44 mumol) significantly decreased MAP (114 +/- 5 to 102 +/- 5 mmHg), HR (207 +/- 7 to 190 +/- 7 beats/min), and LV dP/dt40 (2,776 +/- 168 to 2,600 +/- 153 mmHg/s) after sympathectomy. These depressor responses were eliminated after vagotomy. The magnitude of the cardiovascular reflexes was increased or decreased in a dose-dependent fashion in vagotomized or sympathectomized cats, respectively, over a range of 440 nmol to 44 mumol H2O2. Application of H2O2 to the anterior or posterior ventricular surface resulted in similar pressor or depressor reflexes. Dimethylthiourea and deferoxamine abolished pressor or depressor responses evoked by H2O2 in both vagotomized (n = 8) and sympathectomized (n = 8) cats. We conclude that reactive oxygen species, particularly the hydroxyl radical, can participate in activating cardiac afferents responsible for reflex cardiovascular responses during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. An inhibitory reflex is transmitted through vagal afferents, whereas an excitatory reflex is conducted by sympathetic cardiac afferents.


2013 ◽  
Vol 305 (1) ◽  
pp. H76-H85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wu Fu ◽  
John C. Longhurst

Thinly myelinated Aδ-fiber and unmyelinated C-fiber cardiac sympathetic (spinal) sensory nerve fibers are activated during myocardial ischemia to transmit the sensation of angina pectoris. Although recent observations showed that myocardial ischemia increases the concentrations of opioid peptides and that the stimulation of peripheral opioid receptors inhibits chemically induced visceral and somatic nociception, the role of opioids in cardiac spinal afferent signaling during myocardial ischemia has not been studied. The present study tested the hypothesis that peripheral opioid receptors modulate cardiac spinal afferent nerve activity during myocardial ischemia by suppressing the responses of cardiac afferent nerve to ischemic mediators like bradykinin and extracellular ATP. The nerve activity of single unit cardiac afferents was recorded from the left sympathetic chain (T2–T5) in anesthetized cats. Forty-three ischemically sensitive afferent nerves (conduction velocity: 0.32–3.90 m/s) with receptive fields in the left and right ventricles were identified. The responses of these afferent nerves to repeat ischemia or ischemic mediators were further studied in the following protocols. First, epicardial administration of naloxone (8 μmol), a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist, enhanced the responses of eight cardiac afferent nerves to recurrent myocardial ischemia by 62%, whereas epicardial application of vehicle (PBS) did not alter the responses of seven other cardiac afferent nerves to ischemia. Second, naloxone applied to the epicardial surface facilitated the responses of seven cardiac afferent nerves to epicardial ATP by 76%. Third, administration of naloxone enhanced the responses of seven other afferent nerves to bradykinin by 85%. In contrast, in the absence of naloxone, cardiac afferent nerves consistently responded to repeated application of ATP ( n = 7) or bradykinin ( n = 7). These data suggest that peripheral opioid peptides suppress the responses of cardiac sympathetic afferent nerves to myocardial ischemia and ischemic mediators like ATP and bradykinin.


2002 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 660-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Lin Pan ◽  
Shao-Rui Chen

Chest pain caused by myocardial ischemia is mediated by cardiac sympathetic afferents. Although silent nociceptors exist in somatic structures and some visceral organs, their presence in the heart remains uncertain. The present study examined the presence and the functional characteristics of mechanically insensitive cardiac sympathetic afferents using an electrical search technique. Single-unit activity of afferents innervating the left ventricle was recorded from the sympathetic chain in anesthetized cats. Cardiac afferents were identified initially with a stimulating electrode placed on the surface of the heart. Responses of cardiac afferents to mechanical stimuli, 5 min of myocardial ischemia, and topical application of bradykinin (1–10 μg/ml) and lactic acid (10–50 μg/ml) were then determined. Ischemia activated all 38 mechanically insensitive afferents and 17 of 25 mechanically sensitive afferents. The mechanically sensitive afferents typically were spontaneously active and had a smaller receptive field and a slightly faster conduction velocity. On the other hand, the mechanically insensitive afferents were slow conducting C fibers and had a large electrical receptive field on the epicardium. The response of 38 mechanically insensitive afferents to ischemia [2.83 ± 0.14 (SD) imp/s] was significantly greater than that of 17 mechanically sensitive afferents (from 0.41 ± 0.05 to 0.74 ± 0.15 imp/s). The mechanically insensitive afferents also exhibited a greater response to topical application of bradykinin or lactic acid in a concentration-dependent manner. This study provides important new evidence that the heart is innervated by silent sympathetic afferents, which are activated profoundly by myocardial ischemia. These data also suggest that the mechanically insensitive sympathetic afferents may function as cardiac nociceptors.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document