bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beating affects the posttranscriptional regulation of alpha-myosin mRNA in cardiac cultures
Authors: Goldspink P. H. , Thomason D. B. , Russell B.
Published: December 2017

Contractile arrest of cardiac myocytes results in increased abundance of alpha-myosin heavy chain (MHC) mRNA but decreased alpha-MHC protein content. Our aim is to determine the posttranscriptional mechanisms regulating alpha-MHC mRNA-protein uncoupling in cultured neonatal rat hearts during altered contractile activity. Spontaneously contracting myocytes were arrested by the use of verapamil (10 mumol/l; a Ca(2+)-channel blocker) or by 2,3-butanedione monoxime (5 mmol/l; a cross-bridge inhibitor). Inhibition of transcription with amanitin (0.5 mumol/l) decreased the alpha-MHC mRNA in normally beating myocytes to a minimal baseline. However, the alpha-MHC mRNA did not fall this low in amanitin-treated nonbeating myocytes. Concurrently, the alpha-MHC mRNA shifted toward a heavier polysome complex when beating was blocked. Together, these data suggest that contractile arrest regulates alpha-MHC mRNA abundance posttranscriptionally by stabilizing the message at the elongation phase of translation. These posttranscriptional regulatory steps are dependent on beating itself and are independent of Ca2+ entry.
Role of nitric oxide and cGMP system in regulation of ductus arteriosus tone in ovine fetus
Authors: Fox J. J. , Ziegler J. W. , Ivy D. D. , Halbower A. C. , Kinsella J. P. , Abman S. H.
Published: December 2017

Although endogenous nitric oxide (NO) modulates basal tone in the fetal pulmonary and systemic circulations, little is known about its role in regulating ductus arteriosus (DA) tone. Immunostaining of DA tissue from late-gestation fetal lambs demonstrated strong staining for endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) in DA endothelium. To study the physiological role of the NO and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) system in the DA in vivo, we measured the hemodynamic effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; 30 mg), a NOS inhibitor, methylene blue (40 mg), a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, and indomethacin (0.8 mg), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, in 10 chronically prepared late-gestation fetal lambs. L-NNA increased main pulmonary artery (MPA) and aortic pressures (P < 0.05 vs. baseline) but did not change the pressure gradient between the MPA and the aorta. L-NNA caused a small decrease in DA flow and a slight rise in resistance across the DA. Methylene blue increased both MPA pressure and the pressure gradient between the MPA and the aorta from 0.3 +/- 0.2 (baseline) to 7.0 +/- 2.7 mmHg (P < 0.05). Indomethacin increased both MPA pressure and the pressure gradient between the MPA and the aorta from 1.1 +/- 0.4 (baseline) to 6.3 +/- 1.5 mmHg (P < 0.05) after 40 min. Indomethacin decreased DA flow and increased DA resistance. We conclude that eNOS is in fetal DA endothelial cells and that NOS inhibition causes constriction of the DA in vivo. DA constriction after NOS inhibition is minimal, especially in comparison with cyclooxygenase inhibition. Methylene blue also constricts the DA, suggesting that guanylate cyclase activity contributes to DA relaxation. We speculate that, although the NO and cGMP system modulates DA tone, prostaglandins may play a greater role.
Low insulin and high glucose induce abnormal relaxation in cultured adult rat ventricular myocytes
Authors: Davidoff A. J. , Ren J.
Published: December 2017

One of the most prominent myocardial defects associated with diabetes is abnormal diastole. We have recently reported that this dysfunction involves prolonged relaxation (relengthening) in isolated ventricular myocytes that occurs within days after the induction of diabetes. The present study was designed to evaluate the role of insulin and glucose int he etiology of this dysfunction with a serum-free myocyte culture system. Adult rat ventricular myocytes were cultured for 1-4 days in a “"diabetic-like” medium containing five times less insulin and approximately five times more glucose than in our normal medium. Mechanical properties and Ca2+ transients (fura 2) were evaluated with a high-resolution (120-Hz) video-based edge-detection/spectro-fluormetric system. The cells were field stimulated to contract at slow and physiologically relevant rates, and indexes of contraction and relaxation were evaluated. Relengthening was markedly longer in myocytes cultured in low-insulin-high-glucose (LIHG) medium compared with those in normal medium, whereas contraction was unaffected. Intracellular Ca2+ transients showed slower rates of decay in myocytes cultured in LIHG medium. These data demonstrate that maintaining normal ventricular myocytes in an LIHG environment prolongs relaxation in a manner similar to the effects of in vivo diabetes. Furthermore, the abnormal relaxation is inducible in 1 day, suggesting rapid alterations in processes regulating relaxation, which likely include impaired Ca2+ sequestration and/or extrusion.
Alterations in sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium-storing proteins in pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy
Authors: Tsutsui H. , Ishibashi Y. , Imanaka-Yoshida K. , Yamamoto S. , Yoshida T. , Sugimachi M. , Urabe Y. , Takeshita A.
Published: December 2017

The alterations of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis may be responsible for the contractile defects in pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. The Ca(2+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) protein level of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is reduced in the hypertrophied or failing heart. However, it is not known whether Ca(2+)-storing proteins, including calsequestrin and calreticulin, are also altered during cardiac hypertrophy. We quantified SR Ca(2+)-regulatory proteins using Western blot analysis in left ventricular (LV) muscle isolated from sham-operated control rats (n = 6) and rats with pressure overload 4 wk after abdominal aortic constriction (n = 7). The contractile function of isolated LV myocytes, assessed by the sarcomere motion measured with laser diffraction, was depressed in aortic-constricted rats. The SR Ca(2+)-ATPase protein level was decreased to 56 +/- 9% (SE) of the control value in hypertrophied myocardium (P < 0.01). The calsequestrin protein level was not altered, whereas calreticulin was increased by 120 +/- 3% of the control value in aortic-constricted rats (P < 0.05). The alterations in SR Ca(2+)-regulatory proteins were equally observed in hypertrophied hearts even when the results were normalized using the amounts of myosin heavy chain proteins in each sample. Immunohistochemical staining of calsequestrin in the control heart showed cross striations at the Z lines, whereas calreticulin was hardly observed within myocytes but was intense within interstitial fibroblasts. In the hypertrophied heart, calreticulin was observed at the perinuclear region within the myocyte cytoplasm. These data indicate that pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy causes the alterations in SR Ca(2+)-storing proteins as well as in Ca(2+)-ATPase, which may contribute to the contractile dysfunction of the hypertrophied myocytes.
Nitric oxide-dependent and -independent norepinephrine release in rat mesenteric arteries
Authors: Yamamoto R. , Wada A. , Asada Y. , Yanagita T. , Yuhi T. , Niina H. , Sumiyoshi A. , Kobayashi H. , Lee T. J.
Published: December 2017

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in endogenous norepinephrine (NE) release in the perfused isolated rat mesenteric vasculature was examined. NE overflow elicited by electrical field stimulation (EFS) at various frequencies was significantly smaller at 24 than at 37 degrees C. The pressor response upon EFS at 8 and 10 Hz, however, was higher at 24 than at 37 degrees C. When production of NO was blocked by N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), NE overflow upon EFS at each frequency of stimulation was diminished by 50% at 37 degrees C but remained unchanged at 24 degrees C, whereas the pressor response elicited by EFS became greater at 37 than at 24 degrees C. These effects of L-NNA were reversed by L-arginine, but not by its D-enantiomer. Sodium nitroprusside, an NO donor, increased EFS-elicited NE overflow at 24 degrees C but had no effect at 37 degrees C. These results demonstrate that NE release is NO dependent and NO independent. The NO-dependent mechanism is more sensitive to cooling than the NO-independent mechanism. The increase in EFS-elicited perfusion pressure at 24 degrees C may be due to reduction in synthesis of NO (a potent vasodilator), thus unmasking the effect of NE and other noncatecholamine vasoconstrictors.
In situ visualization of spontaneous calcium waves within perfused whole rat heart by confocal imaging
Authors: Minamikawa T. , Cody S. H. , Williams D. A.
Published: December 2017

We describe the first direct visualization of Ca2+ oscillations in the perfused whole rat heart. Dye loading at a low temperature and enhanced optical-section techniques of confocal microscopy by elimination of the refractive index mismatch with use of saline-immersible objective lens enabled us to image multiple Ca2+ waves in the subepicardial myocardium of the fluo 3-loaded heart. These Ca2+ waves were sporadically seen even with a physiological extracellular Ca2+ perfusion in either a paced or an arrested heart and propagated beyond cellular boundaries within the three-dimensional structures of cardiac muscle. Under these conditions, the velocity of wave propagation was 60-100 microns/s and the frequency of initiation was relatively low (< 2 Hz). With an increase in extracellular Ca2+ concentration, however, the waves became more prevalent and tended to be multifocal, and an increasing fraction of the waves exhibited faster propagation velocities and higher frequencies. These results suggest that perfused rat hearts exhibit spontaneous Ca2+ waves in an apparently resting state and that under Ca(2+)-overload conditions the multifocal and high-frequency waves become more widespread in the heart syncytium, which may provide an understanding of the ionic basis for the summation of afterdepolarizations and triggering of arrhythmias seen under pathological conditions.
Actions of lidocaine on reentrant ventricular rhythms in the subacute myocardial infarction period in dogs
Authors: Yin H. , el-Sherif N. , Caref E. B. , Ndrepepa G. , Levin R. , Isber N. , Stergiopolus K. , Assadi M. A. , Gough W. B. , Restivo M.
Published: December 2017

The actions of lidocaine were studied in 18 dogs, 4 days after ligation of the left anterior descending artery, by computerized mapping. Lidocaine only occasionally suppressed the induction of reentry. At fast heart rates, lidocaine actually facilitated the induction of reentry. The effects on conduction and refractoriness of normal and ischemic myocardium were measured using high-resolution techniques. Lidocaine promoted reentry by a rate-dependent increase in refractory gradient, resulting in additional block, and a selective decrease in conduction velocity in ischemic tissue, resulting in additional conduction delay. Lidocaine could prevent reentry through a rate-independent differential increase in refractory period gradient at the entrance to the common pathway of the circuit, causing block of the reentrant impulse. We conclude that the proarrhythmic effect of lidocaine is due to increased conduction delay and block while the antiarrhythmic effect is due to block of the reentrant impulse by prolonged refractoriness in the common pathway.
Intrapericardial administration of adenovirus for gene transfer
Authors: Lamping K. G. , Rios C. D. , Chun J. A. , Ooboshi H. , Davidson B. L. , Heistad D. D.
Published: December 2017

Gene transfer to the heart has been accomplished with intravascular administration of adenoviral vectors into the pericardial sac, by increasing the duration of exposure to the adenovirus, would result in gene expression in the pericardium and perhaps myocardium and therefore might provide an alternative method to intravascular administration for gene transfer. We injected a replication-deficient adenovirus (average 1 x 10(12) particles/ml in 3% sucrose; 1 x 10(10) plaque forming units/ml containing cDNA encoding a nuclear-targeted bacterial beta-galactosidase into the pericardial sac of dogs. Samples of the pericardium and heart were examined for enzymatic activity of beta-galactosidase and after histochemical staining with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside. One day after injection of the adenovirus (1-3 ml), beta-galactosidase activity was highest in the parietal pericardium and left atrial tissue and lower in the right and left ventricles. Histochemical expression of the transgene was predominantly in the visceral pericardium of atria and ventricles and occasionally in the epicardial myocytes, arterioles, and venules. Pretreatment with doxycycline (5 mg) before adenovirus administration increased transgene activity in left ventricles. Thus adenovirus injected into the pericardial sac provides an effective method for gene transfer to the visceral and parietal pericardium over atria and ventricles.
Validation of different methods to compare isovolumic cardiac function in isolated hearts of varying sizes
Authors: Stromer H. , Cittadini A. , Szymanska G. , Apstein C. S. , Morgan J. P.
Published: December 2017

Functional comparison of isolated hearts with different sizes has been difficult because function varies at different ventricular volumes. To date, no standard volume has been established. To determine the most accurate experimental approach, we tested five different methods to standardize volume in control hearts with different sizes but similar papillary muscle function and in hearts with concentric hypertrophy: intracardiac balloon volume (VB) = 120 microliters (M1). VB at diastolic pressure = 10 mmHg (M2) or diastolic wall stress = 4 kdyn/cm2 (M3), V1 = 25 microliters/100 g body weight (M4) and VB = 50% of volume at peak developed pressure (Vmax; M5). Systolic and diastolic functions of control groups were different using M1 and comparable using M2 or M5. M3 and M4 showed borderline significant differences. We concluded that M5 and M2 were suitable to compare function among hearts of different sizes. If diastolic compliance is of interest, as in concentric hypertrophy, parameter-volume curves should be normalized by Vmax to compare function at corresponding points of the Frank-Starling curve (e.g., at 50% of Vmax, M5).
Fluid resuscitation with O2 vs. non-O2 carriers after 2 h of hemorrhagic shock in conscious hamsters
Authors: Kerger H. , Tsai A. G. , Saltzman D. J. , Winslow R. M. , Intaglietta M.
Published: December 2017

Efficacy of a cell-free o-raffinose cross-linked and oligomerized hemoglobin (Hemo-link) solution in restoring macro- and microcirculatory conditions after 2 h of hemorrhagic shock (40 mmHg) was compared with conventional treatment with autologous whole blood, Ringer lactate (RL), and Dextran 70. Studies were conducted in the dorsal skinfold microcirculation of conscious hamsters. Initial infusion was equivalent to shed blood volume (SBV) for RL and 50% of SBV for remaining solutions. After 2 h all animals received blood at 50% of SBV. Vessel diameter, functional capillary density, microvascular red blood cell velocity, and flow were measured. Arteriolar, venular, and tissue PO2 were determined by phosphorescence decay. Systemic parameters included mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, arterial blood gases, pH, and base excess. Autologous whole blood and Hemolink, but not Dextran 70 and RL, restored mean arterial blood pressure, systemic blood gas, and metabolic parameters. Tissue PO2 recovered to 40–50% with blood and Hemolink but remained significantly lower (10-15% of control) with Dextran 70 and RL. Initial volume replacement after shock with blood or Hemolink yields equivalent macro- and microhemodynamic improvements not attainable with non-O2-carrying plasma expanders.
Cardiovascular indexes in the mouse at rest and with exercise: new tools to study models of cardiac disease
Authors: Desai K. H. , Sato R. , Schauble E. , Barsh G. S. , Kobilka B. K. , Bernstein D.
Published: December 2017

Manipulations of the murine genome that alter cardiovascular function have created the need for methods to study cardiovascular physiology in genetically altered animals in vivo. We adapted chronic physiological measurement techniques to the nonanesthetized, nonrestrained murine model, established strain-specific cardiovascular and metabolic norms, and evaluated responses to anesthesia, exercise, and adrenergic stimulation. Anesthesia resulted in alterations in heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and O2 consumption (V(O2)) and CO2 production (V(CO2)) for up to 6 h postoperatively. There were significant interstrain differences in resting values of HR and BP Graded treadmill exercise resulted in linear increases in HR, V(O2), V(CO2), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) similar to those seen in larger species. Response to beta-adrenergic stimulation showed a classic sigmoidal dose-response curve; however, there was very little tachycardiac response to vagal blockade, indicating low resting vagal tone. This study demonstrates the feasibility of performing chronic cardiovascular measurements in nonanesthetized mice and stresses the importance of allowing for anesthetic recovery and strain variability. Murine cardiovascular responses to exercise can be reliably measured and are qualitatively similar to those in humans.
Role of oxygen-derived free radicals in free growth retardation induced by ischemia-reperfusion in rats
Authors: Ishimoto H. , Natori M. , Tanaka M. , Miyazaki T. , Kobayashi T. , Yoshimura Y.
Published: December 2017

We investigated the involvement of oxygen-derived free radicals in the pathogenesis of the intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by ischemia-reperfusion. On day 17 of gestation, rats received saline, superoxide dismutase (SOD, 50,000 U/kg), catalase (CAT, 50,000 U/kg), or SOD + CAT subcutaneously 1 h before induction of 30 min of ischemia of the right uterine horn. On day 21 the placental level of lipid peroxides was significantly increased (P < 0.001 vs. sham-operated group) and IUGR was induced (P < 0.001 vs. left horn) in the saline-treated group n = 6). Pretreatment with SOD + CAT (n = 6) significantly inhibited the increase in placental lipid peroxides and prevented IUGR. The effect of ischemia-reperfusion on uterine blood flow, with or without pretreatment with radical scavengers, was investigated in separate experiments by laser-Doppler flowmetry. The induction of hypoperfusion 3 h after ischemia (blood flow -40 +/- 5%, n = 6, P < 0.05) was blocked by pretreatment with SOD + CAT (n = 6). Results indicate that oxygen-derived free radicals may be important in the development of postischemic uteroplacental hypoperfusion and of ischemia-reperfusion-induced IUGR in the rat.
Effects of inhibition of nitric oxide synthase by aminoguanidine in acute endotoxemia
Authors: Hock C. E. , Yin K. , Yue G. , Wong P. Y.
Published: December 2017

Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the circulatory dysfunction of endotoxin shock. We investigated the effect of aminoguanidine (AG), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) that is more selective for the inducible NOS, on the circulatory and inflammatory sequelae after administration of a bolus (10 mg/kg iv) of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Salmonella enteritidis). Rats receiving LPS + vehicle (LPS + Veh) exhibited a 73% decrease in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and a 50% decrease in cardiac index (CI) and SV index (SVI) within 10 min after LPS administration. MABP recovered to 64 +/- 3, 81 +/- 6, and 79 +/- 8 mmHg, at 60, 120, and 180 min post-LPS, respectively. However, CI and SVI remained depressed by 40-50% for the entire experimental period. Systemic vascular resistance (SVRI), heart rate (HR), and hematocrit were significantly elevated at 180 min after LPS administration. There was a 15-fold increase in plasma nitrite/nitrate and significantly elevated tissue nitrite/nitrate in the lung, heart, liver, and intestine after 3 h of acute endotoxemia. Treatment with AG markedly decreased plasma nitrite/nitrate but did not alter the initial hypotension or cardiac depression. However, at 60 min after LPS administration the HR, MABP, and SVRI were higher in the AG-treated rats compared with vehicle, whereas CI and SVI remained depressed. Myeloperoxidase activity was significantly increased in the lung but not in the other tissues after LPS. The AG infusion significantly reduced tissue nitrite/nitrate in the lung and heart compared with LPS + Veh. The data suggest that neither NO nor acute inflammatory cell accumulation is solely responsible for the depressed cardiovascular function after intravenous administration of LPS.
Molecular evidence for a vascular smooth muscle H+-K+-ATPase
Authors: Marrelli S. P. , Zhao X. , Allen J. C.
Published: December 2017

Evidence for an H+-K+-adenosinetriphosphatase (HKA) in vascular smooth muscle cells has recently been demonstrated in the rat aorta and a rat smooth muscle cell line (A(7)r(5)) by functional studies. Our laboratory has used reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Northern hybridization techniques to define the type of HKA present in canine whole carotid artery and confluent carotid artery cells. PCR primers to detect an HKA message of unknown isoform were designed on the basis of homology to known sequences of gastric, colonic, and toad bladder HKA isoforms and dissimilarity to the Na+-K+-adenosinetriphosphatase isoforms. A PCR product of predicted size was generated from cDNAs of both confluent cells and whole vessel carotid artery that possess 91% nucleotide sequence identity to the canine gastric HKA. Northern hybridization with the PCR product as a probe revealed hybridization to whole vessel carotid artery, cultured confluent carotid artery cell, kidney, and stomach canine total RNA at the known message size for the gastric HKA isoform. These data suggest that vascular smooth muscle cells express an HKA mRNA that may be identical to the gastric isoform.
Isoproterenol mimics calcium preconditioning-induced protection against ischemia
Authors: Miyawaki H. , Ashraf M.
Published: December 2017

We tested the hypothesis that a transient increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) before prolonged ischemia triggers the activation of protein kinase C (PKC), resulting in significant protection against ischemic injury. Ca2+ preconditioning (3 cycles of 1-min Ca2+ depletion and 5-min Ca2+ repletion) and pharmacological intervention with isoproterenol (Iso) were employed to increase the Ca2+ influx. Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were subjected to 40 min of global ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion (I/R). A significant functional recovery and minimal biochemical changes were observed in Ca2+-preconditioned hearts after I/R. Pretreatment with 0.1 micromol/l Iso caused a sudden increase in left ventricular contractility, a significant decrease in lactate dehydrogenase release, preservation of ATP content, and left ventricular function compared with nontreated I/R hearts. Administration of verapamil during Iso treatment blunted the salutary effects of Iso on I/R and pretreatment with BAY K 8644, an L-type Ca2+-channel opener, mimicked Iso-induced protection. Addition of propranolol or specific PKC inhibitors (chelerythrine or bisindolylmaleimide) during Iso infusion completely abolished the beneficial effects of Iso. These results demonstrate that 1) treatment with a low dose of Iso provides significant protection against ischemic injury, 2) transient elevation of [Ca2+]i is a strong activator of PKC, and 3) PKC plays a crucial role in the subcellular mechanisms of protection by activating second messenger signals during Iso-induced preconditioning.
Dependence of Ca2+ channel currents on endogenous and exogenous sources of ATP in portal vein smooth muscle
Authors: Lorenz J. N. , Paul R. J.
Published: December 2017

Metabolic pathways in vascular smooth muscles (VSM) appear to be functionally compartmentalized such that glycolysis fuels membrane-related processes, whereas oxidative processes fuel actin-myosin interaction. Because ATP influences Ca2+ channel activity, we examined the effects of ATP and metabolic substrates on Ca2+ channel activity with patch-clamp techniques in VSM cells isolated from rat portal vein. The peak magnitude of the Ca2+ channel currents was found to depend on the ATP concentration in the patch pipette. Cells perfused with 1, 3, and 5 mMATP had mean peak currents of 4.7 +/- 0.6, 12.2 +/- 1.9, and 17.6 +/- 2.0 pA/pF, respectively, and all currents showed substantial rundown. In separate experiments performed in the absence of intracellular ATP, provision of glycolytic but not oxidative substrates was able to maintain Ca2+ channel currents at levels comparable with those seen in the presence of 1 mM ATP. In the presence of 5 mM ATP, provision of glycolytic substrates resulted in a high peak current amplitude that was also very stable. Finally, metabolic inhibition with cyanide and iodoacetate caused a significant increase in the rate of current rundown, even in the presence of 5 mM ATP. These findings indicate that Ca2+ channel current is strongly dependent on ATP and that the source of ATP can also be an important factor. Compared with exogenous provision of ATP, endogenous metabolism preferentially maintained Ca2+ channel currents, consistent with the hypothesis of a functionally separate subsarcolemmal compartment. This provides an effective pathway for linking E-C coupling and vascular contractility to the metabolic state of the vascular cell.
Effect of adenosine on adrenergic neurotransmission and modulation by endothelium in canine pulmonary artery
Authors: Tamaoki J. , Tagaya E. , Chiyotani A. , Takemura H. , Nagai A. , Konno K. , Onuki T. , Nitta S.
Published: December 2017

To determine the effect of adenosine on adrenergic neurotransmission in pulmonary vasculature and its modulation by endothelial cells, we studied canine pulmonary arteries under isometric conditions in vitro. Adenosine decreased the contractile responses to electrical field stimulation but had no effect on those to norepinephrine. This inhibitory effect was concentration dependent, with a rank order of potency of NECA > 2-chloroadenosine > adenosine >> APNEA (an A3-adenosine-receptor agonist) > CGS-21680 (an A2a agonist) > CCPA (an A1 agonist). Adenosine reduced the electrical field stimulation-evoked 3H overflow in superfused pulmonary artery previously soaked in [3H]norepinephrine. Pretreatment with the adenosine uptake blocker dipyridamole or the adenosine deaminase inhibitor deoxycoformycin enhanced the adenosine action, and this enhancement was not observed in the endothelium-denuded tissues. Adenosine deaminase activity was found in endothelial cells. Therefore, adenosine inhibits norepinephrine release via an A2b-receptor mechanism, an effect that may be modulated by uptake and metabolism by endothelial cells.
Enhancement of glucose uptake in stunned myocardium: role of glucose transporter
Authors: Hashimoto K. , Nishimura T. , Ishikawa M. , Koga K. , Mori T. , Matsuda S. , Hori M. , Kusuoka H.
Published: December 2017

This study quantifies the myocardial glucose uptake and clarifies the pathway of augmented glucose uptake in myocardium reperfused after a brief period of ischemia (stunned myocardium). The glucose uptake rate was determined from the time course of the sugar phosphate (SP) resonance in rat myocardium (d[SP]/dt) with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance after the substitution of glucose with its analog 2-deoxyglucose. The d[SP]/dt in stunned myocardium [1.03 +/- 0.05 (SE) micromol x g wet wt(-1) x min(-1); n = 8] increased significantly compared with nonischemic control myocardium (0.18 +/- 0.03 micromol x g wet wt(-1) x min(-1); n = 8; P < 0.0001), reaching the maximal stimulatory uptake rate during exposure to insulin (1.05 +/- 0.04 micromol x g wet wt(-1) x min(-1); n = 8). Twenty minutes after reperfusion, the d[SP]/dt was still augmented (0.41 +/- 0.05 micromol x g wet wt(-1) x min(-1); n = 5; P < 0.05 vs. control myocardium). To elucidate further the mechanism of augmented glucose uptake, N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (PIA; 100 micromol/l), a potent blocker of the glucose transporter, was administered to stunned hearts and, as a control, to insulin-stimulated hearts. PIA significantly and comparably inhibited the increase in d[SP]/dt in stunned myocardium (0.36 +/- 0.07 micromol x g wet wt(-1) x min(-1); n = 4; P < 0.0001 vs. without PIA) and in insulin-stimulated myocardium (0.38 +/- 0.02 micromol x g wet wt(-1) x min(-1); n = 4; P < 0.0001 vs. without PIA). These results indicate that the augmented glucose uptake in stunned myocardium is maintained by the glucose transporter, the amount of which is almost equal to that which can be maximally recruited by insulin.
Development of muscarinic potassium current in fetal and neonatal rat heart
Authors: Takano M. , Noma A.
Published: December 2017

Single atrial myocytes were isolated from fetal, neonatal, and adult rat hearts. The muscarinic K+ current activated by rapid application of acetylcholine (ACh) and adenosine (Ado) was recorded under the whole cell voltage clamp. The current density (pA/pF) of ACh-induced K+ current increased from gestation day 12 to the maximum on neonatal day 20 and decreased in the adult myocytes due to greater increase of the membrane capacitance. The development of Ado-induced K+ current followed a similar time course except for a remarkable decrease after neonatal day 10. No significant change was found in single-channel properties during the development. Receptor subtypes were M2 and A1 receptors for ACh and Ado, respectively. In the dose-response relationship, the half-maximal concentration for ACh-induced current markedly decreased with age, from 1.44 (fetus) to 0.17 microM (adult), whereas that for Ado increased from 0.45 (fetus) to 0.99 microM (adult). These changes of the muscarinic K+ current were discussed in relation to the functional development of cardiac myocytes and underlying mechanisms.
Mechanisms of hypoxia-induced cerebrovascular dilation in the newborn pig
Authors: Leffler C. W. , Smith J. S. , Edrington J. L. , Zuckerman S. L. , Parfenova H.
Published: December 2017

The hypothesis that endothelium-dependent components contribute to the cerebromicrovascular dilation to hypoxia in the newborn pig was addressed. Piglets anesthetized with ketamine-acepromazine and maintained on alpha-chloralose were equipped with closed cranial windows. Injury to the endothelium of pial arterioles was produced by light activation of fluorescein dye. Light/dye injury reduced the pial arteriolar dilation to hypoxia (5 min, arterial PO2 approximately 30 mmHg) from 57 +/- 9 to 19 +/- 5%. Light/dye injury abolished the pial arteriolar dilation to hypercapnia but did not affect dilation to sodium nitroprusside. The pial arteriolar dilation to hypoxia was not affected by tetrodotoxin, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine, glibenclamide, iberiotoxin, charybdotoxin, tetraethylammonium, or 8-phenyltheophylline. Hypoxia caused increases in the cerebral cortical production of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. Cerebral vasodilation to hypoxia was inhibited by 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid but was not greatly affected by cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase inhibitors. In contrast, the cytochrome P-450 epoxygenase inhibitor miconazol decreased cerebral vasodilation to hypoxia from 45 +/- 5 to 17 +/- 4%. Therefore, the vascular endothelium appears to participate in cerebral microvascular dilation to hypoxia in newborn pigs. The mechanism may include cytochrome P-450 epoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid.
TNF-alpha induces selectin-mediated leukocyte rolling in mouse cremaster muscle arterioles
Authors: Kunkel E. J. , Jung U. , Ley K.
Published: December 2017

Leukocyte rolling is commonly restricted to venules and mediated by selectins expressed both on leukocytes (L-selectin) and the vascular endothelium (P- and E-selectin). We show here that 2- to 3-h tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulation of the mouse cremaster muscle induces rolling in arterioles (diameters 30-70 microm; wall shear rates 225-1,770 s(-1)). Weak P-selectin expression was detected on arteriolar endothelium of TNF-alpha-stimulated cremaster muscles. No rolling was observed in arterioles smaller than 30 microm (wall shear rates 1,500-3,250 s(-1)). The arteriolar rolling flux fraction in wild-type mice averaged approximately 5% and rolling was blocked by the P-selectin monoclonal antibody (MAb) RB40.34. Rolling in L- and E-selectin-deficient mice was similar to that in wild-type mice and was also blocked by the MAb RB40.34. Rolling was completely absent in arterioles of P-selectin-deficient mice. The average rolling velocity in arterioles of wild-type and L-selectin-deficient mice was approximately 50 microm/s but increased to approximately 110 microm/s in E-selectin-deficient mice and after injection of the blocking E-selectin MAb 9A9 in wild-type mice. We conclude that TNF-alpha treatment induces P-selectin-dependent rolling in arterioles that requires E-selectin for rolling at normal velocities.
Myosin light chain phosphorylation: modulation of basal and agonist-stimulated venular permeability
Authors: Yuan Y. , Huang Q. , Wu H. M.
Published: December 2017

We have previously demonstrated that agonists increase microvascular permeability through a phospholipase C-nitric oxide synthase-guanylate cyclase cascade. The aim of this study was to further investigate the downstream end of the signaling pathway with a focus on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. The apparent permeability coefficient to albumin was measured in isolated coronary venules. Under control conditions, the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside, as well as the guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activator 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, increased venular permeability two- to threefold. Similarly, activation of protein kinase C (PKC) with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate significantly elevated permeability. Inhibition of MLC phosphorylation with ML-7 significantly attenuated the hyperpermeability responses to the agonists. Furthermore, ML-7 dose dependently reduced basal venular permeability. Consistently, inhibition of dephosphorylation with the protein phosphatase inhibitor calyculin dramatically increased basal permeability. These results suggest that 1) PKG and PKC play an important signaling role in the regulation of endothelial barrier function and 2) MLC phosphorylation contributes to basal and agonist-stimulated microvascular permeability.
Mechanisms of inactivation of L-type calcium channels in human atrial myocytes
Authors: Sun H. , Leblanc N. , Nattel S.
Published: December 2017

We used whole cell patch-clamp and microfluorimetric (indo 1) techniques to measure Ca2+ current through L-type Ca2+ channels (I(Ca)) and Ca2+ transients in human atrial myocytes. During 1-s depolarizing pulses, I(Ca) inactivation was biexponential. The rate of rapid inactivation was slowed by ryanodine and was correlated with the rate of rise of cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration (r = 0.80, P < 0.01). Slower-phase I(Ca) inactivation was not affected by ryanodine but was accelerated by increasing the availability of Ca2+ to permeate the Ca2+ channel. Thus Ca2+ released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was responsible for most I(Ca) inactivation during the first 50 ms of a depolarization to 0 mV, and thereafter inactivation by Ca2+ permeating the channel predominated. Pure voltage-dependent inactivation had a much slower time course of development (tau > 2 s) and played a smaller role than Ca2+-dependent mechanisms over a duration comparable to that of an action potential. We conclude that human atrial myocytes show both voltage- and Ca2+-dependent I(Ca) inactivation, that Ca2+-dependent mechanisms predominate over the time course of an action potential, and that although both Ca2+ released from the SR and Ca2+ permeating Ca2+ channels play a role, SR-released Ca2+ is particularly important in early, rapid I(Ca) inactivation, whereas Ca2+ permeating Ca2+ channels is more important in the slower phase of Ca2+-dependent inactivation.
Effects of dextran on microvascular ischemia-reperfusion injury in striated muscle
Authors: Steinbauer M. , Harris A. G. , Messmer K.
Published: December 2017

The objectives of this study were 1) to elucidate the effects of dextran (Dx) at a nonhemodiluting dose of 5 mg/kg on ischemia-reperfusion injury in striated muscle and 2) to investigate whether the effects are dependent on the molecular weight of Dx. We used the model of a 4-h pressure-induced ischemia in the hamster skinfold chamber. By means of intravital microscopy the following parameters were assessed: vessel diameter, red blood cell velocity, rolling and adherent leukocytes, macromolecular extravasation, and functional capillary density. The animals received a continuous infusion (total dose 5 mg/kg) of dextran of different molecular weights or equivalent volumes of saline. Seven groups were studied: NaCl (control, n = 6), Dx 1 (n = 6), Dx 40 (n = 7), Dx 60 (n = 6), Dx 70 (n = 7), Dx 110 (n = 7), and Dx 150 (n = 7). Leukocyte rolling was reduced by all Dx fractions, the difference from the control reaching significance 0.5 h after reperfusion in the Dx 60, Dx 70, and Dx 110 group, whereas leukocyte adherence was attenuated by > 40,000-mol-wt Dx at 0.5 h after reperfusion. Concomitantly, functional capillary density tended to improve after treatment with > or = 40,000-mol-wt Dx. However, all Dx fractions studied failed to reduce postischemic macromolecular extravasation. These results provide evidence that Dx at 5 mg/kg attenuates postischemic microvascular disturbances; this effect is molecular weight dependent.
Modulation of SERCA2 expression by thyroid hormone and norepinephrine in cardiocytes: role of contractility
Authors: Muller A. , Zuidwijk M. J. , Simonides W. S. , van Hardeveld C.
Published: December 2017

Decreased expression of the cardiac slow-twitch sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-adenosinetriphosphatase (SERCA2), a major determinant of Ca2+ homeostasis, contributes to the abnormal intracellular Ca2+ handling in the failing heart. We investigated the contractility dependence of the effects of norepinephrine (NE) and thyroid hormone (T3) on SERCA2 expression in cultured neonatal heart cells under serum-free conditions. NE and T3 are associated with pathological and physiological forms of hypertrophy, respectively, whereas both hormones increase contractility. In contracting cultures, T3 increased SERCA2 protein and mRNA levels by 35 and 110%, respectively. The same stimulatory effects of T3 on SERCA2 expression were found in contraction-arrested cells. In contracting cultures, NE induced a decrease of SERCA2 protein and mRNA levels by 40 and 60%, respectively. In contrast, SERCA2 protein and mRNA levels were not decreased by NE in contraction-arrested cells, indicating that contractility is a prerequisite for the negative influence of NE on SERCA2 expression. Electrical stimulation at a fixed frequency in the presence and absence of NE demonstrated that the NE-induced increase in contraction frequency is unlikely to account for the decreased SERCA2 expression induced by NE. The results suggest that the effect of contractility on SERCA2 expression depends on the signal transduction pathways that are activated by NE and T3.
Arteriolar responses to extracellular ATP in striated muscle
Authors: McCullough W. T. , Collins D. M. , Ellsworth M. L.
Published: December 2017

Blood flow and its distribution must be appropriately regulated to ensure that perfusion is matched to local tissue demands. We investigated the role of ATP in triggering a conducted alteration in arteriolar diameter in the Saran-covered cheek pouch retractor muscle of anesthetized hamsters (n = 60). Vascular responses were observed using in vivo video microscopy upstream from the site of micropressure application of ATP (10(-8)-10(-4) M) either into the lumen or just outside the wall of first- and second-order arterioles. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the vascular responses to ATP was determined by inhibiting NO synthase activity with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) with and without coadministration of an excess of L-arginine. Intraluminal application of ATP led to a concentration-dependent vasodilation, which was conducted upstream along the arteriole. The dilatory response was blocked by systemic pretreatment with L-NAME and was maintained in the presence of an excess of L-arginine. In contrast, ATP introduced extraluminally resulted in a conducted vasoconstrictor response that was enhanced by pretreatment with L-NAME. The dilator response to intraluminal ATP, in the context of ATP release from erythrocytes under conditions associated with decreased supply relative to demand, supports a role for the erythrocyte in communicating local tissue needs to the vasculature, enabling the appropriate matching of oxygen supply to demand.
Diminished neurogenic but not pharmacological erections in the 2- to 3-month experimentally diabetic F-344 rat
Authors: Rehman J. , Chenven E. , Brink P. , Peterson B. , Walcott B. , Wen Y. P. , Melman A. , Christ G.
Published: December 2017

The rapid spread of locally restricted neural and hormonal signals among the vast array of largely inexcitable corporal smooth muscle cells is an absolute prerequisite to normal erectile function. And yet the mechanism(s) responsible for this phenomenon is not well understood. As a first step toward a more integrative understanding of erectile physiology and/or dysfunction, an 8- to 12-wk period of experimental diabetes was induced in 2-mo-old male Fischer 344 rats by either intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) injection (35 mg/kg; n = 22) or subtotal pancreatectomy (n = 11). Fourteen age-matched control animals received injection of vehicle only while nine others served as sham-operated control animals. Eight STZ-diabetic animals received insulin replacement. Erectile function was assessed by evaluation of penile reflexes and monitoring of intracavernous pressure responses to both electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve and intracorporal papaverine or nitroglycerin injection. Intracavernous pressure responses to neurostimulation were significantly attenuated in both STZ-diabetic and subtotal pancreatectomy animals compared with age-matched control animals (P < 0.05). Penile reflexes were also significantly diminished (P < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed that diabetes-related decreases in neurostimulated intracavernous pressure responses were strongly correlated with diminished synaptophysin immunoreactivity in the corpora (P < 0.001; r = 0.88). However, there were no detectable diabetes-related differences in pharmacological erections induced by intracavernous papaverine or nitroglycerin injection. Northern analysis revealed a marked diabetes-related increase in the amount of connexin 43 mRNA measured in frozen corporal tissue. Insulin replacement partially restored (attenuated the loss of) synaptophysin immunoreactivity and maintained neurostimulated intracavernous pressure responses to control levels while having no effect on penile reflexes. These observations may have important implications to the understanding of erectile physiology as well as the etiology of diabetes-related erectile dysfunction.
Hodgkin-Huxley and partially coupled inactivation models yield different voltage dependence of block
Authors: Liu S. , Rasmusson R. L.
Published: December 2017

K+ channel blockers have been shown to exhibit complex time- and voltage-dependent effects on cardiac K+ currents. Whereas much attention has been focused on the state dependence of K+ channel block, how a particular channel model can alter the predicted time and voltage dependence of channel block remains unexplored. In this study, using two different model formalisms for the same cardiac transient outward current channel, we compare the effects of a theoretical open-state specific channel blocker on macroscopic currents. Model 1 is a Hodgkin-Huxley-like model, in which inactivation is an intrinsically voltage-dependent process and occurs independently of activation. Model 2 is a "partially coupled" model, in which inactivation is intrinsically voltage insensitive but requires channel activation before it can proceed. In the absence of drug (blocking agent), the two models reproduce the macroscopic current data. In the presence of blocking agent, the two models can differ substantially, with model 1 displaying much less block than model 2. We also examine simple mathematically convenient modifications to the Hodgkin-Huxley formalism, which reproduce some, but not all, of the use-dependent properties of block. Thus model formalism is important for analysis and simulation of state-specific drug-channel interactions.
A fiber matrix model for the filtration through fenestral pores in a compressible arterial intima
Authors: Huang Y. , Rumschitzki D. , Chien S. , Weinbaum S.
Published: December 2017

We advance a new hypothesis to explain the changes in hydraulic conductivity of an intact artery wall with transmural pressure previously observed by Tedgui and Lever [Am. J. Physiol. 247 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 16): H784-H791, 1984] and Baldwin and Wilson [Am. J. Physiol. 264 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 33): H26-H32, 1993]. This hypothesis suggests that compaction due to pressure loading of the proteoglycan matrix in the arterial intima near fenestral pores of the internal elastic lamina (IEL) leads to a narrowing of the pore entrance area and a large decrease in local intrinsic Darcy permeability of the matrix. To quantitatively assess the feasibility of this mechanism, a local two-dimensional model is proposed to study filtration flow in the vicinity of fenestral pores in a compressible intima. Using a heterogenous fiber matrix theory, we first predict the change in Darcy permeability with intimal thickness (Li). The model then calculates local velocity profiles and pressure distributions in the intima and media. The results show a marked nonlinear steepening of intimal pressure profiles near fenestral pores when the intima thins at higher luminal pressures. The predicted relative change in resistances of the IEL (with intima, R(I)) and of the media (Rm) shows a steep increase in R(I)/Rm when Li is <20% of its unstressed value. Numerical results also suggest that intimal compression has a limiting behavior in which the much stiffer collagen fibrils inhibit further compaction at high pressures after the proteoglycan matrix is maximally compressed. Predictions are also presented to show how different transmural pressures alter growth of an intimal horseradish peroxidase spot that derives from a localized (a single cell's boundary) endothelial leakage. Such a prediction is amenable to experimental verification.
A novel model of conduit coronary constriction reveals local actions of endothelin-1 and prostaglandin F2alpha
Authors: Rigel D. F. , Shetty S. S.
Published: December 2017

We evaluated the effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) selectively on conduit coronary artery diameter using a novel approach in which the local concentration of vasoactive agent was controlled and maintained in vivo. ET-1 and PGF2alpha were applied topically (100 microl every 3 min) to the external surface of the left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) in anesthetized dogs or to the bathing medium of isolated canine LCx rings in parallel in vitro experiments. The dose-dependent constrictions obtained in vivo and in vitro were similar with each agent. Single, approximately maximally effective concentrations of PGF2alpha evoked an initial rapid contraction followed by a slow and sustained larger contraction in both preparations. In contrast, single concentrations of ET-1 elicited a rapid constriction that partially recovered (50-80%) in the ensuing 1.5-2 h despite continuous exposure to ET-1. After the ET-1 constriction reversed, PGF2alpha could still elicit a contraction, indicating a homologous endothelin receptor desensitization. Both agents maximally decreased conduit artery cross-sectional area in vivo by approximately 40% without significantly changing LCx resistance. Thus this in situ technique revealed effects of ET-1 and PGF2alpha on a localized segment of coronary artery that were not discernible with either intravenous or intracoronary administration.