Treatment with beta-blockers normalizes RyR2 phosphorylation and calcium spark activity in atrial myocytes from patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Jimenez-Sabado V , Casabella S , Izquierdo P , Tarifa C , Llach A , Colino H , Nolla-Colomer C , Ramirez O , Benitez R , Tauron M , Rodriguez-Font E , Cinca J , Hove-Madsen L 
Published: November 2020

Background

Atrial fibrillation has been associated with an increase in ryanodine receptor (RyR2) phosphorylation and local calcium release (calcium sparks). Carvedilol, a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor blocker also inhibits the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2), but it has been suggested that the enantiomer R-carvedilol only inhibits RyR2 activity and hence has the potential to inhibit calcium sparks without affecting RyR2 phosphorylation.

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the ability of the enantiomers R- and S-carvedilol to reverse RyR2 phosphorylation at s2808 and calcium sparks induced by the β2-adrenergic agonist fenoterol, in order to determine the relationship between RyR2 phosphorylation at s2808 and calcium spark frequency, and to assess the efficacy of R- and S-carvedilol.

Methods

Human right atrial myocytes were isolated and subjected to immunofluorescent labelling of total and s2808 phosphorylated RyR2, or loaded with fluo-4 and subjected to confocal calcium imaging. Beta-adrenergic receptors were first activated with 3μM fenoterol and then inhibited by different concentrations of carvedilol R- or S-enantiomers.

Results

Incubation of myocytes with fenoterol increased the s2808/RyR2 ratio from 0.32±0.03 to 0.66±0.05 (n=18, p&lt;0.001). Incubation with 0.1, 0.3, 1 or 3μM R-carvedilol in the presence of fenoterol changed the s2808/RyR2 ratio to 0.64±0.05, 0.44±0.04, 0.34±0.07 and 0.28±0.05 (p&lt;0.01) respectively. For comparison 3μM S-carvedilol reduced the s2808/RyR2 ratio to 0.23±0.06 in myocytes from 5 patients (p&lt;0.01). Confocal calcium imaging revealed that fenoterol increased the spark density from 0.28±0.04 to 1.24±0.25 events/s/1000μm2 (n=9, p&lt;0.01) and addition of 0.1, 0.3, or 1μM R-carvedilol changed the frequency to 1.32±0.52, 0.38±0.05, and 0.15±0.05 events/s/1000μm2 (p&lt;0.01) respectively. Analysis of atrial myocytes from patients without atrial fibrillation revealed that the s2808/RyR2 ratio was similar in 25 patients treated with beta-blockers (0.39±0.04) and 57 that did not receive beta-blockers (0.44±0.03, p=0.33) while the s2808/RyR2 ratio was significantly smaller in 16 patients with atrial fibrillation receiving beta-blockers (0.43±0.08) than in 5 patients that did not (0.80±0.19, p&lt;0.05).

Conclusions

R-carvedilol reverses the effects of beta-adrenergic stimulation on s2808 phosphorylation and calcium sparks in human atrial myocytes, and treatment with beta-blockers reduces excessive RyR2 phosphorylation at s2808 in patients with atrial fibrillation to levels observed in those without the arrhythmia, pointing to beta-adrenergic receptors as a target for controlling RyR2 phophorylation and activity in atrial fibrillation.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation & Spanish Ministry of Health and Consume