bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of augmented rate of left ventricular filling during exercise.
Authors: Cheng C P , Igarashi Y , Little W C
Published: June 2012

At rest, most of left ventricular (LV) filling occurs early in diastole. This LV filling occurs in response to the pressure gradient produced as LV pressure falls below left atrial (LA) pressure. Because mitral valve flow occurs in response to an LA to LV pressure gradient, augmented diastolic mitral valve flow during exercise may be due to an increased mitral valve pressure gradient resulting from a rise in LA pressure and/or a fall in LV early diastolic pressure. Accordingly, we studied 13 conscious dogs, instrumented to measure micromanometer LV and LA pressures, and determined LV volume from three ultrasonic dimensions during exercise. The animals ran on a treadmill for 8-15 minutes at 5-8 miles/hr. With reflexes intact, during exercise, the heart rate increased from 116 +/- 20 to 189 +/- 24 beats per minute (mean +/- SD, p less than 0.01), the maximum rate of change of LV volume (dV/dtmax) increased from 185 +/- 44 to 282 +/- 76 ml/sec (p less than 0.01), the ejection fraction and cardiac output increased, and the duration of diastole decreased from 296 +/- 83 to 162 +/- 71 msec (p less than 0.01). Mitral valve opening pressure, mean LA pressure (10.9 +/- 4.4 versus 10.2 +/- 3.9 mm Hg, p = NS), and LV end-diastolic pressure (12.8 +/- 4.8 versus 13.1 +/- 3.3 mm Hg, p = NS) were all relatively unchanged. The time constant of the fall of isovolumic LV pressure decreased from 28 +/- 3.3 to 21 +/- 4.4 msec (p less than 0.05). The early diastolic portion of the LV pressure-volume loop was shifted downward during exercise, with the minimum LV pressure decreasing from 3.3 +/- 2.8 to -2.8 +/- 3.4 mm Hg (p less than 0.05) and the maximum mitral valve pressure gradient increasing from 5.5 +/- 1.7 to 11.8 +/- 3.5 mm Hg (p less than 0.01). A similar downward shift of the early diastolic portion of the LV pressure-volume loop was produced by infusion of dobutamine (6 micrograms/kg/min i.v.) at rest, as well as by exercise when the heart rate was held constant by right ventricular pacing at 190-210 beats per minute. The downward shift during exercise was prevented by beta-blockade (metoprolol, 0.5 mg/kg i.v.). We conclude that during exercise, sympathetic stimulation and tachycardia produce a downward shift of the early diastolic portion of the LV pressure-volume loop.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Potassium rectifier currents differ in myocytes of endocardial and epicardial origin.
Authors: Furukawa T , Kimura S , Furukawa N , Bassett A L , Myerburg R J
Published: June 2012

Whole-cell voltage-clamp experiments and single-channel current recordings in cell-attached patch mode were performed on enzymatically dissociated single ventricular myocytes harvested from feline endocardial and epicardial surfaces. The studies were designed to compare the characteristics of inward rectifier K+ current (IK1) and delayed rectifier K+ current (IK) between endocardial and epicardial cells and to test the hypothesis that the differential characteristics of IK1 and/or IK are responsible for the differences in action potential configuration between the two cell types. IK1 in endocardial cells displayed a distinct N-shaped current-voltage (I-V) relation, with a prominent outward current at potentials between -80 and -30 mV. In epicardial cells, an outward current region was much smaller, and the I-V relation demonstrated a blunted N-shaped I-V relation. In single-channel current recordings in cell-attached patch mode, neither unitary current amplitude of IK1 nor probability of channel opening was different between endocardial and epicardial cells, suggesting that the difference in the number of functional channels might be responsible for the differential IK1 I-V relations. The characteristics of IK also differed between endocardial and epicardial cells. The time course of growth of tail current of IK (IK,tail) (activation of IK) was significantly enhanced and that of IK,tail deactivation was delayed in epicardial cells compared with endocardial cells. The time constant of the slow component of IK activation at +20 mV was 3,950 +/- 787 msec in endocardial cells and 2,746 +/- 689 msec in epicardial cells (p less than 0.05); the corresponding values for IK deactivation at -50 mV were 1,041 +/- 387 msec and 1,959 +/- 551 msec, respectively (p less than 0.01). The voltage dependence of steady-state activation of IK,tail was similar between endocardial and epicardial cells, suggesting that the probability of channel opening at any potential was not different in the two cell types. The amplitude and density of fully activated IK (IK,full) were significantly greater in epicardial cells than in endocardial cells. At repolarization to -20 mV, IK,full amplitude was 452 +/- 113 pA in endocardial cells and 578 +/- 135 pA in epicardial cells (p less than 0.05), and the corresponding values for IK,full density were 2.86 +/- 0.73 and 4.21 +/- 0.83 microA/cm2, respectively (p less than 0.05). A nonstationary fluctuation analysis revealed that the amplitude of IK unitary current was similar between endocardial and epicardial cells (0.23 +/- 0.07 versus 0.22 +/- 0.03 pA, p = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Blockade of ATP-sensitive potassium channels prevents myocardial preconditioning in dogs.
Authors: Gross G J , Auchampach J A
Published: June 2012

Single or multiple brief periods of ischemia (preconditioning) have been shown to protect the myocardium from infarction after a subsequent more prolonged ischemic insult. To test the hypothesis that preconditioning is the result of opening ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, a selective KATP channel antagonist, glibenclamide, was administered before or immediately after preconditioning in barbital-anesthetized open-chest dogs subjected to 60 minutes of left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) occlusion followed by 5 hours of reperfusion. Preconditioning was elicited by 5 minutes of LCX occlusion followed by 10 minutes of reperfusion before the 60-minute occlusion period. Glibenclamide (0.3 mg/kg i.v.) or vehicle was given 10 minutes before the initial ischemic insult in each of four groups. In a fifth group, glibenclamide was administered immediately after preconditioning. In a final series (group 6), a selective potassium channel opener, RP 52891 (10 micrograms/kg bolus and 0.1 micrograms/mg/min i.v.) was started 10 minutes before occlusion and continued throughout reperfusion. Transmural myocardial blood flow was measured at 30 minutes of occlusion, and infarct size was determined by triphenyltetrazolium staining and expressed as a percent of the area at risk. There were no significant differences in hemodynamics, collateral blood flow, or area at risk between groups. The ratio of infarct size to area at risk in the control group (28 +/- 6%) was not different from the group pretreated with glibenclamide in the absence of preconditioning (31 +/- 6%). Preconditioning produced a marked reduction (p less than 0.002) in infarct size (28 +/- 6% to 6 +/- 2%), whereas glibenclamide administered before or immediately after preconditioning completely abolished the protective effect (28 +/- 6% and 30 +/- 8%, respectively). RP 52891 also produced a significant (p less than 0.03) reduction (28 +/- 6% to 13 +/- 3%) in infarct size. These results suggest that myocardial preconditioning in the canine heart is mediated by activation of KATP channels and that these channels may serve an endogenous myocardial protective role.
Differential muscarinic receptor mRNA expression by freshly isolated and cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells.
Authors: Tracey W R , Peach M J
Published: June 2012

Endothelial cells, either in vivo or freshly isolated, respond when exposed to muscarinic agonists with an increase in cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). When placed in culture, however, endothelial cells rapidly lose these responses, which may be related to changes in muscarinic receptor expression. Northern blot analysis of poly(A) + RNA from freshly isolated or cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells was used to address this problem. Through the use of specific cDNA probes complementary to the nonconserved regions of the m1, m2, m3, m4, and m5 muscarinic receptors, mRNA transcripts for the m1 (3.9 kb), m2 (3.8 kb), and m3 (3.1 kb) receptor subtypes were identified in freshly isolated endothelial cells, whereas m1 and m3 transcripts were identified in aortic smooth muscle. In contrast, cultured endothelial cells contained mRNA for only the m2 receptor subtype. Transcripts for the m4 or m5 receptors were not detected in either freshly isolated or cultured endothelial cells. Since m1 and m3 receptor subtypes are coupled to phospholipase C, activation of which is required for EDRF release, these observations may explain the failure of muscarinic agonists to elicit a rise in [Ca2+]i and EDRF release from cultured endothelial cells.
Vascular bound recombinant extracellular superoxide dismutase type C protects against the detrimental effects of superoxide radicals on endothelium-dependent arterial relaxation.
Authors: Abrahamsson T , Brandt U , Marklund S L , Sjöqvist P O
Published: June 2012

Extracellular superoxide dismutase type C (EC-SOD C) is a secretory SOD isoenzyme that, in vivo, is bound to heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the glycocalyx of various cell types (e.g., endothelial cells) and in the connective tissue matrix. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of vascular bound EC-SOD C in protecting arterial relaxation mediated by endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) against the inhibitory effects of superoxide radicals. For comparison, the effect of CuZn SOD was also studied. This SOD isoenzyme lacks affinity toward heparan sulfate and does not bind to cell surfaces. Rings from rabbit aorta were mounted in an organ bath and acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was then studied in preparations precontracted with phenylephrine. Pyrogallol (10(-4) M), used to generate superoxide radicals, reduced the maximal relaxant effect of acetylcholine from about 65% to 25%. When present in the buffer throughout the experiment, CuZn SOD and EC-SOD C caused a concentration-dependent prevention of the pyrogallol effect on EDRF-mediated relaxation, with a half-maximal effect at about 100 units/ml (KO2 assay). In a second set of experiments, the arterial rings were preincubated with 8,000 units/ml CuZn SOD (50 micrograms/ml) or EC-SOD C (69 micrograms/ml) during 30 minutes, followed by washing, before the effect of pyrogallol on EDRF-mediated relaxation was studied in SOD-free buffer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Pathophysiological consequences of atherosclerosis extend into the coronary microcirculation. Restoration of endothelium-dependent responses by L-arginine.
Authors: Kuo L , Davis M J , Cannon M S , Chilian W M
Published: June 2012

The goals of this study were 1) to quantitate the effects of atherosclerosis on physiological and pharmacological endothelium-dependent vasoactive responses in coronary arterioles downstream from arterial lesions and 2) to determine if administration of L-arginine, the precursor for endothelium-derived was induced in pigs, and vasomotor responses of isolated, cannulated coronary arterioles (30-70 microns in diameter) were assessed by measuring diameter changes in vitro. To assess pharmacological alterations of endothelium-dependent responses, dose-response curves were constructed to ADP, serotonin, and histamine. To assess physiological alterations in endothelial function, different flow rates were established across the vessel. Arteriolar diameters were measured in vessels from normal and atherosclerotic pigs under control conditions, after administration of L-arginine, and after endothelial denudation. In arterioles from normal pigs, administration of serotonin, histamine, or ADP produced dose-dependent vasodilation, which was abolished by endothelial denudation. In arterioles from atherosclerotic pigs, administration of histamine, serotonin, and ADP produced dilation at only the highest doses (10(-6)-10(-7) M), and the extent of dilation was only 20-30% of that observed in arterioles from normal pigs. Initiation of flow also produced vasodilation in arterioles from normal pigs that was completely abolished after endothelial denudation. In arterioles from atherosclerotic pigs, flow-induced responses were absent. These abnormal physiological and pharmacological responses (i.e., blunted vasodilation to pharmacological stimulation and to flow) were restored after administration of L-arginine for 40 minutes. The vascular responses after administration of L-arginine were not different from those observed under control conditions in arterioles from normal pigs. In addition, L-arginine did not restore vasodilation to the endothelium-dependent agonists in denuded segments. From these data in arterioles downstream from atherosclerotic lesions, we conclude that 1) the ED50 and maximal responses of endothelium-dependent vasodilation to ADP, histamine, and serotonin are attenuated; 2) the physiological response to flow, that is, flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation, is absent; and 3) the abnormality in arteriolar responsiveness during large vessel disease involves an impairment of the synthesis and/or release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor.
P2-purinoceptor activation stimulates phosphoinositide hydrolysis and inhibits accumulation of cAMP in cultured ventricular myocytes.
Authors: Yamada M , Hamamori Y , Akita H , Yokoyama M
Published: June 2012

Extracellular ATP modulates cardiac contraction through P2-purinoceptors on cardiac myocytes. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of this response, we examined the effects of P2-purinoceptor activation on phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis and the cAMP system in cultured ventricular myocytes of fetal mice. In a concentration-dependent manner, ATP stimulated accumulations of [3H]inositol monophosphate, bisphosphate, and trisphosphate with the half-maximum effective concentration of approximately 1 microM in the myocytes labeled with [3H]inositol. The order of efficacy of a series of adenyl compounds for stimulation of PI hydrolysis was adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATP gamma S), ATP greater than ADP, 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate (APPNP) greater than alpha,beta-methyleneadenosine 5'-triphosphate (APCPP) greater than beta,gamma-methyleneadenosine 5'-triphosphate, AMP greater than adenosine. On the other hand, 100 microM ATP gamma S inhibited isoproterenol-induced accumulation of cAMP by approximately 70% without decreasing the time to maximal cAMP levels, as measured by radioimmunoassay. This response was also concentration dependent, with a half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of approximately 1 microM. All of the tested ATP, ADP, and ATP analogues inhibited the cAMP system, and the responses to ATP gamma S, APPNP, and APCPP were insensitive to an A1-purinoceptor antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine. Pertussis toxin attenuated the ATP-induced PI hydrolysis by no more than 25% at 100 ng/ml but completely suppressed the ATP gamma S-induced inhibition of the cAMP system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Anion manipulation: a new antiarrhythmic approach. Action of substitution of chloride with nitrate on ischemia- and reperfusion-induced ventricular fibrillation and contractile function.
Authors: Ridley P D , Curtis M J
Published: June 2012

The role of anions in the initiation of ischemia- and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias is unknown. We examined the antiarrhythmic effects of isotonic substitution of extracellular Cl- with NO3- by using the rat Langendorff preparation (n = 12 per group). During 30 minutes of regional ischemia, the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) was reduced from 50% in hearts perfused with control solution (containing a Cl-:NO3- ratio of 100:0) to 25%, 0% (p less than 0.05), 0% (p less than 0.05), and 0% (p less than 0.05) by perfusion with solution containing Cl-:NO3- ratios of 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100, respectively. The incidence of reperfusion-induced VF was also reduced from 58% to 25%, 8% (p less than 0.05), 8% (p less than 0.05), and 0% (p less than 0.05), respectively. Similar effects were produced in hearts reperfused after briefer durations of ischemia (10 or 15 minutes). Substitution of NO3- for Cl- also facilitated spontaneous termination of VF. Heart rate and occluded zone size were not affected by anion manipulation. Coronary flow was affected by NO3-, but changes did not correlate with arrhythmias. During ischemia, electrocardiographic changes indicative of class III activity (widening of the ventricular complex) were produced by anion substitution. These changes occurred selectively in the ischemic tissue with no significant influence before ischemia onset. However, the relation between this effect and arrhythmia reduction was not linear and a cause-effect relation is therefore unlikely. In separate groups of hearts (n = 12 per group), switching from 100:0 to 0:100 Cl-:NO3- solution or vice versa 10 seconds after coronary occlusion or just before reperfusion demonstrated that 1) protection against ischemia-induced VF resulted partly from an action in the ischemic zone and partly from an action in the nonischemic zone, and 2) protection against reperfusion-induced VF resulted principally from an action occurring during reperfusion and within the reperfused tissue. To assess whether benefit was offset by deleterious effects on contractile function in nonischemic tissue, we constructed Starling curves in isolated rate hearts. The 0:100 Cl-:NO3- solution had no effect on compliance or contractility at physiological end-diastolic pressures but reduced the slope of the peak systolic pressure-volume relation by approximately 20% as end-diastolic pressure was increased above 10 mm Hg. In conclusion, anions appear to play a hitherto unrecognized role in arrhythmogenesis in ischemia and reperfusion. Manipulation of anion homeostasis may represent a novel target for antiarrhythmic drug development.
Angiotensin II-induced mitogenesis of spontaneously hypertensive rat-derived cultured smooth muscle cells is dependent on autocrine production of transforming growth factor-beta.
Authors: Stouffer G A , Owens G K
Published: June 2012

Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been implicated in the regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation after vascular injury, but the molecular mechanisms of this effect remain obscure. The aims of the present study were 1) to determine if Ang II was mitogenic (in a defined serum-free medium) for aortic smooth muscle cells derived from spontaneously hypertensive rats, either alone or in combination with epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, or platelet-derived growth factor-BB; and 2) to determine if the Ang II effects were mediated by autocrine production of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Results demonstrated that Ang II increased the proliferative response of smooth muscle cells to epidermal growth factor or platelet-derived growth factor-BB. Ang II alone and in combination with basic fibroblast growth factor induced a small delayed increase (48-72 hours after treatment) in DNA synthesis and [3H]thymidine labeling indexes without an increase in cell number. Ang II effects were at least partially mediated by autocrine production of active TGF-beta in that 1) treatment with Ang II increased TGF-beta activity in conditioned media and 2) TGF-beta neutralizing antibody inhibited Ang II-induced increases in DNA synthesis. However, treatment with exogenous TGF-beta at concentrations induced by Ang II failed to elicit a mitogenic response, thus implicating other autocrine factors in mediation of Ang II effects. Results suggest a potential mechanism whereby Ang II might regulate smooth muscle cell mitogenesis after vascular injury.
Neutralization of endogenous tumor necrosis factor ameliorates the severity of myosin-induced myocarditis.
Authors: Smith S C , Allen P M
Published: June 2012

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) are pluripotent cytokines and have multiple functions during the inflammatory response. Using a murine model of autoimmune myocarditis, we studied the role of TNF and IFN-gamma in myocardial inflammation. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against TNF-alpha/beta and IFN-gamma were administered to myosin-immunized A/J mice to assess the effect on the severity of myocardial inflammation. Anti-TNF treatment significantly reduced the severity of myocarditis compared with rat immunoglobulin G or saline controls (p less than 0.0007) when given before myosin immunization. Myosin-specific lymph node T-cell proliferation studies showed no difference in the proliferative response between the anti-TNF-treated mice and controls. Administration of anti-TNF to mice after myosin immunization had no effect on the severity of inflammation. This suggests that TNF is an important mediator early in the pathogenesis of myocardial inflammation in this model of myocarditis. Neutralization of IFN-gamma significantly increased the severity of myocarditis compared with rat immunoglobulin G and saline controls (p less than 0.0065), suggesting that IFN-gamma may function as an important regulatory cytokine early in the pathogenesis of myocardial inflammation. Understanding the functions of cytokines during the inflammatory response to myocardial injury may provide important information on possible methods to limit myocardial damage.
Isolation, characterization, and localization of cardiac collagen type VI. Associations with other extracellular matrix components.
Authors: Bashey R I , Martinez-Hernandez A , Jimenez S A
Published: June 2012

We have isolated and characterized collagen type VI from murine, canine, and nonhuman primate hearts. In the three species studied, collagen type I was the major collagenous component of the cardiac interstitium (80% of total collagen), whereas collagen type VI represented approximately 5% of total collagen. To define the exact distribution of collagen type VI and its possible interactions with other components of the cardiac extracellular matrix, collagen types I, III, IV, and VI, laminin, and fibronectin were localized in the rat myocardium by immunohistochemistry, using monospecific antibodies. In the rat myocardium, collagen type VI was prevalent in the media and adventitia of muscular arteries, in fine connective tissue septa, in the area surrounding capillaries, and in the delicate endomysium in proximity to myocardial cells. When compared with the immunohistochemical localization of collagen types I, III, and IV, laminin, and fibronectin, the continuity and hierarchical organization of the cardiac extracellular matrix became apparent. The matrix forms a continuous network extending from the pericardium to the endocardium. Furthermore, there is an arborescent hierarchy in the system such that collagen type I is more prevalent in the wider septa, collagen type III being more obvious in medium-sized branches, and fibronectin and collagen type VI prevailing in the terminal (pericellular) aspects of the network. In this pericellular location, fibronectin and collagen type VI, by means of specific interactions, may act as anchor components linking the myocardial cell basement membranes not only to the extracellular matrix but also to the cardiac interstitial cells. This continuity, organization, and coupling of the cardiac extracellular matrix appears well suited to integrate and distribute the physical stress generated by the continuous contraction and relaxation of the myocardium.
Dynamic effects of carotid sinus baroreflex on ventriculoarterial coupling studied in anesthetized dogs.
Authors: Kubota T , Alexander J , Itaya R , Todaka K , Sugimachi M , Sunagawa K , Nose Y , Takeshita A
Published: June 2012

We evaluated dynamic effects of the carotid sinus baroreflex on ventriculoarterial coupling. In seven anesthetized, vagotomized dogs, we bilaterally isolated carotid sinuses and randomly changed carotid sinus pressure while measuring aortic pressure, aortic flow, and left ventricular pressure. Estimating left ventricular end-systolic elastance (Ees) and effective arterial elastance (Ea) on a beat-to-beat basis, we determined transfer functions from the carotid sinus pressure to Ees (HEes) and from the carotid sinus pressure to Ea (HEa) over the frequency range spanning 0.002-0.25 Hz. Both HEes and HEa exhibited characteristics of a second-order low-pass filter. The gains of HEes and HEa were 0.085 +/- 0.065 (mean +/- SD) and 0.081 +/- 0.049 mm Hg/ml/mm Hg, respectively. There were no significant differences in natural frequencies (0.039 +/- 0.013 versus 0.039 +/- 0.007 Hz) or damping ratios (0.65 +/- 0.11 versus 0.64 +/- 0.24). The results indicated that the carotid sinus baroreflex dynamically altered Ees and Ea to the same extent in the process of stabilizing arterial pressure. Because the arterial system extracts maximal external work from a given heart when Ea equals Ees, the carotid sinus baroreflex appeared to be designed to regulate the ventricular and arterial properties to optimize the energy transmission from the left ventricle to the arterial system in anesthetized, vagotomized dogs.
Liposome-entrapped antifibrotic agent prevents collagen accumulation in hypertensive pulmonary arteries of rats.
Authors: Poiani G J , Wilson F J , Fox J D , Sumka J M , Peng B W , Liao W C , Tozzi C A , Riley D J
Published: June 2012

We studied the therapeutic efficacy of an intravenously injected antifibrotic agent encapsulated in liposomes on inhibiting collagen accumulation in hypertensive blood vessels. cis-4-Hydroxy-L-proline (cHyp) in liposomes was injected into rats exposed to 10% O2, and drug effect was evaluated by measuring right ventricular pressure and hydroxyproline content of the pulmonary artery. Right ventricular pressure was 11 +/- 1 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM) 5 days after a single intravenous injection of 200 mg/kg cHyp in liposomes compared with 14 +/- 1 mm Hg in rats injected with empty liposomes; hydroxyproline content was also reduced by cHyp treatment (87 +/- 6 versus 107 +/- 7 micrograms per vessel) (p less than 0.05 for both, n = 6-9). Injections of cHyp in liposomes every 5 days partially prevented hypertension and vascular collagen accumulation during a 3-week exposure to hypoxia, and the dose required was one tenth the dose of unencapsulated cHyp. Therapeutic doses of cHyp in liposomes injected for 6 months affected tensile properties of main pulmonary artery and aorta, but there were no apparent histological effects on other organs. Liposomes injected intravenously were identified in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. The prolonged effect of a single injection of cHyp in liposomes may be due to uptake of the liposomes by the endothelium. Liposome delivery of drugs to the arterial wall may be useful in the study and treatment of hypertensive vascular disease.
Isolated ventricular systolic interaction during transient reductions in left ventricular pressure.
Authors: Woodard J C , Chow E , Farrar D J
Published: June 2012

The volume and pressure of one ventricle have been demonstrated to modulate the volume and pressure in the contralateral chamber during systole and diastole. To quantitate the isolated systolic effects of left ventricular (LV) pressure on right ventricular (RV) mechanics, we rapidly withdrew blood from the LV immediately after diastole via an apex cannula during a single cardiac cycle in eight open-chest, open-pericardium anesthetized pigs (45 kg) and studied the effects on the RV. Reductions in LV pressure of up to 75 mm Hg were achieved in midsystolic without changing LV or RV diastolic volume or pressure. Resultant changes in RV flow and pressure development during these single unloaded beats may therefore be considered to result from pure systolic interaction. The instantaneous left-to-right systolic pressure gain [G(t)] was determined as the ratio of RV pressure change to LV pressure change as a function of time during systole, and the mean LV-to-RV systolic pressure gain was determined as the ratio of changes in mean systolic RV pressure to changes in mean systolic LV pressure. During LV unloading, there was an average reduction of 62.6 +/- 12.3% in the mean systolic LV pressure, which resulted in decreases of 13.6 +/- 6.4% in mean RV systolic pressure, 17.9 +/- 10.4% in RV stroke volume, and 27.0 +/- 11.3% in RV stroke work. G(t) was found to vary significantly within systole, reaching a minimum of 0.042 +/- 0.014 mm Hg/mm Hg at normalized time 0.70 of the systolic duration and a maximum of 0.079 +/- 0.029 at the end of RV ejection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Heparin inhibits the expression of tissue-type plasminogen activator by smooth muscle cells in injured rat carotid artery.
Authors: Clowes A W , Clowes M M , Kirkman T R , Jackson C L , Au Y P , Kenagy R
Published: June 2012

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in balloon-injured rat carotid artery express tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) at a time when they are migrating from the media to the intima. Since heparin inhibits SMC migration and intimal thickening, we have examined the possibility that heparin might also inhibit t-PA expression. Heparin (nonanticoagulant fraction; molecular weight, approximately 6,000) was administered by continuous intravenous infusion (1.0 mg/kg per hour) to Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to balloon injury of the left common carotid artery. At various times up to 14 days after injury, plasminogen activator expression was analyzed by zymography, plasmin generation, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Northern blotting, and in situ hybridization. This dose of heparin inhibited SMC accumulation at 14 days by 60%. Both urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA) and t-PA activity increased in injured arteries and reached a maximum at 7 days. Heparin treatment decreased t-PA, but not u-PA, activity. Total t-PA protein was decreased by treatment with heparin but not chondroitin sulfate, and the decrease in t-PA protein was associated with decreased t-PA mRNA in the media. These results in the injured rat carotid artery agree with our earlier observations that heparin inhibits t-PA gene expression in cultured baboon aortic SMCs. They also provide support for the hypothesis that heparin interferes with the expression of certain proteases required for SMC migration and proliferation.
Lysoplasmenylethanolamine accumulation in ischemic/reperfused isolated fatty acid-perfused hearts.
Authors: Davies N J , Schulz R , Olley P M , Strynadka K D , Panas D L , Lopaschuk G D
Published: June 2012

Lysophospholipid accumulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of irreversible injury during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Plasmalogens (phospholipids with a vinyl-ether bond in the sn-1 position) account for more than 50% of total myocardial sarcolemmal and sarcoplasmic reticulum phospholipids. Accumulation of plasmalogen choline and ethanolamine lysophospholipids (lysoplasmenylcholine and lysoplasmenylethanolamine) or the effects of exogenous fatty acids on lysoplasmalogen accumulation during ischemia and reperfusion have not been examined. Isolated working rat hearts perfused with buffer containing either 11 mM glucose or 11 mM glucose plus 1.2 mM palmitate were subjected to aerobic, ischemic, or ischemia/reperfusion protocols. Levels of lysoplasmenylcholine and lysoplasmenylethanolamine were quantified using a two-stage high-performance liquid chromatographic technique. In hearts perfused with glucose alone, no significant differences in levels of lysoplasmenylcholine or lysoplasmenylethanolamine were seen during ischemia or reperfusion. In fatty acid-perfused hearts, however, significant accumulation of lysoplasmenylethanolamine occurred during reperfusion but not during ischemia (723 +/- 112, 734 +/- 83, and 1,394 +/- 193 nmol/g dry wt for aerobic, ischemic, and ischemic/reperfused hearts, respectively; p less than 0.05 for ischemic/reperfused hearts versus aerobic or ischemic hearts). Lysoplasmenylcholine levels after ischemia and reperfusion did not differ significantly from aerobic values, regardless of whether fatty acids were present or absent from the perfusate. Aerobic and ischemic/reperfused rabbit hearts, in the presence of fatty acid, showed a similar profile in their lysoplasmalogen content. We conclude that differential lysoplasmenylethanolamine accumulation occurs during myocardial reperfusion when exogenous fatty acid concentrations are high. This may reflect the selective action of fatty acid intermediates on the metabolism of lysoplasmenylethanolamines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Oxidized low density lipoproteins induce mRNA expression and release of endothelin from human and porcine endothelium.
Authors: Boulanger C M , Tanner F C , Béa M L , Hahn A W , Werner A , Lüscher T F
Published: June 2012

Experiments were designed to examine the effect of oxidized low density lipoproteins (Ox-LDLs) on the expression and the release of endothelin from cultured endothelial cells and intact blood vessels. Ox-LDLs (30-300 micrograms/ml), but not native low density lipoproteins (200 micrograms/ml), stimulated the expression of preproendothelin mRNA in porcine and human endothelial cells, leading to a time- and concentration-dependent release of the peptide into the culture medium. The Ox-LDL-stimulated release of endothelin was mimicked by acetylated low density lipoprotein and abolished by downregulation of protein kinase C by phorbol ester. In the intact porcine aorta, Ox-LDLs, but not native low density lipoproteins, also increased the release of peptide in an endothelium- and concentration-dependent manner. The maximal effect was observed at a concentration of 100 micrograms/ml. Incubation of the intact porcine aorta with the scavenger receptor antagonist dextran sulfate decreased the formation of endothelium evoked by Ox-LDLs. The Ox-LDL-stimulated production of the peptide was further augmented in the presence of thrombin (4 units/ml) and was unaffected by nitric oxide-generating compound 3-morpholinosydnonimine (10(-5) M). These results suggest that Ox-LDL may be an endogenous mediator of the augmented release of endothelin observed in hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. The increased production of the peptide could contribute to vasospastic events and may promote vascular smooth muscle proliferation and progression of atherosclerotic vascular disease.
Alteration of contractile function and excitation-contraction coupling in dilated cardiomyopathy.
Authors: Hasenfuss G , Mulieri L A , Leavitt B J , Allen P D , Haeberle J R , Alpert N R
Published: June 2012

Myocardial failure in dilated cardiomyopathy may result from subcellular alterations in contractile protein function, excitation-contraction coupling processes, or recovery metabolism. We used isometric force and heat measurements to quantitatively investigate these subcellular systems in intact left ventricular muscle strips from nonfailing human hearts (n = 14) and from hearts with end-stage failing dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 13). In the failing myocardium, peak isometric twitch tension, maximum rate of tension rise, and maximum rate of relaxation were reduced by 46% (p = 0.013), 51% (p = 0.003), and 46% (p = 0.018), respectively (37 degrees C, 60 beats per minute). Tension-dependent heat, reflecting the number of crossbridge interactions during the isometric twitch, was reduced by 61% in the failing myocardium (p = 0.006). In terms of the individual crossbridge cycle, the average crossbridge force-time integral was increased by 33% (p = 0.04) in the failing myocardium. In the nonfailing myocardium, the crossbridge force-time integral was positively correlated with the patient's age (r = 0.86, p less than 0.02), whereas there was no significant correlation with age in the failing group. The amount and rate of excitation-contraction coupling-related heat evolution (tension-independent heat) were reduced by 69% (p = 0.24) and 71% (p = 0.028), respectively, in the failing myocardium, reflecting a considerable decrease in the amount of calcium released and in the rate of calcium removal. The efficiency of the metabolic recovery process, as assessed by the ratio of initial heat to total activity-related heat, was similar in failing and nonfailing myocardium (0.54 +/- 0.03 versus 0.50 +/- 0.02, p = 0.23).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Alpha 1-receptor-independent activation of protein kinase C in acute myocardial ischemia. Mechanisms for sensitization of the adenylyl cyclase system.
Authors: Strasser R H , Braun-Dullaeus R , Walendzik H , Marquetant R
Published: June 2012

The activity of the adrenergic system plays an important role in the genesis of malignant arrhythmias and the spreading of the infarcted zone in acute myocardial ischemia. Acute myocardial ischemia induces an increased activity of adenylyl cyclase. This sensitization at the enzyme level as shown in the isolated perfused rat heart occurs rapidly after the onset of ischemia (5-15 minutes) and is rapidly reversible on reperfusion. With prolonged ischemia, it is only transient and is followed by a gradual loss of the adenylyl cyclase activity. The increased activity of adenylyl cyclase is even retained after partial purification, suggesting a covalent modification of the enzyme. Blockade of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors does not prevent this sensitization, demonstrating that it occurs independently of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor activation. Only blockade of protein kinase C by various inhibitors, such as polymyxin B or staurosporine, is able to completely prevent this sensitization process. Moreover, in acute myocardial ischemia an activation of protein kinase C could be identified using its translocation from the cytosol to the particulate fraction as an indicator. Blockade of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors using prazosin fails to prevent the activation of protein kinase C and consequently the sensitization of the adenylyl cyclase system, indicating that the ischemia-induced translocation of protein kinase C occurs independently of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors. These data characterize for the first time an important interaction of two effector enzymes of two distinct signal transduction pathways, i.e., the adenylyl cyclase system and the protein kinase C system in acute myocardial ischemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Differences in cardiac calcium release channel (ryanodine receptor) expression in myocardium from patients with end-stage heart failure caused by ischemic versus dilated cardiomyopathy.
Authors: Brillantes A M , Allen P , Takahashi T , Izumo S , Marks A R
Published: June 2012

The molecular basis for the systolic and diastolic dysfunction characteristic of end-stage heart failure in humans remains poorly understood. It has been proposed that both abnormal calcium handling and defects in the contractile apparatus may contribute to the myocardial dysfunction. Two channels, the calcium release channel (CRC) or ryanodine receptor of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and the slow calcium channel or dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) of the transverse tubule, play key roles in regulating intracellular calcium concentration and in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in the heart. The DHPR serves as the voltage sensor and plasma membrane calcium channel resulting in activation of the CRC during E-C coupling in heart muscle. In this study, we investigated the levels of CRC expression in several forms of end-stage heart failure in humans. A cardiac CRC cDNA was cloned from rabbit and used as a probe for Northern blot analyses to determine mRNA levels in the left ventricles of normal (n = 4) and cardiomyopathic (n = 34) human hearts from patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. Compared with normal patients, patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (n = 18) showed a 28% decrease in CRC mRNA levels (p less than 0.025) and patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 14) a nonsignificant 12% increase. In these same hearts, alpha-actin levels were unchanged in end-stage heart failure, as has been previously reported. This is the first report indicating that the expression of the CRC mRNA is abnormal in end-stage human heart failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Interaction between microvascular alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors and endothelium-derived relaxing factor.
Authors: Ohyanagi M , Nishigaki K , Faber J E
Published: June 2012

Intravital microscopy was used to study the effect of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) on microvascular adrenoceptor sensitivity in rat cremaster skeletal muscle. NG-Monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA, 1-300 microM), an inhibitor of EDRF formation, produced concentration-dependent constriction of arterioles and venules. When an intermediate amount of alpha 1- versus alpha 2-adrenoceptor tone was first produced with bath-added norepinephrine (NE) in the presence of rauwolscine or prazosin, L-NMMA caused constriction with greater potency and efficacy during alpha 2 than during alpha 1 tone. During localized alpha 1 or alpha 2 constriction along an arteriole by perivascular micropipette suffusion of NE in the presence of rauwolscine or prazosin, again, bath-added L-NMMA produced constriction with greater potency during alpha 2 than during alpha 1 constriction. Like L-NMMA, disruption of EDRF release by microembolization caused baseline arteriole constriction and selectively increased alpha 2 sensitivity 75-fold. Although these findings support the hypothesis that endothelial cells possess alpha 2-adrenoceptors that promote EDRF release, a greater susceptibility of alpha 2 than alpha 1 constriction to EDRF inhibition could also account for the results. In support of this latter possibility, alpha 2 constriction was approximately 50-fold more susceptible than alpha 1 constriction to inhibition by the EDRF-like nitrodilator nitroprusside. The similarity in magnitude of this difference in sensitivity with the difference obtained in the embolization experiments does not support the hypothesis that microvascular endothelial cells in skeletal muscle possess EDRF-promoting alpha 2-adrenoceptors. However, these data do suggest that endogenous EDRF release modulates basal arteriole and venule tone and that alpha 2-adrenoceptor constriction is more sensitive than alpha 1 constriction to inhibition by EDRF.
Gene transfer into coronary arteries of intact animals with a percutaneous balloon catheter.
Authors: Chapman G D , Lim C S , Gammon R S , Culp S C , Desper J S , Bauman R P , Swain J L , Stack R S
Published: June 2012

Genetic manipulation of the vasculature may offer insights into the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease and may lead to gene therapy for disorders such as restenosis after percutaneous coronary angioplasty. The goal of this study was to develop a percutaneous method for gene transfer into coronary arteries of intact animals. Liposomes were used to facilitate transfection in coronary arteries with a plasmid containing the cDNA encoding luciferase. This reporter was chosen since it is not expressed in mammalian cells, and it can be quantified using a sensitive assay (light production). Mongrel dogs were catheterized, and DNA was delivered to coronary arteries via a porous perfusion balloon system. Luciferase expression was measured 3-5 days after the procedure, when the dogs were killed. Luciferase activity in control arteries (n = 12) was no higher than average background activity. Eight of 12 transfected arteries exhibited gene expression, averaging 4.3 +/- 2.1 pg luciferase (p less than 0.01, transfected versus control arteries). In addition, the ability to transfect DNA into femoral arteries without a transfection vehicle was tested. Five dogs were subjected to surgical transfection attempts in their femoral arteries with either DNA alone or DNA plus liposomes. Luciferase was expressed in all 10 femoral arteries; those treated with DNA alone expressed 35.6 +/- 8 pg luciferase, and those treated with DNA plus liposomes expressed 42.3 +/- 14 pg luciferase (p = 0.70). These results demonstrate the use of a percutaneous catheter to achieve gene transfer and expression in coronary arteries of intact dogs and suggest that the efficiency of intra-arterial gene transfer may be similar whether or not a transfection vehicle is used.
Biomechanical properties of reperfused transmural myocardial infarcts in rabbits during the first week after infarction. Implications for left ventricular rupture.
Authors: Connelly C M , Ngoy S , Schoen F J , Apstein C S
Published: June 2012

Left ventricular (LV) rupture potential was studied after transmural myocardial infarction (MI) in rabbits by measuring 1) the tensile strength of infarcted tissue strips, 2) the force required to initiate a tear (tear threshold) in the central infarcted region, and 3) the intracavitary pressure required to rupture the infarcted ventricle. During the first week after MI, infarcts resulting from a permanent coronary occlusion were compared with infarcts reperfused "late" (i.e., 3 hours) after coronary occlusion with a resultant hemorrhagic transmural infarct but no reduction in infarct size. The reperfused hemorrhagic infarcted strips had less tensile strength than strips from permanently occluded infarcts in the initial 24 hours after MI (16 +/- 1 versus 24 +/- 3 g/mm2, p less than 0.05), but the tear threshold and response to increased LV pressure were not influenced by infarct reperfusion at this time. By 3 days after MI, reperfused infarcts had equal tensile strength, had greater resistance to infarct tearing, and could withstand a greater LV distending pressure compared with permanently occluded infarcts. By 5 days after MI, reperfused infarcts maintained a greater tear threshold but had less tensile strength than permanently occluded infarcts, although all infarct values were equivalent or greater than normal LV values. By 7 days after MI, reperfused and permanently occluded infarcts were equally strong by all measurements. Thus, late reperfusion of transmural infarcts increased resistance to infarct tearing and LV rupture above that of nonreperfused permanently occluded infarcts by 3 days after MI and enhanced tissue strength after an initial 24-hour vulnerable period. These findings suggest that late reperfusion may accelerate myocardial healing after MI.