Patent ID: 7919475

Claim:
A method for normalizing or improving calcium cycling in a myocyte under hyperglycemic or diabetic conditions, or a diabetic heart, by enhancing the Ca 2+ transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ loading, the method comprising increasing O-GlcNAcase (GCA) enzyme levels and activity in the myocyte by (a) providing a nucleic acid encoding an O-GlcNAcase (GCA) enzyme, wherein the nucleic acid is operatively linked to a promoter constitutively or inducibly active in the myocyte or the heart; and (b) directly administering an effective amount of the O-GlcNAcase (GCA)-encoding nucleic acid to the myocyte or heart, and inducing expression of the O-GlcNAcase-encoding nucleic acid if the promoter is an inducible promoter, thereby expressing an O-GlcNAcase (GCA) enzyme in the myocyte to reduce excess O-GlcNAcylation and enhance Ca 2+ transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ loading in the myocyte or the diabetic heart.