Abstract
Although it is established that familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is caused by mutations in several sarcomeric proteins, including cardiac troponin T (TnT), its pathogenesis is still not completely understood. Previously, we established a transgenic rat model of FHC expressing a human TnT molecule with a truncation mutation (DEL-TnT). This study investigated whether contractile dysfunction and electrical vulnerability observed in DEL-TnT rats might be due to alterations of intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis, myofibrillar Ca(2+) sensitivity, and/or myofibrillar ATP utilization. Simultaneous measurements of the force of contraction and intracellular Ca(2+) transients were performed in right ventricular trabeculae of DEL-TnT hearts at 0.25 and 1.0 Hz. Rats expressing wild-type human TnT as well as nontransgenic rats served as controls. In addition, calcium-dependent ATPase activity and tension development were investigated in skinned cardiac muscle fibers. Force of contraction was significantly decreased in DEL-TnT compared with nontransgenic rats and TnT. Time parameters of Ca(2+) transients were unchanged at 0.25 Hz but prolonged at 1.0 Hz in DEL-TnT. The amplitude of the fura-2 transient was similar in all groups investigated, whereas diastolic and systolic fura-2 ratios were found elevated in rats expressing nontruncated human troponin T. In DEL-TnT rats, myofibrillar Ca(2+)-dependent tension development as well as Ca(2+) sensitivity of tension were significantly decreased, whereas tension-dependent ATP consumption ("tension cost") was markedly increased. Thus, a C-terminal truncation of the cardiac TnT molecule impairs the force-generating capacity of the cycling cross-bridges resulting in increased tension-dependent ATP utilization. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis of energy compromise as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of FHC.
Highlights
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC)3 is an autosomal-dominant inherited disease characterized by ventricular hypertrophy, arrhythmias, and sudden death
Our data support the hypothesis of energy compromise as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of FHC
Mutations of the cardiac troponin T gene are of particular interest because they are associated with a high incidence of arrhythmias and sudden death even in the absence of significant myocardial hypertrophy [6]
Summary
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is an autosomal-dominant inherited disease characterized by ventricular hypertrophy, arrhythmias, and sudden death. It has been observed that FHC patients with cardiac troponin T, -myosin heavy chain, and myosin-binding protein C mutations display a markedly altered phosphocreatine to ATP ratio, irrespective of the presence of myocardial hypertrophy [16]. This finding led to the new hypothesis of myocardial energy depletion being a critical factor in the pathogenesis of FHC [17]. Altered ATP Utilization in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy model of the disease by overexpressing a C-terminal cTnT truncation (DEL-TnT), resulting from an intron 15 splice donor site mutation observed in FHC patients. I.e. nontruncated, human TnT molecule as well as nontransgenic controls were studied for comparison
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