Regulation of calcium slow channels of cardiac muscle by cyclic nucleotides and phosphorylation

Abstract

The voltage- and time-dependent slow channels in the myocardial cell membrane are the major pathway by which Ca2+ ions enter the cell during excitation for initiation and regulation of the force of contraction of cardiac muscle. These slow channels appear to behave kinetically, on a population basis, as if their gates open, close, and recover more slowly than those of the fast Na+ channels. In addition, the slow channel gates operate over a less negative (more depolarized) voltage range. Tetrodotoxin does not block the slow channels, whereas the calcium antagonistic drugs, Mn2+, Co2+, and La3+ ions do. The slow channels have some special properties, including functional dependence on metabolic energy, selective blockade by acidosis, and regulation by the intracellular cyclic nucleotide levels. Because of these special properties of the slow channels, Ca2+ influx into the myocardial cell can be controlled by extrinsic factors (such as autonomic nerve stimulation or circulating hormones) and by intrinsic factors (such as cellular pH or ATP level). During transient regional ischemia, the selective blockade of the slow channels, which results in depression of the contraction and work of the afflicted cells, might protect the cells against irreversible damage by helping to conserve their ATP content. Reperfusion arrhythmias may be caused by the breakdown of this protective mechanism, in that, upon reperfusion, the Ca2+ slow channels may recover before the cells are capable of handling the greater Ca2+ influx (Fig. 20). As depicted in this figure, the Ca2+ slow channels may recover their function before the ATP level is sufficiently recovered to allow bail-out of the intracellular Ca2+. In addition, the generation of free radicals upon reperfusion may injure the Ca-ATPase and other enzymes involved in Ca2+ metabolism. The net effect of this would be to cause Ca2+ overload of the cells and SR, with subsequent delayed after-depolarizations (DADs) leading to triggered automaticity and arrhythmias. Following blockade of the fast Na+ channels in myocardial cells with TTX or by voltage-inactivating them in 25 mM (K)0, catecholamines, angiotensin-II, histamine, and methylxanthines rapidly allow the production of slowly-rising Ca2+-dependent action potentials by increasing the number of Ca2+ slow channels available for voltage activation and/or their mean open time. Concomitantly, these compounds rapidly elevate intracellular cyclic AMP levels, suggesting that cyclic AMP is somehow related to the functioning of the slow channels. Exogenous cyclic AMP produces the same effect, but much more slowly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)