Rate Of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2 Research Articles

Polyarginine Cell-Penetrating Peptides Bind and Inhibit SERCA2.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short peptide sequences that have the ability to cross the cell membrane and deliver cargo. Although it is critical that CPPs accomplish this task with minimal off-target effects, such actions have in many cases not been robustly screened. We presently investigated whether the commonly used CPPs TAT and the polyarginines Arg9 and Arg11 exert off-target effects on cellular Ca2+ homeostasis. In experiments employing myocytes and homogenates from the cardiac left ventricle or soleus muscle, we observed marked inhibition of Ca2+ recycling into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) following incubation with polyarginine CPPs. In both tissues, the rate of SR Ca2+ leak remained unchanged, indicating that protracted Ca2+ removal from the cytosol stemmed from inhibition of the SR Ca2+ ATPase 2 (SERCA2). No such inhibition occurred following treatment with TAT, or in preparations from the SERCA1-expressing extensor digitorum longus muscle. Experiments in HEK cells overexpressing individual SERCA isoforms confirmed that polyarginine incubation specifically inhibited the activity of SERCA2a and 2b, but not SERCA1 or 3. The attenuation of SERCA2 activity was not dependent on the presence of phospholamban, and ELISA-based analyses rather revealed direct interaction between the polyarginines and the actuator domain of the protein. Surface plasmon resonance experiments confirmed strong binding within this region of SERCA2, and slow dissociation between the two species. Based on these observations, we urge caution when employing polyarginine CPPs. Indeed, as SERCA2 is expressed in diverse cell types, the wide-ranging consequences of SERCA2 binding and inhibition should be anticipated in both experimental and therapeutic settings.

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca 2+ Handling in Gastrocnemius Muscles from 10‐week‐old C57 and D2‐ mdx Mice

Background Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked muscle wasting disease caused by an absence of dystrophin. Secondary mechanisms including elevated myoplasmic Ca2+ as a result of dysfunctional sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) pumps and leaky ryanodine receptors (RyR) can perpetuate disease pathology. Although the widely used preclinical C57BL/10 (C57) mdx mouse model displays moderate muscle damage and weakness, this model falls short in its ability to recapitulate the more severe human phenotype. Conversely, the DBA/2J (D2) mdx mouse model displays severe and early-onset muscle weakness, damage and histopathology; and therefore, more closely mimics human DMD. To date, there has been no characterization of muscle Ca2+ handling in the D2-mdx mouse. Thus, we examined sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ handling in both D2-mdx and C57-mdx mice. Methods Eight-week-old male C57-WT, C57-mdx, D2-WT and D2-mdx mice were purchased from Jackson Laboratories. All mice underwent a hangwire test and were temporarily housed (48 hr) in a Promethion Metabolic Cage System to measure energy expenditure and cage activity. At 10 weeks of age, mice were euthanized, and gastrocnemius muscles were collected to measure Ca2+ uptake and leak via an Indo-1 fluorimetric assay. Serum creatine kinase (CK) activity was measured using a commercially available kit. Results Consistent with previous literature, serum CK was elevated in both C57-mdx and D2-mdx mice compared with WT, but to a greater extent in the former (8.9-fold vs 3.3 fold, p = 0.04). While both C57-mdx and D2-mdx mice had lowered hangwire time, these impairments were more severe in the D2-mdx mouse (-30% in C57-mdx vs -50% in D2-mdx, p = 0.09). Similarly, while both C57-mdx (-15%) and D2-mdx (-33%) mice had lowered total cage activity, the D2-mdx mice were most affected (p = 0.03). Interestingly, metabolic cage analyses further revealed that D2-mdx (1.3-fold increase) but not C57-mdx mice, had significantly elevated daily energy expenditure compared to their respective WT groups. When examining SR Ca2+ uptake, we found that the D2-mdx mice had significantly elevated starting Ca2+ levels compared with D2-WT mice (5500 vs 2300 nM). When activated by ATP, there was significantly less removal of Ca2+ in the D2-mdx muscles compared with WT (2.6-fold greater area-under-the-curve). However, none of these effects were observed in the C57-mdx mice. Furthermore, when SERCA was inhibited with cyclopiazonic acid, the rate of SR Ca2+ leak (-50%) and the amount of SR Ca2+ released back into the cytosol (-48%) were significantly lowered in the D2-mdx but not in the C57-mdx mice. This is likely reflective of impaired SR Ca2+ uptake and filling. Conclusions Unlike the C57-mdx, the D2-mdx mice displayed early onset muscle weakness with lowered cage ambulation and hangwire time when compared with their respective WT groups. These findings were associated with impaired SR Ca2+ handling in the D2-mdx mice but not the C57-mdx mice. Together, the extensive muscle damage and impaired SR Ca2+ handling in the D2-mdx mice likely enhances their daily energy expenditure.

Abstract 15218: Structural and Functional Alterations in a Premature Ventricular Contractions-induced Cardiomyopathy Model

Introduction: Previous studies of premature ventricular contractions (PVC)-induced cardiomyopathy (PVC-CM) in canines have showed reduction in L-type Ca 2+ current and Ca 2+ transient amplitude in isolated ventricular myocytes, concomitant with eccentric hypertrophy and a decline in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. Objectives: Assess potential alterations of PVC-CM related to: 1) the efficiency of the Ca 2+ recycling machinery in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and 2) the overall ultrastructural integrity of myocytes. Methods: Modified pacemakers were implanted in healthy canines to reproduce PVC-CM after 3 months of bigeminal PVC (50% burden at 200-220 ms coupling interval). Animals were randomized to either 50% PVC or no PVC (sham). Ventricular cardiomyocytes were isolated and paced to measure Ca 2+ transients using Fura2. Permeabilized cardiomyocytes loaded with Fluo-5N were used to assess SERCA2 activity in vitro . Additionally, expression of SERCA2, and phosphorylated versus total phospholamban (PLN) were measured with Western blot (WB). LV wall muscle was fixed, en-block stained with uranyl acetate, and thin-sectioned for electron microscopy (EM). Results: There was a non-statistically significant trend towards a reduction of SR-Ca 2+ reuptake efficiency in PVC-CM vs sham, evidenced by a 21% slower decay of the electrically-evoked cytosolic Ca 2+ transient and a 23% slower maximal rate of SR Ca 2+ uptake (PVC-CM n=42 cells, 4 animals vs sham n=50 cells, 3 animals). WB analysis showed a 23% reduction in SERCA2 expression (0.76 ± 0.18 vs 1 ± 0.25, P =0.002, n=6 animals each), a 40% increase in PLN expression (1.4 ± 0.18 vs 1 ± 0.1, P <0.0001, n= 3 animals each), and a 64% reduction in phospho-PLN (0.35 ± 0.15 vs 1 ± 0.18, P <0.0001, n=3 animals each) in PVC-CM vs sham. In addition, EM showed intact dyads, regularly shaped SR, but noticeable myofibril disorder in the PVC-CM derived samples. Conclusions: In PVC-CM, there is impaired electrically-evoked Ca 2+ cycling due to a combination of reduced L-type Ca 2+ channels and reduced SERCA-mediated SR Ca 2+ uptake. This combined with the apparent ultrastructural remodeling, underscore long-term cellular adaptations leading to LV systolic dysfunction associated to the chronic exposure to PVC.

Preserved Ca2+ handling and excitation-contraction coupling in muscle fibres from diet-induced obese mice.

Disrupted intracellular Ca2+ handling is known to play a role in diabetic cardiomyopathy but it has also been postulated to contribute to obesity- and type 2 diabetes-associated skeletal muscle dysfunction. Still, there is so far very limited functional insight into whether, and if so to what extent, muscular Ca2+ homeostasis is affected in this situation, so as to potentially determine or contribute to muscle weakness. In differentiated muscle, force production is under the control of the excitation-contraction coupling process: upon plasma membrane electrical activity, the CaV1.1 voltage sensor/Ca2+ channel in the plasma membrane triggers opening of the ryanodine receptor Ca2+ release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane. Opening of the ryanodine receptor triggers the rise in cytosolic Ca2+, which activates contraction while Ca2+ uptake by the SR ATPase Ca2+-pump promotes relaxation. These are the core mechanisms underlying the tight control of muscle force by neuronal electrical activity. This study aimed at characterising their inherent physiological function in a diet-induced mouse model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Intact muscle fibres were isolated from mice fed either with a standard chow diet or with a high-fat, high-sucrose diet generating obesity, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Properties of muscle fibres were investigated with a combination of whole-cell voltage-clamp electrophysiology and confocal fluorescence imaging. The integrity and density of the plasma membrane network (transverse tubules) that carries the membrane excitation throughout the muscle fibres was assessed with the dye Di-8-ANEPPS. CaV1.1 Ca2+ channel activity was studied by measuring the changes in current across the plasma membrane elicited by voltage-clamp depolarising pulses of increasing amplitude. SR Ca2+ release through ryanodine receptors was simultaneously detected with the Ca2+-sensitive dye Rhod-2 in the cytosol. CaV1.1 voltage-sensing activity was separately characterised from the properties of intra-plasma-membrane charge movement produced by short voltage-clamp depolarising pulses. Spontaneous Ca2+ release at rest was assessed with the Ca2+-sensitive dye Fluo-4. The rate of SR Ca2+ uptake was assessed from the time course of cytosolic Ca2+ recovery after the end of voltage excitation using the Ca2+-sensitive dye Fluo-4FF. The response to a fatigue-stimulation protocol was determined from the time course of decline of the peak Fluo-4FF Ca2+ transients elicited by 30 trains of 5-ms-long depolarising pulses delivered at 100Hz. The transverse tubule network architecture and density were well preserved in the fibres from the obese mice. The CaV1.1 Ca2+ current and voltage-sensing properties were also largely unaffected with mean values for maximum conductance and maximum amount of charge of 234 ± 12 S/F and 30.7 ± 1.6 nC/μF compared with 196 ± 13 S/F and 32.9 ± 2.0 nC/μF in fibres from mice fed with the standard diet, respectively. Voltage-activated SR Ca2+ release through ryanodine receptors also exhibited very similar properties in the two groups with mean values for maximum rate of Ca2+ release of 76.0 ± 6.5 and 78.1 ± 4.4μmoll-1ms-1, in fibres from control and obese mice, respectively. The response to a fatigue protocol was also largely unaffected in fibres from the obese mice, and so were the rate of cytosolic Ca2+ removal and the spontaneous Ca2+ release activity at rest. The functional properties of the main mechanisms involved in the control of muscle Ca2+ homeostasis are well preserved in muscle fibres from obese mice, at the level of both the plasma membrane and of the SR. We conclude that intracellular Ca2+ handling and excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle fibres are not primary targets of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Graphical abstract.

Altered Ca2+ kinetics associated with α-actinin-3 deficiency may explain positive selection for ACTN3 null allele in human evolution.

Over 1.5 billion people lack the skeletal muscle fast-twitch fibre protein α-actinin-3 due to homozygosity for a common null polymorphism (R577X) in the ACTN3 gene. α-Actinin-3 deficiency is detrimental to sprint performance in elite athletes and beneficial to endurance activities. In the human genome, it is very difficult to find single-gene loss-of-function variants that bear signatures of positive selection, yet intriguingly, the ACTN3 null variant has undergone strong positive selection during recent evolution, appearing to provide a survival advantage where food resources are scarce and climate is cold. We have previously demonstrated that α-actinin-3 deficiency in the Actn3 KO mouse results in a shift in fast-twitch fibres towards oxidative metabolism, which would be more “energy efficient” in famine, and beneficial to endurance performance. Prolonged exposure to cold can also induce changes in skeletal muscle similar to those observed with endurance training, and changes in Ca2+ handling by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) are a key factor underlying these adaptations. On this basis, we explored the effects of α-actinin-3 deficiency on Ca2+ kinetics in single flexor digitorum brevis muscle fibres from Actn3 KO mice, using the Ca2+-sensitive dye fura-2. Compared to wild-type, fibres of Actn3 KO mice showed: (i) an increased rate of decay of the twitch transient; (ii) a fourfold increase in the rate of SR Ca2+ leak; (iii) a threefold increase in the rate of SR Ca2+ pumping; and (iv) enhanced maintenance of tetanic Ca2+ during fatigue. The SR Ca2+ pump, SERCA1, and the Ca2+-binding proteins, calsequestrin and sarcalumenin, showed markedly increased expression in muscles of KO mice. Together, these changes in Ca2+ handling in the absence of α-actinin-3 are consistent with cold acclimatisation and thermogenesis, and offer an additional explanation for the positive selection of the ACTN3 577X null allele in populations living in cold environments during recent evolution.

Calcium handling in muscle fibres of mice and men: evolutionary adaptation in different species to optimize performance and save energy

Calcium handling in muscle fibres of mice and men: evolutionary adaptation in different species to optimize performance and save energy

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LITERATURE

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LITERATURE

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca 2+ Pumping Kinetics Regulates Timing of Local Ca 2+ Releases and Spontaneous Beating Rate of Rabbit Sinoatrial Node Pacemaker Cells

Sinoatrial node cells (SANCs) generate local, subsarcolemmal Ca(2+) releases (LCRs) from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) during late diastolic depolarization. LCRs activate an inward Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchange current (I(NCX)), which accelerates diastolic depolarization rate, prompting the next action potential (AP). The LCR period, ie, a delay between AP-induced Ca(2+) transient and LCR appearance, defines the time of late diastolic depolarization I(NCX) activation. Mechanisms that control the LCR period, however, are still unidentified. To determine dependence of the LCR period on SR Ca(2+) refilling kinetics and establish links between regulation of SR Ca(2+) replenishment, LCR period, and spontaneous cycle length. Spontaneous APs and SR luminal or cytosolic Ca(2+) were recorded using perforated patch and confocal microscopy, respectively. Time to 90% replenishment of SR Ca(2+) following AP-induced Ca(2+) transient was highly correlated with the time to 90% decay of cytosolic Ca(2+) transient (T-90(C)). Local SR Ca(2+) depletions mirror their cytosolic counterparts, LCRs, and occur following SR Ca(2+) refilling. Inhibition of SR Ca(2+) pump by cyclopiazonic acid dose-dependently suppressed spontaneous SANCs firing up to ≈50%. Cyclopiazonic acid and graded changes in phospholamban phosphorylation produced by β-adrenergic receptor stimulation, phosphodiesterase or protein kinase A inhibition shifted T-90(C) and proportionally shifted the LCR period and spontaneous cycle length (R(2)=0.98). The LCR period, a critical determinant of the spontaneous SANC cycle length, is defined by the rate of SR Ca(2+) replenishment, which is critically dependent on SR pumping rate, Ca(2+) available for pumping, supplied by L-type Ca(2+) channel, and ryanodine receptor Ca(2+) release flux, each of which is modulated by cAMP-mediated protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation.

Passive Activation of Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry in Myotubes Depends on the Rate of RyR1-Dependent Ca2+ Leak

In spite of extensive studies of store operated calcium entry (SOCE), the detailed mechanism of SOCE activation in skeletal muscle remains largely unknown. We recently reported that STIM1-Orai1 coupling is required for SOCE activation in myotubes. However, other proteins that control sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ content may also contribute to SOCE activation. We hypothesized that passive SOCE activation in skeletal muscle depends on the rate of SR Ca2+ leak through the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1). To test this hypothesis, we conducted a series of whole-cell patch-clamp measurements of SOCE current (ISOC) in myotubes obtained from normal and RyR1-null (dyspedic) mice. Myotubes were bathed in external solution containing (in mM): 138 TEA-methanesulfonate, 10 CaCl2, 10 HEPES, 1 MgCl2, 0.1 nifedipine, pH 7.4. The internal patch pipette solution contained (in mM): 140 mM Cs-methanesulfonate, 10 HEPES, 20 Na-EGTA, 4 MgCl2, pH7.4. SOCE was activated by passive SR Ca2+ depletion following intracellular dialysis with 20 mM EGTA. ISOC in myotubes exhibited many hallmarks of SOCE including strong inward rectification and inhibition by La3+, Gd3+, BTP-2, and 2-APB. ISOC current density at −80 mV was significantly (p<0.01) larger in normal myotubes (1.05 ± 0.09 pA/pF, n = 33) compared to that from dyspedic myotubes (0.74 ± 0.07 pA/pF, n = 18). Moreover, the speed of ISOC activation was slower in dyspedic myotubes. Specifically, the time to 10%, 50%, and 90% maximal activation were 4.95 ± 0.65 s, 15.3 ± 1.4 s, and 53.9 ± 7.5 s (n = 19), respectively, in normal myotubes and 67.5 ± 11.1 s, 114 ± 13 s, and 159 ± 17 s (n = 18), respectively, in dyspedic myotubes. These results indicate that RyR1 Ca2+ leak promotes passive SOCE activation.

Interval Training Normalizes Cardiomyocyte Function, Diastolic Ca 2+ Control, and SR Ca 2+ Release Synchronicity in a Mouse Model of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

In the present study we explored the mechanisms behind excitation-contraction (EC) coupling defects in cardiomyocytes from mice with type-2 diabetes (db/db). We determined whether 13 weeks of aerobic interval training could restore cardiomyocyte Ca(2+) cycling and EC coupling. Reduced contractility in cardiomyocytes isolated from sedentary db/db was associated with increased diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)-Ca(2+) leak, reduced synchrony of Ca(2+) release, reduced transverse (T)-tubule density, and lower peak systolic and diastolic Ca(2+) and caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release. Additionally, the rate of SR Ca(2+) ATPase-mediated Ca(2+) uptake during diastole was reduced, whereas a faster recovery from caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release indicated increased Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger activity. The increased SR-Ca(2+) leak was attributed to increased Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKIIdelta) phosphorylation, supported by the normalization of SR-Ca(2+) leak on inhibition of CaMKIIdelta (AIP). Exercise training restored contractile function associated with restored SR Ca(2+) release synchronicity, T-tubule density, twitch Ca(2+) amplitude, SR Ca(2+) ATPase and Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger activities, and SR-Ca(2+) leak. The latter was associated with reduced phosphorylation of cytosolic CaMKIIdelta. Despite normal contractile function and Ca(2+) handling after the training period, phospholamban was hyperphosphorylated at Serine-16. Protein kinase A inhibition (H-89) in cardiomyocytes from the exercised db/db group abolished the differences in SR-Ca(2+) load when compared with the sedentary db/db mice. EC coupling changes were observed without changes in serum insulin or glucose levels, suggesting that the exercise training-induced effects are not via normalization of the diabetic condition. These data demonstrate that aerobic interval training almost completely restored the contractile function of the diabetic cardiomyocyte to levels close to sedentary wild type.

Some disturbances in the function of ryanodine receptors of spontaneously hypertensive rat cardiomyocytes detected using 4-chlorom-cresol

The rate of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in response to the activation of ryanodine receptors with 4-chlorom-cresol in the cardiomyocytes of three rat strains—spontaneously hypertensive (SHR), normotensive (WKY), and Wistar rats—during 5 weeks of their growth and development was studied aiming to detect the functional differences in the operation of these receptors at various stages of arterial hypertension. In response to 4-chlorom-cresol, a drastic increase in the rates of [Ca2+]i accumulation in SHR myocytes after 17 days of development is recorded versus a decrease in the rates of Ca2+ efflux from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of Wistar and WKY rat cardiomyocytes. A correlation between this phenomenon and a genetic defect of ryanodine receptors in SHR rats seems rather unlikely, as the newborn WKY and SHR rats exposed to 4-chlorom-cresol at a concentration range of 0.5–2.0 mM did not display any differences in the rate of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release. On the other hand, it is possible that the pathological changes in the function of ryanodine receptors manifest themselves later in the ontogenesis. The connection of this phenomenon with an increase in the role of ryanodine receptors in the excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells and an increase in the calpain expression in SHR rats (absent in the WKY rats) by the age of 3 weeks is discussed. It is assumed that the cleavage of ryanodine receptor subunits by calpain can noticeably intensify the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release after activation of these receptors without influencing the receptor binding characteristics.

Hypothermia increases the gain of excitation-contraction coupling in guinea pig ventricular myocytes

Components of excitation-contraction (EC)-coupling were compared at 37 degrees C and 22 degrees C to determine whether hypothermia altered the gain of EC coupling in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Ca(2+) concentration (fura-2) and cell shortening (edge detector) were measured simultaneously. Hypothermia increased fractional shortening (8.3+/-1.7 vs. 2.6+/-0.3% at 37 degrees C), Ca(2+) transients (157+/-33 vs. 35+/-5 nM at 37 degrees C), and diastolic Ca(2+) (100+/-9 vs. 60+/-6 nM at 37 degrees C) in field-stimulated myocytes (2 Hz). In experiments with high-resistance microelectrodes, the increase in contractions and Ca(2+) transients was accompanied by a twofold increase in action potential duration (APD). When voltage-clamp steps eliminated changes in APD, cooling still increased contractions and Ca(2+) transients. Hypothermia increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) stores (83+/-17 at 37 degrees C to 212+/-50 nM, assessed with caffeine) and increased fractional SR Ca(2+) release twofold. In contrast, peak Ca(2+) current was much smaller at 22 degrees C than at 37 degrees C (1.3+/-0.4 and 3.5+/-0.7 pA/pF, respectively). In cells dialyzed with sodium-free pipette solutions to inhibit Ca(2+) influx via reverse-mode Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange, hypothermia still increased contractions, Ca(2+) transients, SR stores, and fractional release but decreased the amplitude of Ca(2+) current. The rate of SR Ca(2+) release per unit Ca(2+) current, a measure of EC-coupling gain, was increased sixfold by hypothermia. This increase in gain occurred regardless of whether cells were dialyzed with sodium-free solutions. Thus an increase in EC-coupling gain contributes importantly to positive inotropic effects of hypothermia in the heart.

Reduced Phospholamban Phosphorylation Is Associated With Impaired Relaxation in Left Ventricular Myocytes From Neuronal NO Synthase–Deficient Mice

Stimulation of nitric oxide (NO) release from the coronary endothelium facilitates myocardial relaxation via a cGMP-dependent reduction in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. Recent evidence suggests that NO released by a neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) in the myocardium can also hasten left ventricular relaxation; however, the mechanism underlying these findings is uncertain. Here we show that both relaxation (TR50) and the rate of [Ca2+]i transient decay (tau) are significantly prolonged in field-stimulated or voltage-clamped left ventricular myocytes from nNOS-/- mice and in wild-type myocytes (nNOS+/+) after acute nNOS inhibition. Disabling the sarcoplasmic reticulum abolished the differences in TR50 and tau, suggesting that impaired sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ reuptake may account for the slower relaxation in nNOS-/- mice. In line with these findings, disruption of nNOS (but not of endothelial NOS) decreased phospholamban phosphorylation (P-Ser16 PLN), whereas nNOS inhibition had no effect on TR50 or tau in PLN-/- myocytes. Inhibition of cGMP signaling had no effect on relaxation in either group whereas protein kinase A inhibition abolished the difference in relaxation and PLN phosphorylation by decreasing P-Ser16 PLN and prolonging TR50 in nNOS+/+ myocytes. Conversely, inhibition of type 1 or 2A protein phosphatases shortened TR50 and increased P-Ser16 PLN in nNOS-/- but not in nNOS+/+ myocytes, in agreement with data showing increased protein phosphatase activity in nNOS-/- hearts. Taken together, our findings identify a novel mechanism by which myocardial nNOS promotes left ventricular relaxation by regulating the protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of PLN and the rate of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ reuptake via a cGMP-independent effect on protein phosphatase activity.

Reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum content of releasable Ca2+ in rat soleus muscle fibres after eccentric contractions

The purpose was to evaluate the effects of fatiguing eccentric contractions (EC) on calcium (Ca2+) handling properties in mammalian type I muscles. We hypothesized that EC reduces both endogenous sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) content of releasable Ca2+ (eSRCa2+) and myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity. Isolated rat soleus muscles performed 30 EC bouts. Single fibres were isolated from the muscle and after mechanical removal of sarcolemma used to measure eSRCa2+, rate of SR Ca2+ loading and myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity. Following EC maximal force in whole muscle was reduced by 30% and 16/100 Hz force ratio by 33%. The eSRCa2+ in fibres from non-stimulated muscles was 45 +/- 5% of the maximal loading capacity. After EC, eSRCa2+ per fibre CSA decreased by 38% (P = 0.05), and the maximal capacity of SR Ca2+ loading was depressed by 32%. There were no effects of EC on either myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity, maximal Ca2+ activated force per cross-sectional area and rate of SR Ca2+ loading, or in SR vesicle Ca2+ uptake and release. We conclude that EC reduces endogenous SR content of releasable Ca2+ but that myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity and SR vesicle Ca2+ kinetics remain unchanged. The present data suggest that the long-lasting fatigue induced by EC, which was more pronounced at low frequencies (low frequency fatigue), is caused by reduced Ca2+ release occurring secondary to reduced SR content of releasable Ca2+.

PICOT Inhibits Cardiac Hypertrophy and Enhances Ventricular Function and Cardiomyocyte Contractility

Multiple signaling pathways involving protein kinase C (PKC) have been implicated in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. We observed that a putative PKC inhibitor, PICOT (PKC-Interacting Cousin Of Thioredoxin) was upregulated in response to hypertrophic stimuli both in vitro and in vivo. This suggested that PICOT may act as an endogenous negative feedback regulator of cardiac hypertrophy through its ability to inhibit PKC activity, which is elevated during cardiac hypertrophy. Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of PICOT completely blocked the hypertrophic response of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes to enthothelin-1 and phenylephrine, as demonstrated by cell size, sarcomere rearrangement, atrial natriuretic factor expression, and rates of protein synthesis. Transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of PICOT showed that PICOT is a potent inhibitor of cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload. In addition, PICOT overexpression dramatically increased the ventricular function and cardiomyocyte contractility as measured by ejection fraction and end-systolic pressure of transgenic hearts and peak shortening of isolated cardiomyocytes, respectively. Intracellular Ca(2+) handing analysis revealed that increases in myofilament Ca(2+) responsiveness, together with increased rate of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) reuptake, are associated with the enhanced contractility in PICOT-overexpressing cardiomyocytes. The inhibition of cardiac remodeling by of PICOT with a concomitant increase in ventricular function and cardiomyocyte contractility suggests that PICOT may provide an efficient modality for treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

Calmodulin kinase modulates Ca2+ release in mouse skeletal muscle

Activation of the contractile machinery in skeletal muscle is initiated by the action-potential-induced release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Several proteins involved in SR Ca2+ release are affected by calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII)-induced phosphorylation in vitro, but the effect in the intact cell remains uncertain and is the focus of the present study. CaMKII inhibitory peptide or inactive control peptide was injected into single isolated fast-twitch fibres of mouse flexor digitorum brevis muscles, and the effect on free myoplasmic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) and force during different patterns of stimulation was measured. Injection of the inactive control peptide had no effect on any of the parameters measured. Conversely, injection of CaMKII inhibitory peptide decreased tetanic [Ca2+]i by ≈25 %, but had no significant effect on the rate of SR Ca2+ uptake or the force-[Ca2+]i relationship. Repeated tetanic stimulation resulted in increased tetanic [Ca2+]i, and this increase was smaller after CaMKII inhibition. In conclusion, CaMKII-induced phosphorylation facilitates SR Ca2+ release in the basal state and during repeated contractions, providing a positive feedback between [Ca2+]i and SR Ca2+ release.

Calmodulin kinase modulates Ca2+ release in mouse skeletal muscle.

Activation of the contractile machinery in skeletal muscle is initiated by the action-potential-induced release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Several proteins involved in SR Ca2+ release are affected by calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII)-induced phosphorylation in vitro, but the effect in the intact cell remains uncertain and is the focus of the present study. CaMKII inhibitory peptide or inactive control peptide was injected into single isolated fast-twitch fibres of mouse flexor digitorum brevis muscles, and the effect on free myoplasmic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) and force during different patterns of stimulation was measured. Injection of the inactive control peptide had no effect on any of the parameters measured. Conversely, injection of CaMKII inhibitory peptide decreased tetanic [Ca2+]i by ~25 %, but had no significant effect on the rate of SR Ca2+ uptake or the force-[Ca2+]i relationship. Repeated tetanic stimulation resulted in increased tetanic [Ca2+]i, and this increase was smaller after CaMKII inhibition. In conclusion, CaMKII-induced phosphorylation facilitates SR Ca2+ release in the basal state and during repeated contractions, providing a positive feedback between [Ca2+]i and SR Ca2+ release.

Morphological and functional changes in cardiac myocytes isolated from mice overexpressing TNF-alpha.

Transgenic (TG) TNF1.6 mice, which cardiac specifically overexpress tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), exhibit heart failure (HF) and increased mortality, which is markedly higher in young (<20 wk) males (TG-M) than females (TG-F). HF in this model may be partly caused by remodeling of the extracellular matrix and/or structure/function alterations at the single myocyte level. We studied left ventricular (LV) structure and function using echocardiography and LV myocyte morphometry, contractile function, and intracellular Ca(2+) (Ca(i)(2+)) handling using cell edge detection and fura 2 fluorescence, respectively, in 12-wk-old TG-M and TG-F mice and their wild-type (WT) littermates. TG-F mice showed LV hypertrophy without dilatation and only a small reduction of basal fractional shortening (FS) and response to isoproterenol (Iso). TG-M mice showed a large LV dilatation, higher mRNA levels of beta-myosin heavy chain and atrial natriuretic factor versus TG-F mice, reduced FS relative to both WT and TG-F mice, and minimal response to Iso. TG-F and TG-M myocytes were similarly elongated (by approximately 20%). The amplitude of Ca(i)(2+) transients and contractions and the response to Iso were comparable in WT and TG-F myocytes, whereas the time to 50% decline (TD(50%)) of the Ca(i)(2+) transient, an index of the rate of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) uptake, was prolonged in TG-F myocytes. In TG-M myocytes, the amplitudes of Ca(i)(2+) transients and contractions were reduced, TD(50%) of the Ca(i)(2+) transient was prolonged, and the inotropic effect of Iso on Ca(i)(2+) transients was reduced approximately twofold versus WT myocytes. Protein expression of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase 2 and phospholamban was unaltered in TG versus WT hearts, suggesting functional origins of impaired Ca(2+) handling in the former. These results indicate that cardiac-specific overexpression of TNF-alpha induces myocyte hypertrophy and gender-dependent alterations in Ca(i)(2+) handling and contractile function, which may at least partly account for changes in LV geometry and in vivo cardiac function in this model.

Regulation of slow wave frequency by IP(3)-sensitive calcium release in the murine small intestine.

Slow waves determine frequency and propagation characteristics of contractions in the small intestine, yet little is known about mechanisms of slow wave regulation. We propose a role for intracellular Ca(2+), inositol 1,4,5,-trisphosphate (IP(3))-sensitive Ca(2+) release, and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) content in the regulation of slow wave frequency because 1) 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-AM, a cytosolic Ca(2+) chelator, reduced the frequency or abolished the slow waves; 2) thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), inhibitors of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase, decreased slow wave frequency; 3) xestospongin C, a reversible, membrane-permeable blocker of IP(3)-induced Ca(2+) release, abolished slow wave activity; 4) caffeine and phospholipase C inhibitors (U-73122, neomycin, and 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-N,N-diphenylcarbamate) inhibited slow wave frequency; 5) in the presence of CPA or thapsigargin, stimulation of IP(3) synthesis with carbachol, norepinephrine, or phenylephrine acting on alpha(1)-adrenoceptors initially increased slow wave frequency but thereafter increased the rate of frequency decline, 6) thimerosal, a sensitizing agent of IP(3) receptors increased slow wave frequency, and 7) ryanodine, a selective modulator of Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release, had no effect on slow wave frequency. In summary, these data are consistent with a role of IP(3)-sensitive Ca(2+) release and the rate of SR Ca(2+) refilling in regulation of intestinal slow wave frequency.

Effects of fatigue on sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofibrillar properties of rat single muscle fibers.

Force decline during fatigue in skeletal muscle is attributed mainly to progressive alterations of the intracellular milieu. Metabolite changes and the decline in free myoplasmic calcium influence the activation and contractile processes. This study was aimed at evaluating whether fatigue also causes persistent modifications of key myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) proteins that contribute to tension reduction. The presence of such modifications was investigated in chemically skinned fibers, a procedure that replaces the fatigued cytoplasm from the muscle fiber with a normal medium. Myofibrillar Ca(2+) sensitivity was reduced in slow-twitch muscle (for example, the pCa value corresponding to 50% of maximum tension was 6.23 +/- 0.03 vs. 5.99 + 0.05, P < 0.01, in rested and fatigued fibers) and not modified in fast-twitch muscle. Phosphorylation of the regulatory myosin light chain isoform increased in fast-twitch muscle. The rate of SR Ca(2+) uptake was increased in slow-twitch muscle fibers (14.2 +/- 1.0 vs. 19.6 +/- 2. 5 nmol. min(-1). mg fiber protein(-1), P < 0.05) and not altered in fast-twitch fibers. No persistent modifications of SR Ca(2+) release properties were found. These results indicate that persistent modifications of myofibrillar and SR properties contribute to fatigue-induced muscle force decline only in slow fibers. These alterations may be either enhanced or counteracted, in vivo, by the metabolic changes that normally occur during fatigue development.