Endothelin-1 release during the early phase of reperfusion is a mediator of myocardial reperfusion injury.

Purpose: In acute myocardial infarction, left ventricular (LV) unloading reduces endothelin-1 (ET-1) release. We tested that endogenous ET-1 released during acute myocardial infarction might mediate ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by stimulating increased intracellular calcium concentration, [Ca(2+)]i, and apoptosis.

Methods: Rabbits were subjected to 1 h of coronary artery occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion.

Heparins with reduced anti-coagulant activity reduce myocardial reperfusion injury.

Heparin which is desulfated at the 2-O and 3-O positions (ODSH) has reduced anti-coagulant properties, and reduced interaction with heparin antibodies. Because of the reduced anti-coagulant effect, ODSH can be safely administered to animals and humans intravenously at doses up to 20 mg/kg, resulting in a serum concentration of up to 250µg/ml. Administration of ODSH causes a 35% reduction in infarct size in dogs and pigs subjected to coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion when given 5 min before reperfusion.

Nonanticoagulant heparin reduces myocyte Na+ and Ca2+ loading during simulated ischemia and decreases reperfusion injury.

Heparin desulfated at the 2-O and 3-O positions (ODSH) decreases canine myocardial reperfusion injury. We hypothesized that this occurs from effects on ion channels rather than solely from anti-inflammatory activities, as previously proposed. We studied closed-chest pigs with balloon left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion (75-min) and reperfusion (3-h).

Direct toxic effects of aqueous extract of cigarette smoke on cardiac myocytes at clinically relevant concentrations.

Aims: Our goal was to determine if clinically relevant concentrations of aqueous extract of cigarette smoke (CSE) have direct deleterious effects on ventricular myocytes during simulated ischemia, and to investigate the mechanisms involved.

Methods: CSE was prepared with a smoking chamber. Ischemia was simulated by metabolic inhibition (MI) with cyanide (CN) and 0 glucose.

Left ventricular unloading before reperfusion reduces endothelin-1 release and calcium overload in porcine myocardial infarction.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that after an acute myocardial infarction, endothelin-1 release with subsequent calcium overload is a mediator of myocardial reperfusion injury, which can be inhibited, in part, by left ventricular unloading immediately before reperfusion. We recently have reported that left ventricular unloading before reperfusion reduces infarct size after acute myocardial infarction. However, the biologic mechanisms of infarct salvage in unloaded hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion remain undefined.

Ranolazine inhibits an oxidative stress-induced increase in myocyte sodium and calcium loading during simulated-demand ischemia.

Ranolazine inhibits the late Na current and is proposed to reduce angina by decreasing [Na]i during ischemia, thereby reducing Ca influx via Na/Ca exchange (NCX). We sought to test this hypothesis and to determine whether oxidative stress during simulated-demand ischemia activates the late Na current. We measured [Ca]i and [Na]i in rabbit ventricular myocytes by flow cytometry during metabolic inhibition (MI) with 2 mM cyanide and 0 mM glucose at 37 degrees C plus pacing (P) at 0.

Activation of coagulation during routine diagnostic coronary angiography.

Aims: The role of anticoagulation during percutaneous coronary intervention has been well established. However, the role of anticoagulation during diagnostic coronary angiography remains unclear. Prothrombin fragment1+2 (PF1+2) and D-dimer (DD) have been reported to be useful in evaluating thrombotic phenomena.

Human alpha B-crystallin mutation causes oxido-reductive stress and protein aggregation cardiomyopathy in mice.

The autosomal dominant mutation in the human alphaB-crystallin gene inducing a R120G amino acid exchange causes a multisystem, protein aggregation disease including cardiomyopathy. The pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy in this mutant (hR120GCryAB) is poorly understood. Here, we show that transgenic mice overexpressing cardiac-specific hR120GCryAB recapitulate the cardiomyopathy in humans and find that the mice are under reductive stress.

Na"Fuzzy space": does it exist, and is it important in ischemic injury?

Work is reviewed which provides evidence for the presence of a subsarcolemmal microdomain, in which the [Na(+)] is influenced by Na(+) influx via the Na(+) channel and the activity of the Na pump. The sarcolemma adjacent to this microdomain, which has been referred to as "Na(+) fuzzy space," appears to include Na-Ca exchangers, and thus alterations of [Na(+)] in this space may influence Ca(2+) influx and efflux, and thus Ca(2+) loading, more directly than do alterations of bulk cytoplasmic [Na(+)]. The degree of Ca(2+) loading is an important determinant of contractility in heart muscle, and therefore alterations in fuzzy space [Na(+)] may be important in mediating the positive inotropic effects of Na pump inhibitors, such as digitalis, and the negative inotropic effects of Na(+) channel blockers such as disopyramide.

CRYAB and HSPB2 deficiency increases myocyte mitochondrial permeability transition and mitochondrial calcium uptake.

Double knockout (DKO) of the small heat shock proteins CRYAB and HSPB2 increases necrosis and apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in vitro, but the mechanisms involved are unknown. We examined [Ca2+]i during metabolic inhibition (MI) changes in [Ca2+]m induced by exposure to elevated [Ca2+]i, and whether mitochondria in isolated DKO ventricular myocytes (VM) are more susceptible than wild type (WT) to induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT). The rise in [Ca2+]i in DKO myocytes during metabolic inhibition (MI) was less than in WT, and ouabain caused a greater increase in [Ca2+]m in DKO than in WT.

Percutaneous coronary interventions with stents in cardiac transplant recipients.

Background: Allograft coronary vasculopathy is a major cause of death beyond the first year after cardiac transplantation. The aim of this study was to review our experience with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stents in cardiac transplant recipients.

Methods: We identified patients who were treated with PCI using stents.

Propagation of Ca2+ release in cardiac myocytes: role of mitochondria.

Factors contributing to "local control" of Ca2+ release in cardiac myocytes are incompletely understood. We induced local release of Ca2+ by regional exposure of mouse atrial and ventricular myocytes to 10mM caffeine for 500 ms using a rapid solution switcher. Propagation of Ca2+ release was imaged by means of a Nipkow confocal microscope, and fluo-3.

Relative abundance of alpha2 Na(+) pump isoform influences Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger currents and Ca(2+) transients in mouse ventricular myocytes.

In the mouse, genetic reduction in the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase alpha1 or alpha2 isoforms results in different functional phenotypes: heterozygous alpha2 isolated hearts are hypercontractile, whereas heterozygous alpha1 hearts are hypocontractile. We examined Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange (NCX) currents in voltage clamped myocytes (pipette [Na(+)]=15 mM) induced by abrupt removal of extracellular Na(+). In wild-type (WT) myocytes, peak exchanger currents were 0.

Difference in propagation of Ca2+ release in atrial and ventricular myocytes.

Intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) was imaged in atrial and ventricular rat myocytes by means of a high-speed Nipkow confocal microscope. Atrial myocytes with an absent t-tubule system on 8-di- ANEPPS staining showed an initial rise in Ca2+ at the periphery of the cell, which propagated to the interior of the cell. Ventricular myocytes showed a uniform rise in [Ca2+]i after electrical stimulation, consistent with a prominent t-tubular network.

A beneficial role of cardiac P2X4 receptors in heart failure: rescue of the calsequestrin overexpression model of cardiomyopathy.

The P2X4 purinergic receptor (P2X4R) is a ligand-gated ion channel. Its activation by extracellular ATP results in Ca2+ influx. Transgenic cardiac overexpression of the human P2X4 receptor showed an in vitro phenotype of enhanced basal contractility.

Saxitoxin blocks L-type ICa.

Saxitoxin (STX) and tetrodotoxin (TTX) are frequently used to selectively block sodium channels. In this study, we provide evidence that commercial STX also inhibits L-type Ca2+ currents (I(Ca,L)) in adult mouse ventricular myocytes (VMs) and tsA-201 cells that were transiently cotransfected with three calcium channel subunits. We measured inhibition of sodium currents (INa) in mouse VMs, of I(Ca,L) in mouse VM and tsA-201 cells, and intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) transients in single mouse VMs.

Elective coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention during uninterrupted warfarin therapy.

The management of patients anticoagulated with warfarin and referred for coronary angiography presents a substantial challenge to the physician who must minimize risks of periprocedural hemorrhage and thromboembolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of performing diagnostic coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention during uninterrupted warfarin therapy. Patients treated with warfarin were prospectively identified and enrolled in the study.

Comparison of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase function in human, dog, rabbit, and mouse ventricular myocytes.

It has been reported that sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) uptake is more rapid in rat than rabbit ventricular myocytes, but little information is available on the relative SR Ca(2+) uptake activity in others species, including humans. We induced Ca(2+) transients with a short caffeine pulse protocol (rapid solution switcher, 10 mM caffeine, 100 ms) in single ventricular myocytes voltage clamped (-80 mV) with pipettes containing 100 microM fluo-3 and nominal 0 Ca(2+), in 0 Na(+)(o)/0 Ca(2+)(o) solution to inhibit Na/Ca exchange. SR in non-paced human, dog, rabbit, and mouse ventricular myocytes could be readily loaded with Ca(2+) under our experimental conditions with a pipette [Ca(2+)] = 100 nM.

Ca2+ sparks induced by Na/Ca exchange.

Whether Ca(2+) influx on the Na/Ca exchanger (NCX) can trigger elementary sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release events (Ca(2+) sparks) is controversial. We imaged [Ca(2+)](i) (Nipkow confocal microscope and fluo-3) in left ventricular myocytes isolated from wild type (WT) and transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing NCX 2.5-fold.

Intracellular Na+ regulation in cardiac myocytes.

Intracellular [Na+] ([Na+]i) is regulated in cardiac myocytes by a balance of Na+ influx and efflux mechanisms. In the normal cell there is a large steady state electrochemical gradient favoring Na+ influx. This potential energy is used by numerous transport mechanisms, including Na+ channels and transporters which couple Na+ influx to either co- or counter-transport of other ions and solutes.

Effects of FK506 on [Ca2+]i differ in mouse and rabbit ventricular myocytes.

FK506 binding proteins (FKBPs 12 and 12.6) interact with ryanodine receptor (RyR) and modulate its functions. FK506 binds to and reverses effects of FKBP on RyR, thus increasing RyR sensitivity to Ca2+, decreasing RyR cooperativity, and increasing RyR open probability.