Anesthetic-induced alteration in expression of myocardial calcium cycling proteins.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that anesthesia alone or in combination with high F(I)(O)2 alters expression of the myocardial calcium cycling proteins, sarcoplasmic endoreticular calcium adenosine triphosphatase subtype 2a (SERCA2a), and the sarcolemmal sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX).

Design: Multigroup comparison of protein expression using analysis of variance.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Subjects: Twenty-seven New Zealand white rabbits.

Interventions: After sedation and the induction of anesthesia, animals underwent either tracheal intubation and ventilation for 5 hours with 1.0% end-tidal halothane in oxygen (HAL-O(2) , n = 5) or air (HAL-air, n = 5) or time-control recovery while spontaneously breathing oxygen (TC-O(2) , n = 5) or air (TC-air, n = 5) for 5 hours. Halothane dose was based on pilot data from 2 rabbits. Animals were then sacrificed, and the hearts were removed for Western blot analysis. Data were normalized to those from a group of rabbits immediately sacrificed (n = 5) without any prior treatment.

Measurements And Main Results: In comparison to their respective time controls, SERCA2a was decreased 23 % in both HAL-air and HAL-O(2) groups, whereas NCX was increased 34% and 122%, respectively. Expression was distinctly different between HAL-air and HAL-O(2) for both SERCA2a (p = 0.009) and NCX (p < 0.001), indicating an influence of high F(I)O(2). Similarly, SERCA2a in the TC-O(2) group was reduced 25% relative to the TC-air group.

Conclusion: Halothane alters the expression of myocardial calcium cycling proteins, and this effect is potentiated by high F(I)O(2) . These data offer the broad conclusion that perioperative interventions may influence the study of myocardial molecular remodeling and suggest the possibility of anesthetic-induced myocardial molecular remodeling.