Biomedical subjects

Brian O'Rourke

Publications and source records attributed to Brian O'Rourke.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Mitochondrial ion channels.

In work spanning more than a century, mitochondria have been recognized for their multifunctional roles in metabolism, energy transduction, ion transport, inheritance, signaling, and cell death. Foremost among these tasks is the continuous production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, which requires a large electrochemical driving force for protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. This process requires a membrane with relatively low permeability to ions to minimize energy dissipation. However, a wealth of evidence now indicates that both selective and nonselective ion channels are present in the mitochondrial inner membrane, along with several known channels on the outer membrane. Some of these channels are active under physiological conditions, and others may be activated under pathophysiological conditions to act as the major determinants of cell life and death. This review summarizes research on mitochondrial ion channels and efforts to identify their molecular correlates. Except in a few cases, our understanding of the structure of mitochondrial ion channels is limited, indicating the need for focused discovery in this area.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2006

Nitroxyl improves cellular heart function by directly enhancing cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ cycling.

Heart failure remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although depressed pump function is common, development of effective therapies to stimulate contraction has proven difficult. This is thought to be attributable to their frequent reliance on cAMP stimulation to increase activator Ca(2+). A potential alternative is nitroxyl (HNO), the 1-electron reduction product of nitric oxide (NO) that improves contraction and relaxation in normal and failing hearts in vivo. The mechanism for myocyte effects remains unknown. Here, we show that this activity results from a direct interaction of HNO with the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pump and the ryanodine receptor 2, leading to increased Ca(2+) uptake and release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. HNO increases the open probability of isolated ryanodine-sensitive Ca(2+)-release channels and accelerates Ca(2+) reuptake into isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum by stimulating ATP-dependent Ca(2+) transport. Contraction improves with no net rise in diastolic calcium. These changes are not induced by NO, are fully reversible by addition of reducing agents (redox sensitive), and independent of both cAMP/protein kinase A and cGMP/protein kinase G signaling. Rather, the data support HNO/thiolate interactions that enhance the activity of intracellular Ca(2+) cycling proteins. These findings suggest HNO donors are attractive candidates for the pharmacological treatment of heart failure.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2006

The fundamental organization of cardiac mitochondria as a network of coupled oscillators.

Mitochondria can behave as individual oscillators whose dynamics may obey collective, network properties. We have shown that cardiomyocytes exhibit high-amplitude, self-sustained, and synchronous oscillations of bioenergetic parameters when the mitochondrial network is stressed to a critical state. Computational studies suggested that additional low-amplitude, high-frequency oscillations were also possible. Herein, employing power spectral analysis, we show that the temporal behavior of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) in cardiomyocytes under physiological conditions is oscillatory and characterized by a broad frequency distribution that obeys a homogeneous power law (1/f(beta)) with a spectral exponent, beta = 1.74. Additionally, relative dispersional analysis shows that mitochondrial oscillatory dynamics exhibits long-term memory, characterized by an inverse power law that scales with a fractal dimension (D(f)) of 1.008, distinct from random behavior (D(f) = 1.5), over at least three orders of magnitude. Analysis of a computational model of the mitochondrial oscillator suggests that the mechanistic origin of the power law behavior is based on the inverse dependence of amplitude versus frequency of oscillation related to the balance between reactive oxygen species production and scavenging. The results demonstrate that cardiac mitochondria behave as a network of coupled oscillators under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Elevated cytosolic Na+ decreases mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake during excitation-contraction coupling and impairs energetic adaptation in cardiac myocytes.

Mitochondrial Ca2+ ([Ca2+]m) regulates oxidative phosphorylation and thus contributes to energy supply and demand matching in cardiac myocytes. Mitochondria take up Ca2+ via the Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) and extrude it through the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (mNCE). It is controversial whether mitochondria take up Ca2+ rapidly, on a beat-to-beat basis, or slowly, by temporally integrating cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]c) transients. Furthermore, although mitochondrial Ca2+ efflux is governed by mNCE, it is unknown whether elevated intracellular Na+ ([Na+]i) affects mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and bioenergetics. To monitor [Ca2+]m, mitochondria of guinea pig cardiac myocytes were loaded with rhod-2-acetoxymethyl ester (rhod-2 AM), and [Ca2+]c was monitored with indo-1 after dialyzing rhod-2 out of the cytoplasm. [Ca2+]c transients, elicited by voltage-clamp depolarizations, were accompanied by fast [Ca2+]m transients, whose amplitude (delta) correlated linearly with delta[Ca2+]c. Under beta-adrenergic stimulation, [Ca2+]m decay was approximately 2.5-fold slower than that of [Ca2+]c, leading to diastolic accumulation of [Ca2+]m when amplitude or frequency of delta[Ca2+]c increased. The MCU blocker Ru360 reduced delta[Ca2+]m and increased delta[Ca2+]c, whereas the mNCE inhibitor CGP-37157 potentiated diastolic [Ca2+]m accumulation. Elevating [Na+]i from 5 to 15 mmol/L accelerated mitochondrial Ca2+ decay, thus decreasing systolic and diastolic [Ca2+]m. In response to gradual or abrupt changes of workload, reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH) levels were maintained at 5 mmol/L [Na+]i, but at 15 mmol/L, the NADH pool was partially oxidized. The results indicate that (1) mitochondria take up Ca2+ rapidly and contribute to fast buffering during a [Ca2+]c transient; and (2) elevated [Na+]i impairs mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, with consequent effects on energy supply and demand matching. The latter effect may have implications for cardiac diseases with elevated [Na+]i.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

A computational model integrating electrophysiology, contraction, and mitochondrial bioenergetics in the ventricular myocyte.

An intricate network of reactions is involved in matching energy supply with demand in the heart. This complexity arises because energy production both modulates and is modulated by the electrophysiological and contractile activity of the cardiac myocyte. Here, we present an integrated mathematical model of the cardiac cell that links excitation-contraction coupling with mitochondrial energy generation. The dynamics of the model are described by a system of 50 ordinary differential equations. The formulation explicitly incorporates cytoplasmic ATP-consuming processes associated with force generation and ion transport, as well as the creatine kinase reaction. Changes in the electrical and contractile activity of the myocyte are coupled to mitochondrial energetics through the ATP, Ca2+, and Na+ concentrations in the myoplasmic and mitochondrial matrix compartments. The pseudo steady-state relationship between force and oxygen consumption at various stimulus frequencies and external Ca2+ concentrations is reproduced in both model simulations and direct experiments in cardiac trabeculae under normoxic conditions, recapitulating the linearity between cardiac work and respiration in the heart. Importantly, the model can also reproduce the rapid time-dependent changes in mitochondrial NADH and Ca2+ in response to abrupt changes in workload. The steady-state and dynamic responses of the model were conferred by ADP-dependent stimulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and Ca2+ -dependent regulation of Krebs cycle dehydrogenases, illustrating how the model can be used as a tool for investigating mechanisms underlying metabolic control in the heart.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2006

Beta-adrenergic stimulation of L-type Ca2+ channels in cardiac myocytes requires the distal carboxyl terminus of alpha1C but not serine 1928.

Beta-adrenoceptor stimulation robustly increases cardiac L-type Ca2+ current (ICaL); yet the molecular mechanism of this effect is still not well understood. Previous reports have shown in vitro phosphorylation of a consensus protein kinase A site at serine 1928 on the carboxyl terminus of the alpha1C subunit; however, the functional role of this site has not been investigated in cardiac myocytes. Here, we examine the effects of truncating the distal carboxyl terminus of the alpha1C subunit at amino acid residue 1905 or mutating the putative protein kinase A site at serine 1928 to alanine in adult guinea pig myocytes, using novel dihydropyridine-insensitive alpha1C adenoviruses, coexpressed with beta2 subunits. Expression of alpha1C truncated at 1905 dramatically attenuated the increase of peak ICaL induced by isoproterenol. However, the point mutation S1928A did not significantly attenuate the beta-adrenergic response. The findings indicate that the distal carboxyl-terminus of alpha1C plays an important role in beta-adrenergic upregulation of cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels, but that phosphorylation of serine 1928 is not required for this effect.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

The mitochondrial origin of postischemic arrhythmias.

Recovery of the mitochondrial inner membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) is a key determinant of postischemic functional recovery of the heart. Mitochondrial ROS-induced ROS release causes the collapse of DeltaPsi(m) and the destabilization of the action potential (AP) through a mechanism involving a mitochondrial inner membrane anion channel (IMAC) modulated by the mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptor (mBzR). Here, we test the hypothesis that this mechanism contributes to spatiotemporal heterogeneity of DeltaPsi(m) during ischemia-reperfusion (IR), thereby promoting abnormal electrical activation and arrhythmias in the whole heart. High-resolution optical AP mapping was performed in perfused guinea pig hearts subjected to 30 minutes of global ischemia followed by reperfusion. Typical electrophysiological responses, including progressive AP shortening followed by membrane inexcitablity in ischemia and ventricular fibrillation upon reperfusion, were observed in control hearts. These responses were reduced or eliminated by treatment with the mBzR antagonist 4'-chlorodiazepam (4'-Cl-DZP), which blocks depolarization of DeltaPsi(m). When applied throughout the IR protocol, 4'-Cl-DZP blunted AP shortening and prevented reperfusion arrhythmias. Inhibition of ventricular fibrillation was also achieved by bolus infusion of 4'-Cl-DZP just before reperfusion. Conversely, treatment with an agonist of the mBzR that promotes DeltaPsi(m) depolarization exacerbated IR-induced electrophysiological changes and failed to prevent arrhythmias. The effects of these compounds were consistent with their actions on IMAC and DeltaPsi(m). These findings directly link instability of DeltaPsi(m) to the heterogeneous electrophysiological substrate of the postischemic heart and highlight the mitochondrial membrane as a new therapeutic target for arrhythmia prevention in ischemic heart disease.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2005

Mitochondrial criticality: a new concept at the turning point of life or death.

A variety of stressors can cause the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)), but the events leading up to this catastrophic cellular event are not well understood at the mechanistic level. Based on our recent studies of oscillations in mitochondrial energetics, we have coined the term "mitochondrial criticality" to describe the state in which the mitochondrial network of cardiomyocytes becomes very sensitive to small perturbations in reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in the scaling of local mitochondrial uncoupling and DeltaPsi(m) loss to the whole cell, and the myocardial syncytium. At the point of criticality, the dynamics of the mitochondrial network bifurcate to oscillatory behavior. These energetic changes are translated into effects on the electrical excitability of the cell, inducing dramatic changes in the morphology and the threshold for activating an action potential. Emerging evidence suggests that this mechanism, by creating spatial and temporal heterogeneity of excitability in the heart during ischemia and reperfusion, underlies the genesis of potentially lethal cardiac arrhythmias.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Cardioprotective role of the mitochondrial ATP-binding cassette protein 1.

The mechanism by which mitochondria exert protection against oxidant stress is not clear. We recently showed that a purified mitochondrial fraction containing 5 coimmunoprecipitating proteins (succinate dehydrogenase, adenine nucleotide translocator, ATP synthase, inorganic phosphate carrier, and mitochondrial ATP-binding cassette protein 1 or mABC1) displayed mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+-channel activity. mABC1, a member of the ABC family of proteins, is the only protein in this complex whose function is not known. A yeast homologue of mABC1 protein, Mdl1p, was recently identified to have a novel role for induction of cellular resistance to oxidant stress. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that mABC1 plays a key role in protection of myocardial cells against oxidant stress. We studied the function of mABC1 by modulating the levels of this protein in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes using various molecular techniques, followed by assessment of cell viability and measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential. RNA interference resulted in reduced mABC1 mRNA and protein levels and was associated with significantly attenuated loss of tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester fluorescence under basal conditions and an increase in trypan blue stained cells. In contrast, adenovirally mediated expression of mABC1 resulted in protection against oxidant stress loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. These results support the notion that mABC1 protein plays a major role in cellular protection against oxidant stress, identifying mABC1 as a novel target for cardioprotective therapeutics.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1↗

PubMed2005

Reverse engineering the L-type Ca2+ channel alpha1c subunit in adult cardiac myocytes using novel adenoviral vectors.

The alpha(1c) subunit of the cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channel, which contains the channel pore, voltage- and Ca(2+)-dependent gating structures, and drug binding sites, has been well studied in heterologous expression systems, but many aspects of L-type Ca(2+) channel behavior in intact cardiomyocytes remain poorly characterized. Here, we develop adenoviral constructs with E1, E3 and fiber gene deletions, to allow incorporation of full-length alpha(1c) gene cassettes into the adenovirus backbone. Wild-type (alpha(1c-wt)) and mutant (alpha(1c-D-)) Ca(2+) channel adenoviruses were constructed. The alpha(1c-D-) contained four point substitutions at amino acid residues known to be critical for dihydropyridine binding. Both alpha(1c-wt) and alpha(1c-D-) expressed robustly in A549 cells (peak L-type Ca(2+) current (I(CaL)) at 0 mV: alpha(1c-wt) -9.94+/-1.00pA/pF, n=9; alpha(1c-D-) -10.30pA/pF, n=12). I(CaL) carried by alpha(1c-D-) was markedly less sensitive to nitrendipine (IC(50) 17.1 microM) than alpha(1c-wt) (IC(50) 88 nM); a feature exploited to discriminate between engineered and native currents in transduced guinea-pig myocytes. 10 microM nitrendipine blocked only 51+/-5% (n=9) of I(CaL) in alpha(1c-D-)-expressing myocytes, in comparison to 86+/-8% (n=9) of I(CaL) in control myocytes. Moreover, in 20 microM nitrendipine, calcium transients could still be evoked in alpha(1c-D-)-transduced cells, but were largely blocked in control myocytes, indicating that the engineered channels were coupled to sarcoplasmic reticular Ca(2+) release. These alpha(1c) adenoviruses provide an unprecedented tool for structure-function studies of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling and L-type Ca(2+) channel regulation in the native myocyte background.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed2005

Mitochondrial K(ATP) channels in cell survival and death.

Since the discovery of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel (mitoK(ATP)) more than 13 years ago, it has been implicated in the processes of ischemic preconditioning (IPC), apoptosis and mitochondrial matrix swelling. Different approaches have been employed to characterize the pharmacological profile of the channel, and these studies strongly suggest that cellular protection well correlates with the opening of mitoK(ATP). However, there are many questions regarding mitoK(ATP) that remain to be answered. These include the very existence of mitoK(ATP) itself, its degree of importance in the process of IPC, its response to different pharmacological agents, and how its activation leads to the process of IPC and protection against cell death. Recent findings suggest that mitoK(ATP) may be a complex of multiple mitochondrial proteins, including some which have been suggested to be components of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. However, the identity of the pore-forming unit of the channel and the details of the interactions between these proteins remain unclear. In this review, we attempt to highlight the recent advances in the physiological role of mitoK(ATP) and discuss the controversies and unanswered questions.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2005

Molecular correlates of altered expression of potassium currents in failing rabbit myocardium.

Action potential (AP) prolongation is a hallmark of failing myocardium. Functional downregulation of K currents is a prominent feature of cells isolated from failing ventricles. The detailed changes in K current expression differ depending on the species, the region of the heart, and the mechanism of induction of heart failure. We used complementary approaches to study K current downregulation in pacing tachycardia-induced heart failure in the rabbit. The AP duration (APD) at 90% repolarization was significantly longer in cells isolated from failing hearts compared with controls (539 +/- 162 failing vs. 394 +/- 114 control, P < 0.05). The major K currents in the rabbit heart, inward rectifier potassium current (I(K1)), transient outward (I(to)), and delayed rectifier current (I(K)) were functionally downregulated in cells isolated from failing ventricles. The mRNA levels of Kv4.2, Kv1.4, KChIP2, and Kir2.1 were significantly downregulated, whereas the Kv4.3, Erg, KvLQT1, and minK were unaltered in the failing ventricles compared with the control left ventricles. Significant downregulation in the long splice variant of Kv4.3, but not in the total Kv4.3, Kv4.2, and KChIP2 immunoreactive protein, was observed in cells isolated from the failing ventricle with no change in Kv1.4, KvLQT1, and in Kir2.1 immunoreactive protein levels. Multiple cellular and molecular mechanisms underlie the downregulation of K currents in the failing rabbit ventricle.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2005

Allyl alcohol and garlic (Allium sativum) extract produce oxidative stress in Candida albicans.

Both the growth and respiration of Candida albicans are sensitive to extracts of Allium sativum and investigations into the anticandidal activities are now focussing on the purified constituents to determine the targets of inhibition. Of particular interest is allyl alcohol (AA), a metabolic product that accumulates after trituration of garlic cloves. Putative targets for AA were investigated by monitoring changes in intracellular responses after exposure of C. albicans cells to AA or a commercially available garlic extract. Two-photon laser scanning microscopy and other techniques were used. Changes typical of oxidative stress--NADH oxidation and glutathione depletion, and increased reactive oxygen species--were observed microscopically and by flow cytometry. Known targets for AA are alcohol dehydrogenases Adh1 and 2 (in the cytosol) and Adh3 (mitochondrial), although the significant decrease in NAD(P)H after addition of AA is indicative of another mechanism of action.

Candida albicans↗

PubMed2005

Mitochondrial ion channels: gatekeepers of life and death.

Continuous generation of ATP by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is essential to maintain function in mechanically active cells such as cardiomyocytes. Emerging evidence indicates that mitochondrial ion channels activated by reactive oxygen species can induce a mitochondrial "critical" state, which can scale to cause electrical and contractile dysfunction of the cardiac cell and, ultimately, the whole heart. Here we focus on how mitochondrial ion channels participate in life-and-death decisions of the cell and discuss the challenges ahead for translating recent findings into novel therapeutic applications.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Cardiac sodium-calcium exchanger is regulated by allosteric calcium and exchanger inhibitory peptide at distinct sites.

The sarcolemmal Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) is the main Ca2+ extrusion mechanism in cardiac myocytes and is thus essential for the regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis and contractile function. A cytosolic region (f-loop) of the protein mediates regulation of NCX function by intracellular factors including inhibition by exchanger inhibitory peptide (XIP), a 20 amino acid peptide matching the sequence of an autoinhibitory region involved in allosteric regulation of NCX by intracellular Na+, Ca2+, and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate (PIP2). Previous evidence indicates that the XIP interaction domain can be eliminated by large deletions of the f-loop that also remove activation of NCX by intracellular Ca2+. By whole-cell voltage clamping experiments, we demonstrate that deletion of residues 562-679, but not 440- 456, 498-510, or 680-685 of the f-loop selectively eliminates XIP-mediated inhibition of NCX expressed either heterologously (HEK293 and A549 cells) or in guinea pig cardiac myocytes. In contrast, by plotting I(NCX) against reverse-mode NCX-mediated Ca2+ transients in myocytes, we demonstrate that Ca2+-dependent regulation of NCX is preserved in Delta562-679, but significantly reduced in the other three deletion mutants. The findings indicate that f-loop residues 562-679 may contain the regulatory site for endogenous XIP, but this site is distinct from the Ca2+-regulatory domains of the NCX. Because regulation of the NCX by Na+ and PIP2 involves the endogenous XIP region, the Delta562-679 mutant NCX may be a useful tool to investigate this regulation in the context of the whole cardiac myocyte.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2004

The role of stochastic and modal gating of cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels on early after-depolarizations.

Certain signaling events that promote L-type Ca2+ channel (LCC) phosphorylation, such as beta-adrenergic stimulation or an increased expression of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, promote mode 2 gating of LCCs. Experimental data suggest the hypothesis that these events increase the likelihood of early after-depolarizations (EADs). We test this hypothesis using an ionic model of the canine ventricular myocyte incorporating stochastic gating of LCCs and ryanodine-sensitive calcium release channels. The model is extended to describe myocyte responses to the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. Results demonstrate that in the presence of isoproterenol the random opening of a small number of LCCs gating in mode 2 during the plateau phase of the action potential (AP) can trigger EADs. EADs occur randomly, where the likelihood of these events increases as a function of the fraction of LCCs gating in mode 2. Fluctuations of the L-type Ca2+ current during the AP plateau lead to variability in AP duration. Consequently, prolonged APs are occasionally observed and exhibit an increased likelihood of EAD formation. These results suggest a novel stochastic mechanism, whereby phosphorylation-induced changes in LCC gating properties contribute to EAD generation.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2004

Vascular endothelial growth factor regulation of Weibel-Palade-body exocytosis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) not only regulates angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and vasodilation but also promotes vascular inflammation. However, the molecular basis for the proinflammatory effects of VEGF is not understood. We now show that VEGF activates endothelial cell exocytosis of Weibel-Palade bodies, releasing vasoactive substances capable of causing vascular thrombosis and inflammation. VEGF triggers endothelial exocytosis in part through calcium and phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) signal transduction. However, VEGF also modulates endothelial cell exocytosis by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) production of nitric oxide (NO), which nitrosylates N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) and inhibits exocytosis. Thus, VEGF plays a dual role in regulating endothelial exocytosis, triggering pathways that both promote and inhibit endothelial exocytosis. Regulation of endothelial exocytosis may explain part of the proinflammatory effects of VEGF.

Aorta↗

PubMed2004

Partial inhibition of sodium/calcium exchange restores cellular calcium handling in canine heart failure.

Sodium/calcium (Na+/Ca2+) exchange (NCX) overexpression is common to human heart failure and heart failure in many animal models, but its specific contribution to the cellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) handling deficit is unclear. Here, we investigate the effects of exchange inhibitory peptide (XIP) on Ca2+ handling in myocytes isolated from canine tachycardic pacing-induced failing hearts. Whole-cell patch-clamped left ventricular myocytes from failing hearts (F) showed a 52% decrease in steady-state sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ load and a 44% reduction in the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient, as compared with myocytes from normal hearts (N). Intracellular application of XIP (30 micromol/L) normalized the [Ca2+]i transient amplitude in F (3.86-fold increase), concomitant with a similar increase in SR Ca2+ load. The degree of NCX inhibition at this concentration of XIP was 27% and was selective for NCX: L-type Ca2+ currents and plasmalemmal Ca2+ pumps were not affected. XIP also indirectly improved the rate of [Ca2+]i removal at steady-state, secondary to Ca2+-dependent activation of SR Ca2+ uptake. The findings indicate that in the failing heart cell, NCX inhibition can improve SR Ca2+ load by shifting the balance of Ca2+ fluxes away from trans-sarcolemmal efflux toward SR accumulation. Hence, inhibition of the Ca2+ efflux mode of the exchanger could potentially be an effective therapeutic strategy for improving contractility in congestive heart failure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗