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Biomedical subjects

J Weirich

Publications and source records attributed to J Weirich.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Ca(2+) entry into primary cultured pig coronary smooth muscle cells after previous store depletion by repetitive P2Y purinoceptor stimulation.

Store-operated Ca(2+) entry, stimulated by depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) pools, has not been fully elucidated in vascular smooth muscle cells of pig coronary arteries. Therefore, [Ca(2+)](i) was measured in cultured cells derived from extramural pig coronary arteries using the Fura-2/AM fluorometry. Divalent cation entry was visualized with the Fura-2 Mn(2+)-quenching technique. Ca(2+) stores were depleted either by repetitive stimulation of P2Y purinoceptors with ATP (10 micromol/L), or by the sarcoendoplasmic Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor 2,5-Di-(tert-butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (BHQ; 1 micromol/L) in Ca(2+)-free medium (EGTA 1 mmol/L). Addition of Ca(2+)(1 mmol/L) induced refilling of ATP-sensitive Ca(2+) stores and an increase in [Ca(2+)](i) in the presence of BHQ. Both could be significantly diminished by Ni(2+)(5 and 1mmol/L), La(3+)(10 micromol/L), Gd(3+)(10 micromol/L), and Mg(2+)(5.1 mmol/L). In contrast to the BHQ-mediated rise in [Ca(2+)](i), refilling of ATP-depleted stores was affected by neither flufenamate (0.1 mmol/L), nor by nitrendipine, nifedipine, and nisoldipine (each 1 micromol/L). The data suggest that after store depletion in pig coronary smooth muscle cells ATP and BHQ may converge on a common, Ni(2+)-, La(3+)-, Gd(3+)-, and Mg(2+)- sensitive Ca(2+) entry pathway, i.e. on a store-operated Ca(2+) entry. An additional contribution of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger cannot be excluded. Flufenamate-sensitive non-selective cation channels and dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type Ca(2+) channels are not involved in refilling of Ca(2+) stores after previous depletion by repetitive P2Y purinoceptor stimulation. The store-operated Ca(2+) entry in-between repetitive purinoceptor stimulation, i.e. in the absence of the agonist, may be responsible for the maintenance of agonist-induced rhythmic Ca(2+) responses.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Feedback regulation of glucose transporter gene transcription in Kluyveromyces lactis by glucose uptake.

In the respirofermentative yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, only a single genetic locus encodes glucose transporters that can support fermentative growth. This locus is polymorphic in wild-type isolates carrying either KHT1 and KHT2, two tandemly arranged HXT-like genes, or RAG1, a low-affinity transporter gene that arose by recombination between KHT1 and KHT2. Here we show that KHT1 is a glucose-induced gene encoding a low-affinity transporter very similar to Rag1p. Kht2p has a lower K(m) (3.7 mM) and a more complex regulation. Transcription is high in the absence of glucose, further induced by low glucose concentrations, and repressed at higher glucose concentrations. The response of KHT1 and KHT2 gene regulation to high but not to low concentrations of glucose depends on glucose transport. The function of either Kht1p or Kht2p is sufficient to mediate the characteristic response to high glucose, which is impaired in a kht1 kht2 deletion mutant. Thus, the KHT genes are subject to mutual feedback regulation. Moreover, glucose repression of the endogenous beta-galactosidase (LAC4) promoter and glucose induction of pyruvate decarboxylase were abolished in the kht1 kht2 mutant. These phenotypes could be partially restored by HXT gene family members from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results indicate that the specific responses to high but not to low glucose concentrations require a high rate of glucose uptake.

Culture Media↗

Mercury exposures in riverside Amazon communities in Pará, Brazil.

Cross-sectional studies were conducted in three riverside communities in the state of Pará in the Amazon Region of Brazil. Two of these communities, Brasília Legal and São Luís do Tapajós, are located in a watershed exposed to mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining, and the third, Santana do Ituqui, is outside this area. The studies were based upon a community census and included all persons volunteering for participation in each community. All participants were surveyed by questionnaire for health history, occupation, residence, and diet. Clinical evaluations were also done on each subject, along with collection of blood, urine, feces, and hair. Fish samples were collected to represent the most frequently consumed species. Mercury was measured in hair and fish. Although no signs or symptoms of overt mercury intoxication were observed, persons in Brasília Legal and São Luís do Tapajós had higher levels of mercury in hair than residents of Santana de Ituqui, located out of the risk area. Levels of mercury in fish were below Brazilian health guidance limits, but the high rates of fish consumption among these populations raise concerns for the possible effects of chronic exposure, especially among young children and women of childbearing age.

Adolescent↗

[Current classification of anti-arrhythmia agents].

Antiarrhythmic drugs can be divided into four Vaughan Williams classes (I-IV) according to defined electrophysiological effects on the myocardium. Thus, the Vaughan Williams classification also coincides with the main myocardial targets of the antiarrhythmics, i.e., myocardial sodium-, potassium-, and calcium-channels or beta-adrenergic receptors. A more detailed characterization which is also based on the myocardial targets of a drug is given by the "Sicilian Gambit" approach of classification. Nevertheless, the appropriate drug for the management of a given clinical arrhythmia has to be chosen according to the electrophysiological effects of the respective drug. A main determinant of the antiarrhythmic or proarrhythmic properties of a drug is the frequency dependence of its electrophysiological effects. The sodium-channel blockade induced by class-I substances is enhanced with increasing heart rates. Thus, class-I antiarrhythmics can be subclassified as substances showing a more exponential, an approximately linear, or rather saturated block-frequency relation. Class-III antiarrhythmics (potassium-channel blockade) can be further differentiated according to the component of the delayed rectifier potassium current (IK) which is inhibited by a drug. Class-III drugs inhibiting selectively the rapidly activating and deactivating IKr component exhibit a marked reverse rate dependence, i.e., the drug induced prolongation of the cardiac action potential is minimized at high rates. On the other hand, during bradycardia the pronounced action potential prolongation may cause early afterdepolarizations and triggered activity leading to torsades de pointes arrhythmias (acquired QT syndrome). Class-III substances inhibiting the slowly activating IKs component are currently under investigation and are expected to show a direct rate dependence. Experimental data available so far point to an action potential prolonging effect at least independent of rate. However, it is uncertain whether proarrhythmic effects can be thus avoided, especially in light of the fact that one form of congenital QT syndrome (LQT1) seems to be linked to dysfunction of the IKs-channel.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Rate-dependence of antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic properties of class I and class III antiarrhythmic drugs.

Rate or frequency-dependence is a characteristic property of antiarrhythmic drugs belonging to the Vaughan William classes I and III. The rate-dependence of class I drugs (i.e., increasing blockade of fast Na(+)-channels with faster rates) results from periodical drug binding to Na(+)-channel sites which are preferably available in the activated and/or inactivated channel states (use-dependence). With respect to their binding and unbinding kinetics, class I drugs can be subdivided into three groups (group 1-group 3) which differ in their block-frequency relations as well as in their onset kinetics of channel blockade. These properties can serve as predictors of the anti- and proarrhythmic potential of class I drugs. Class III drugs (blockers of potassium channels) are mostly characterized by reverse rate-dependence (loss of class III action at faster rates). However, this property cannot be attributed to reverse use-dependence, i.e., binding to channels in the rested state. It is more likely due to different rate-dependent contributions of the two components of the delayed rectifier potassium current to repolarization, when the rapidly activating, the rectifying component IKr is specifically blocked by class III drugs, while the slowly activating component IKs remains unchanged. In spite of their reverse rate-dependence, class III drugs exert an antifibrillatory effect when fibrillation is induced by frequent stimulation. This can be attributed to the slow time course of the decline (offset kinetics) of the class III effect accompanying a sudden increase in frequency. Proarrhythmic effects of class III drugs result from the delay in repolarization that may favor the development of early afterdepolarizations. The proarrhythmic potential of class III drugs is species dependent and is favored if the contribution of IKr to the repolarization phase of the action potential is comparatively large.

Action Potentials↗

Influence of mutations in hexose-transporter genes on glucose repression in Kluyveromyces lactis.

The variability of Kluyveromyces lactis strains in sensitivity to glucose is correlated with genetic differences in Kluyveromyces hexose transporter (KHT) genes. The glucose sensitive strain JA6 was shown to contain an additional gene, KHT2, not found in strains that are less sensitive. KHT2 is tandemly arranged with KHT1 which is identical to the low-affinity transporter gene RAG1, except for the C-terminus. Sequence analysis indicated that most of KHT2 had been lost by a recombination event between KHT1 and KHT2 generating the chimeric gene RAG1. Recombination between KHT1 and KHT2 was also found in mutants of JA6 selected as 2-deoxyglucose resistant colonies. These mutants, like kht1 kht2 double mutants were unable to grow on glucose when respiration was blocked (Rag- phenotype) and glucose repression was strongly reduced. kht1 or kht2 single mutants of JA6 were Rag+ but still an influence of the kht mutations on glucose repression was detectable. Repression was not affected in a Rag- mutant deleted for the phosphoglucose isomerase gene suggesting that the influence of transporter genes on repression is not caused by a reduction of the glycolytic flux. The data rather suggest that sensitivity to glucose repression is dependent on the rate of glucose uptake.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Alterations in intracellular calcium handling associated with the inverse force-frequency relation in human dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The present study was performed to test the hypothesis that the altered force-frequency relation in human failing dilated cardiomyopathy may be attributed to alterations in intracellular calcium handling. METHODS AND RESULTS: The force-frequency relation was investigated in isometrically contracting ventricular muscle strip preparations from 5 nonfailing human hearts and 7 hearts with end-stage failing dilated cardiomyopathy. Intracellular calcium cycling was measured simultaneously by use of the bioluminescent photoprotein aequorin. Stimulation frequency was increased stepwise from 15 to 180 beats per minute (37 degrees C). In nonfailing myocardium, twitch tension and aequorin light emission rose with increasing rates of stimulation. Maximum average twitch tension was reached at 150 min-1 and was increased to 212 +/- 34% (P < .05) of the value at 15 min-1. Aequorin light emission was lowest at 15 min-1 and was maximally increased at 180 min-1 to 218 +/- 39% (P < .01). In the failing myocardium, average isometric tension was maximum at 60 min-1 (106 +/- 7% of the basal value at 15 min-1, P = NS) and then decreased continuously to 62 +/- 9% of the basal value at 180 min-1 (P < .002). In the failing myocardium, aequorin light emission was highest at 15 min-1. At 180 min-1, it was decreased to 71 +/- 7% of the basal value (P < .01). Including both failing and nonfailing myocardium, there was a close correlation between the frequencies at which aequorin light emission and isometric tension were maximum (r = .92; n = 19; P < .001). Action potential duration decreased similarly with increasing stimulation frequencies in nonfailing and end-stage failing myocardium. Sarcoplasmic reticulum 45Ca2+ uptake, measured in homogenates from the same hearts, was significantly reduced in failing myocardium (3.60 +/- 0.51 versus 1.94 +/- 0.18 (nmol/L).min-1.mg protein-1, P < .005). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the altered force-frequency relation of the failing human myocardium results from disturbed excitation-contraction coupling with decreased calcium cycling at higher rates of stimulation.

Action Potentials↗

Reverse use dependence of antiarrhythmic class Ia, Ib, and Ic: effects of drugs on the action potential duration?

UNLABELLED: The prolongation of the action potential duration (APD) induced by sotalol has been shown to be diminished with increasing heart rate. This phenomenon is called "reverse use dependence." We examined the Ia, Ib, and Ic effects of different Class I drugs on the APD under normal and fast stimulation rates (1.0 and 2.5 Hz) in isolated rabbit atrial and ventricular muscles by means of intracellular microelectrodes. Results (n = 98): With 1.0 Hz lidocaine (Ib, 4.3 x 10(-5) M) shortened the APD at 90% repolarization (APD90) in the atrium by 9% and in the ventricle by 8% (NS), whereas quinidine (Ia, 2.2 x 10(-5) M) and prajmaline (Ia, 10(-6) M) prolonged the APD90 in the atrium (quinidine +45%; prajmaline +10%, P < 0.001) and in the ventricle (+42%, P < 0.001; +17%, P < 0.05). Propafenone (Ic, 2.6 x 10(-6) M) showed this effect only in the atrium (APD90 +33%; P < 0.01). With the faster stimulation rate of 2.5 Hz we could not find a significant influence of any drug on the APD90 in the ventricle and only quinidine prolonged the APD90 in the atrium by 16% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The subclassification of Class I antiarrhythmic drugs that is based on APD modifying influences is only valid under normal heart rates (1.0 Hz). During tachycardia these actions are absent and the phenomenon of "reverse use dependence" is found in Class I drugs. Therefore, an additional antiarrhythmic effect due to APD modification by the examined drugs should not be expected at rapid heart rates.

Action Potentials↗

Differential analysis of frequency-dependent effects of antiarrhythmic drugs: importance of the saturation behavior of frequency-dependent sodium-channel blockade.

Frequency-dependent effects of class I antiarrhythmic drugs on Vmax reported in the literature are analyzed with respect to periodical drug binding to sodium channels. The analysis reveals that class I action can be differentiated according to the onset kinetics as well as to the saturation behavior of frequency-dependent sodium-channel blockade at increasing frequencies. As will be shown, class I drugs even of the same subclass (Ic) may differ markedly from each other with respect to the saturation behavior of frequency-dependent block. These findings may be of interest in view of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) because the results found with flecainide and encainide in this study are usually extrapolated to other Ic drugs. Additionally, the influence of postrepolarization refractoriness caused by a class I drug on the action potential shortening during repetitive premature stimulation is compared with the effects of prolongation of absolute refractoriness induced by a class III drug.

Action Potentials↗

[New aspects of frequency-dependent effect of class 1 anti-arrhythmia drugs. A critical analysis of useful subclassification].

The primary action of class-1-antiarrhythmic drugs is due to blockade of cardiac sodium channels and shows drug-specific frequency dependence, i.e., increasing blockade with increasing stimulation frequency. However, this increasing blockade saturates at higher rates. This behavior can be explained by a periodical binding and unbinding reaction of drug molecules with channel binding sites (periodical ligand binding). The analysis of the saturation behavior of frequency-dependent block of 12 class-1-antiarrhythmic drugs clusters into three groups (I-III), which do not coincide with the commonly used subclassification (1a-1c). However, from the saturation behavior of block and its onset-kinetics (rate of increase of block upon increasing the frequency) found with these groups, three different profiles of antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic efficacy can be deduced. Thus, saturation in the frequency range above 120/min combined with slow onset-kinetics may create a higher risk of exercise-induced proarrhythmic effects, if agents with such characteristics are given at a concentration sufficiently high to suppress extrasystoles. Therefore, a subdivision of class-1-antiarrhythmic drugs according to the saturation behavior of frequency-dependent block and its onset-kinetics is proposed.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗

Use dependence of sodium current inhibition by tetrodotoxin in rat cardiac muscle: influence of channel state.

Tetrodoxin (TTX) is known to cause a voltage- and frequency-dependent inhibition of the rapid inward sodium current (INa) of cardiac muscle. This effect was studied by means of the loose-patch-clamp method on intact rat papillary muscle. The availability curve of the fast sodium system, determined by variation of the holding potential, is shifted in the presence of TTX (5.5 mumol x 1(-1] by 17 mV to more negative potentials. With clamp pulses of 5 ms duration to 0 mV, a frequency-dependent reduction of INa by TTX is found above 0.1 Hz that saturates at about 10 Hz. This frequency-dependent block was further analysed using trains of pulses (10 Hz) of various durations (minimum 50 microseconds), which allow TTX to equilibrate with channel states reached early during activation. The results show that more than 90% of the frequency-dependent block is attained with pulses of 1 ms duration. An analysis according to the guarded receptor hypothesis reveals that these results are well described by TTX binding to inactivated, activated and probably preactivated channel states.

Animals↗

Argyrophil and beta-endorphin immunoreactive cells in focal islet-cell adenomatosis and insulin-producing islet-cell adenomata.

Pancreatic tissue from 3 cases of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia was examined using histochemical and immunoperoxidase staining techniques. The insular lesions present were adenomatosis and insulin-producing islet-cell adenomata. The great majority of the islet parenchymal cells in these lesions were reactive with antibodies to pro-insulin, C-peptide, and insulin. A variable number of islet cells was found to react with beta-endorphin antiserum in all 3 cases, while the reaction with antiserum against the neural tissue marker antigen, S-100, was restricted to the cases with islet-cell adenoma. Argyrophil parenchymal cells were present in focal adenomatosis but almost absent in insulomata. These results suggest that various lesions of the endocrine pancreas causing hypoglycemia can be distinguished by means of specific histo- and immunocytochemical methods because of differences in the distribution of characteristic cellular antigens.

Adenoma↗

Comparative analysis of the action of class I antiarrhythmic drugs (lidocaine, quinidine, and prajmaline) in rabbit atrial and ventricular myocardium.

Effects of three class I antiarrhythmic drugs (quinidine, lidocaine, and prajmaline) on transmembrane resting (RMP) and action potentials (AP) of isolated rabbit atrial and ventricular myocardium were studied at different stimulation rates. The frequency-dependent depression of the maximal upstroke velocity (Vmax) of the AP (sodium channel block) was analyzed according to the "guarded receptor" hypothesis. The resting block (Vmax depression after a resting period) induced by prajmaline (10(-6) M), quinidine (2.2 x 10(-5) M), and lidocaine (4.3 x 10(-5) M) was more expressed in the atrium (44, 28, and 19%, respectively) than in the ventricle (32, 9, and 0%, respectively). There were also significant (p less than 0.05) atrioventricular differences in the frequency-dependent extra block (Vmax reduction on stimulation at 3.3 Hz) for quinidine (39 vs. 26%) and lidocaine (4 vs. 25%). From the analysis, according to the guarded receptor hypothesis, it follows that the three compounds bind preferentially to inactivated sodium channels with about the same affinity to the atrium and ventricle, except for quinidine which shows a significantly smaller dissociation constant in the atrium (5 x 10(-6) M vs. 2.7 x 10(-5) M; p less than 0.001). We conclude that the atrioventricular differences in the resting block are mainly due to atrioventricular differences in the RMP, whereas the differences in the frequency-dependent extra block are based on the shorter atrial AP duration (lidocaine) or are due to higher affinity to atrial sodium channels (quinidine).

Action Potentials↗

Differential analysis of the frequency-dependent effects of class 1 antiarrhythmic drugs according to periodical ligand binding: implications for antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic efficacy.

The frequency-dependent block of cardiac sodium channels by class 1 antiarrhythmic drugs can be described by a periodical ligand binding process between drug molecules and channel binding sites. This predicts a linear relation between onset-rate constant of frequency-dependent block and diastolic interval as well as saturation of block with high stimulation rates. From both relationships, the binding kinetics (time constant, tau on) and saturation level of block (bdinf) can be estimated. This is exemplified for the frequency-dependent block (reduction of the maximal upstroke velocity of action potentials) induced by prajmaline (10(-6) M). In the same way, the frequency-dependent effects of 11 other class 1 drugs reported in the literature were analyzed and compared with each other. When the drugs are ranked with respect to their binding kinetics (tau on), there is a close relationship to the subclasses (1a, 1b, 1c), with 1b drugs exhibiting the fastest and 1c drugs the slowest kinetics. However, differences also exist in the saturation behavior of frequency-dependent block even within the same subclasses (1a and 1c). Thus, the class 1 drugs can also be subdivided in three other groups exhibiting clearly separated bands of block-frequency relations, with half-maximal saturation occurring at different stimulation rates. Our findings may have differential implications for the antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic efficacy of class 1 drugs.

Animals↗

[New aspects of the electrophysiologic effect of antiarrhythmic agents].

BASIC ACTIONS: According to Vaughan Williams antiarrhythmic agents are divided into four classes of action (Table 1). A given agent may display actions of several classes. In general, except for class II drugs there is no causal relationship between the class of action and the mechanism precipitating the arrhythmia. MECHANISM OF ACTION OF CLASS I DRUGS: The effect of class I antiarrhythmic drugs is primarily based on prolongation of the refractory period. It is assumed that the sodium channel can be in one of at least three functional conditions (Figure 1), resting, activated or inactivated. Conductance is achieved only in the state of activation, during the initial phase of the action potential which is caused by rapid sodium influx. The transition from inactivation to resting condition, which is prerequisite for renewed activation, takes place during repolarization and is responsible for the refractory period of the action potential (Figure 1). Class I antiarrhythmic drugs block the sodium channels such that they remain in a nonconductive state. As a function of the number of inoperative sodium channels, sodium influx is reduced and the rate of rise of the action potential is diminished. In order to enable sufficient sodium channels to make the transition from inactivated to resting condition, repolarization of the action potential has to continue and, concomitantly, the absolute refractory period is increased. Since the attenuation of the rapid sodium influx also causes a decrease in the conduction velocity in myocardium and in the intraventricular conduction system, reentry arrhythmias can be precipitated. DIFFERENCES IN THE ACTION OF CLASS I DRUGS: Due to different rate-dependency of the various class I drugs and the effect on the duration of the action potential as well as on specified ECG parameters, subclasses a, b and c were designated (Table 2). Access of the drug to the sodium channel receptor is facilitated during activation and inactivation but not in the resting condition. Accordingly, the effect increases in proportion to the frequency with which the sodium channel is opened. With the beginning of the cardiac cycle, there is an exponential increase in the number of blocked sodium channels and, with transition to the resting condition, an exponential decrease (Figure 2). The velocity of the increase or decrease is dependent on the properties of the given agent. Substance with rapid binding kinetics, that is time constants of 0.2 to 2.0 s are assigned to group Ib, those with time constants of 8 to 14 s to group Ic (Table 3). Group Ia is intermediate. A similar grouping is yielded on assignment according to the temporal course of deblocking. EXPLANATION FOR THE DIFFERENCES IN EFFECTS: With antiarrhythmic agents of class Ib, due to their rapid binding kinetics, at a rate of approximately 1 Hz (60/min) steady-state is achieved with no accumulation of block. Each incoming impulse with a normal interval can activate the unblocked membrane (Figure 2). Premature impulses occurring with shorter intervals are inhibited more the earlier their incidence. Consequently, class Ib antiarrhythmic drugs are particularly effective for premature beats and frequent tachycardias while, during normal sinus rhythm, in some instances, no effect such as PQ or QRS prolongation can be observed (Table 2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗