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K Kottenberg

Publications and source records attributed to K Kottenberg.

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Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase augments the positive inotropic effect of nitric oxide donors in the rat heart.

1. In this investigation we studied the effects of nitric oxide on contractility and heart rate in normal saline-perfused rat hearts where shear stress-induced endothelial NO synthesis substantially contributes to total cardiac NO production. In addition, we sought to estimate the concentrations of exogenous NO producing inotropic effects. 2. We investigated the effects of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), S-nitroso-d,l-penicillamine (SNAP), sodium (Z)-1-(N, N-diethylamino)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolat (DEA/NO), and DEA/NO in the presence of the NO synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA) in constant-flow-perfused spontaneously beating rat Langendorff hearts and in rat working hearts. 3. In Langendorff hearts, GTN (10 nM to 100 microM, n = 32) induced a positive inotropic response that plateaued at 1 microM GTN with a maximal rate of increase of left ventricular pressure during ventricular contraction (+dP/dtmax) of 6. 33 +/- 2.56 % (n = 11, P < 0.5). Similarly, both spontaneous NO donors (0.1 nM to 1 microM, corresponding to approximately 0.03-0.3 microM NO) induced a positive inotropic response of 10.6 +/- 3.1 % (SNAP; n = 15, P < 0.05) and 11.5 +/- 2.7 % (DEA/NO, n = 15, P < 0. 05). 4. The positive inotropic effect of SNAP and DEA/NO progressively declined from 1 microM to 100 microM of the NO donors (corresponding to approximately 0.3-30 microM NO). 5. In the isolated working rat heart, 0.1 microM DEA/NO induced an increase of +dP/dtmax of 7.5 +/- 2.5 % (n = 9, P < 0.05). Inhibition of NO synthase by L-NA produced a 4-fold increase in this effect of DEA/NO. 6. We suggest that physiological NO concentrations support myocardial performance. In normal rat hearts the positive inotropic effect of NO appears to be almost maximally exploited by the endogenous NO production.

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Regulation of basal myocardial function by NO.

The effects of exogenous and endogenous. NO on myocardial functions such as contraction, relaxation and heart rate have recently gained considerable scientific interest. .NO stimulates myocardial soluble guanylate cyclase to produce cGMP, which activates two major target proteins. A small increase in cGMP levels predominantly inhibits phosphodiesterase III, while high cGMP levels activate cGMP-dependent protein kinase. Accordingly, submicromolar .NO concentrations improve myocardial contraction, while submillimolar .NO concentrations decrease contractility. The latter action includes direct inhibitory .NO effects on ATP synthesis and voltage-gated calcium channels. Overall, the inotropic effects of exogenous .NO are small and probably of minor importance for myocardial contractility. Cardiomyocytes are capable of expressing eNOS and iNOS. Endogenous .NO has effects on myocardial contraction, similar to that of exogenous .NO. Various NOS inhibitors can substantially reduce myocardial contractility in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that basal endogenous .NO production supports myocardial contractility. There is also evidence for a .NO-dependent cardiodepressive effect of cytokines that is mediated by expression of iNOS. This is consistent with the negative inotropic effects of .NO at high concentrations. Cardiodepressive actions of endogenous .NO production may play a role in certain forms of heart failure. Finally, .NO also has an effect on heart rate. Physiologic .NO concentrations can stimulate heart rate by activating the hyperpolarization-activated inward current (If) and this effect decreases at submillimolar .NO concentrations. In summary, physiological concentrations of .NO increase contractility and heart rate under basal conditions, while high .NO concentrations induce the opposite effects.

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Alterations of the vascular and the myocardial guanylate cyclase/cGMP-system induced by long-term hypertension in rats.

NO as produced by NO-synthases (NOS) contributes to the regulation of cardiovascular functions. In hypertension, there is a reduced production and/or activity of endogenous NO in the vasculature. We investigated if hypertension alters the NO-sensitivity of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) in blood vessels and heart muscle isolated from 15 month old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR15) and normal Wistar rats (WIS). Inhibition of NOS by 1 mM N omega-nitro-L-arginine decreased dP/dtmax in WIS (-27.6 +/- 3.4%) and SHR15 (-26.0 +/- 4.4%), while stimulation of NOS with 1 mM L-arginine increased dP/dtmax in WIS (9.9 +/- 0.7%) and SHR15 (8.9 +/- 2.3%). The positive inotropic response to 0.1 microM glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) was comparable in WIS (dP/dtmax: 4.5 +/- 1.7%) and SHR15 (dP/dtmax: 3.75 +/- 0.7%) as was the positive inotropic response to the NO-donor sodium (Z)-1-(N,N-diethylamino)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolat (DEA/NO, 1 microM) in WIS (dP/dtmax: 10.7 +/- 2.9%) and SHR15 (dP/dtmax: 5.1 +/- 1.5%, P = 0.1873). In aortas of SHR15 we found an increased superoxide production of 19.4 +/- 1.7 nM/mg/min (WIS: 6.1 +/- 0.6 nM/mg/min) in the smooth muscle and the endothelial layer. Endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetylcholine was markedly impaired in SHR15 as was the vasorelaxant activity of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP), pentaerythritol tetranitrate and GTN. Maximal cGMP-production by sGC isolated from the lung and stimulated with SNAP (0.5 mM) was much lower in SHR15 (115 +/- 14 pmol/mg/min) than in WIS (348 +/- 36 pmol/mg/min). We suggest that hypertension is associated with a reduced activity of the sGC/cGMP-system in the vasculature but not in the heart muscle. Our results provide the first evidence that excess superoxide production in hypertension may trigger a desensitization of vascular sGC.

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Inotropic effects of glyceryl trinitrate and spontaneous NO donors in the dog heart.

BACKGROUND: In vitro, NO has a biphasic effect on myocardial inotropy. To determine the inotropic effect of NO in vivo, we investigated the activity of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) and the NO donors S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP) and sodium-(2)-1-(N,N-diethyl-amino)-diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolat+ ++ (DEA/NO) in dogs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight anesthetized open-chest dogs were instrumented for measurement of left ventricular and aortic pressures (tip manometers) and coronary flow (ultrasonic flow probes). Regional myocardial function was assessed by sonomicrometry as systolic wall thickening (sWT), mean systolic thickening velocity (Vs), and regional myocardial stroke work index (RSW). GTN, SNAP, and DEA/NO were infused into the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) to achieve defined coronary plasma concentrations of GTN, SNAP (both 10 to 100 micromol/L), and DEA/NO (2 to 20 micromol/L). All drugs increased LAD flow and myocardial contractile function in the LAD-dependent myocardium within the first 120 seconds. The greatest inotropic effect was noted after infusion of DEA/NO (20 micromol/L), which increased sWT by 9.7+/-3.1% from 28.5+/-2.2%, Vs by 10.3+/-3.4% from 9.1+/-1.1 mm/s, and RSW by 7.1+/-2.1% from 200.0+/-22.1 mm Hg x mm (P<.05). At the same time, systemic hemodynamics remained unchanged. Prevention of the flow response to GTN by external narrowing of the LAD did not influence the inotropic effect of GTN. CONCLUSIONS: Organic nitrates and NO donors evoke a small but constant positive inotropic effect in vivo that is not caused by coronary vasodilation.

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Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylate cyclase induces cardiodepressive effects in normal rat hearts.

Exogenous nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to modulate the contractile force of rat cardiac myocytes. We sought to determine whether endogenous NO-production in the isolated normal rat heart has an effect on myocardial contractility. Hearts of male Wistar rats were investigated using a constant flow perfused non-paced Langendorff preparation. Changes of contractile parameters such as left ventricular peak pressure, dP/dtmax and dP/dtmin, and of coronary perfusion pressure and heart rate were recorded after infusion of the NO-synthase inhibitors N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG, 0.1 mM, 1.0 mM, n = 6), N(omega)-methyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 0.1 mM, 1.0 mM, n = 9) and methylene blue (2 microM, 20 microM, n = 6), the NO-donor sodium (Z)-1-(N,N-diethylamino)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolat (DEA/NO, 0.01 microM, 0.1 microM, n = 12), the specific inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 0.1 microM, n = 7) and L-arginine (0.1 mM, 1.0 mM, n = 6). All NO-synthase inhibitors reduced the contractile function of the ventricular muscle before changes in coronary perfusion pressure were evident. The negative inotropic effect of L-NMMA was absent in the presence of an equimolar concentration of L-arginine. ODQ reduced contractile force and coronary perfusion pressure in parallel. By contrast, L-arginine and DEA/NO improved the contractile force of the left ventricle and DEA/NO decreased coronary perfusion pressure. Heart rate was reduced by L-NOARG (1 mM) and methylene blue (20 microM), while DEA/NO (0.1 microM) and L-arginine (1 mM) had a positive chronotropic effect. All these changes were significant (P < 0.05). These results suggest that endogenous NO-production exerts a positive effect on myocardial contraction that is mediated by activation of guanylate cyclase. In addition, NO might be involved in regulation of heart rate.

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Positive inotropic effect of exogenous and endogenous NO in hypertrophic rat hearts.

1. Recent evidence suggests that nitric oxide (NO) modulates the contractile force of isolated cardiomyocytes in a biphasic manner. We sought to examine whether myocardial hypertrophy induced by long-term hypertension changes the effects of NO on myocardial contractility. 2. We used constant flow perfused non-paced Langendorff preparations of hearts of 3 months old Wistar rats (WIS, n = 23) and of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) at the age of 10 months (SHR10, n = 16) and 15 months (SHR15, n = 8). Changes of left ventricular peak pressure (LVP), +dP/dt(max), -dP/dt(max), coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded after infusion of noradrenaline (NA, 0.1 micromol l(-1)), glyceryl trinitrate (GTN, 1-100 micromol l(-1)), S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP, 1-10 micromol l(-1)) and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG, 0.1-1 mmol l(-1)). 3. Long-term hypertension induced myocardial hypertrophy and an abnormal response to NA. The relative heart weight (in mg kg(-1)) increased from 2.95 +/- 0.04 (WIS) to 6.67 +/- 0.34 (SHR15), while the increase in +dP/dt(max) induced by NA was absent in SHR15. Hearts of SHR10 showed an intermediate response. 4. Both SNAP and GTN significantly increased LVP, +dP/dt(max) and -dP/dt(max) in hearts of WIS and of SHR. In WIS but not in SHR10, SNAP also increased HR. In SHR10 the lowest concentration of SNAP (1 micromol l(-1)) showed no effect on contractility but a significantly diminished reduction of CPP suggesting inactivation of extracellularly released NO in the coronary circulation of SHR. 5. L-NOARG significantly reduced contractility in hearts of WIS and of SHR to a similar extent. At a concentration of 1 mmol l(-1) L-NOARG also reduced HR. 6. These results suggests that positive inotropic effects of exogenous and endogenous NO are not changed in hypertension induced myocardial hypertrophy.

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Low increase in cGMP induced by organic nitrates and nitrovasodilators improves contractile response of rat ventricular myocytes.

Whether organic nitrates are bioactivated to NO in cardiac muscle cells and may thus directly affect cardiac contractile function has remained an open question. Therefore, we determined the effects of the organic nitrates glyceryl trinitrate (100 mumol/L), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (10 mumol/L), and isosorbide-5-mononitrate on electrically stimulated contractile response (CR) and cAMP and cGMP content of isolated adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes compared with different concentrations of the spontaneous NO donors S-nitroso-N-acetyl-d,1-penicillamine (SNAP) and 2,2-diethyl-1-hydroxy-1-nitroso-hydrazine (DEA/NO). A high concentration of spontaneous NO donors (100 mumol/L caused a large increase in cGMP content that was accompanied by a decrease in CR to 73.8 +/- 6.7% (SNAP) and 80.9 +/- 6.1% (DEA/NO) of the control values. Inhibition of cGMP-dependent protein kinase by 10 mumol/L KT 5822 converted this effect into a pronounced improvement of CR (163.5 +/- 14.0%) By contrast, the organic nitrates caused a small but significant increase in cGMP, which was accompanied by an increase in cAMP and CR identical to that induced by 10 nmol/L isoprenaline (141.6 +/- 6.4%) A similar effect was observed with a low concentration (1 mumol/L of SNAP and DEA/NO. All increases in CR induce by nitrates were abolished after inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase by Rp-cAMPS (10 mumol/L). The positive contractile effect of isoprenaline was enhanced by 1 mumol/L SNAP. This effect was also demonstrated in isolated rat papillary muscles. These results indicate that in cardiac muscle (1) organic nitrate are bioactivated to NO; (2) this results in a moderate increase in cGMP, which causes an improved CR by increasing cAMP and activating cAMP-dependent protein kinase; and (3) a large increase in cGMP, produced by high doses of NO donors, reduces CR because of the activation of CGMP-dependent protein kinase.

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The new NO donor SPM3672 increases cGMP and improves contraction in rat cardiomyocytes and isolated heart.

Recent evidence indicates that organic nitrate esters may directly affect heart muscle. In the present study we investigated the effects of the new organic nitrate ester, N-(3-nitratopivaloyl)-1-cysteineethylester (SPM3672), on isolated adult rat ventricular myocytes and on Langendorff preparations of spontaneously beating rat hearts perfused in a volume-constant manner. In cardiomyocytes SPM3672 (100 microM) induced a significant increase in the basal level of cGMP to 232 +/- 44% (n=8) indicating its metabolism to nitric oxide. This was associated with an enhanced contractile response to electrical field stimulation (to 174 +/- 9%, n=108). In isolated hearts SPM3672 elicited a slight reduction of coronary perfusion pressure (-15 +/- 8%) and a significant increase in maximal left ventricular pressure (LVPmax), dp/dtmax and dp/dtmin amounting to 18 +/- 7%, 18 +/- 6% and 21 +/- 7% (n=7), respectively. Oxygen consumption and heart rate remained constant. Thus, SPM3672 improved the contractile response of cardiomyocytes and of isolated heart. This is probably due to the metabolism of SPM3672 to nitric oxide in ventricular cardiomyocytes.

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