Biomedical subjects

M J Shattock

Publications and source records attributed to M J Shattock.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1987

Inotropic response to hypothermia and the temperature-dependence of ryanodine action in isolated rabbit and rat ventricular muscle: implications for excitation-contraction coupling.

We have used the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) inhibitor ryanodine to assess the contribution of the SR to the increase in twitch tension seen on cooling the mammalian myocardium. To select a suitable concentration of ryanodine, i.e., one that will exert a maximal effect at all temperatures studied, concentration-response curves for ryanodine action were constructed at 37 degrees, 29 degrees, and 23 degrees C in ventricular muscle from rabbit and rat. Using a concentration of ryanodine (1 microM) that exerted a maximal effect at all temperatures studied, the ability of ryanodine to inhibit SR function at 37 degrees, 29 degrees, and 23 degrees C was then confirmed by using rapid cooling contractures (RCCs) to provide an indirect assessment of the SR calcium content. To estimate the rest decay of the SR calcium content in the absence and presence of ryanodine (1 microM), RCCs were initiated after a range of rest intervals (0.3-300 seconds) in rabbit muscles maintained at 37 degrees, 29 degrees, or 23 degrees C. In the absence of ryanodine, low temperatures elevated RCCs at all rest intervals studied. In the presence of ryanodine, RCCs were only seen at rest intervals shorter than 2.0 seconds, even at 23 degrees C, the lowest temperature studied. Thus, even at 23 degrees C, ryanodine appears to be effective at inhibiting SR calcium release in muscles stimulated at 0.5 Hz (i.e., after 2 seconds rest). Therefore, using this concentration of ryanodine (1 microM) and a stimulation rate of 0.5 Hz, we have investigated the contribution of the SR to the positive inotropic response to hypothermia. Under these conditions, the positive inotropic response to cooling in rabbit ventricle was almost unaffected by the inhibition of the SR with ryanodine. In rat ventricle, a tissue in which SR calcium release may dominate excitation-contraction (EC) coupling, the inotropic response to hypothermia was still observed, although developed tension was strongly depressed at all temperatures. These results suggest that a change in SR function is not the principal mediator of the large (400-500%) increase in force associated with cooling mammalian ventricular muscle from 37 degrees to 25 degrees C. The ryanodine-sensitive fraction of tension development was greatest at 37 degrees C, suggesting that the relative contribution of the SR to tension development in rabbit ventricle is reduced at temperatures below 37 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1984

Calcium antagonists and hypothermia: the temperature dependency of the negative inotropic and anti-ischemic properties of verapamil in the isolated rat heart.

Using an isolated rat heart preparation under both aerobic and ischemic conditions we have characterized the temperature dependency of the slow calcium channel-blocking drug verapamil. In the first series of studies, isolated working rat hearts were subjected to global ischemia at 37 degrees, 34 degrees, 31 degrees, 29 degrees, 27 degrees, 25 degrees, and 20 degrees C. The duration of ischemic arrest was adjusted so that in the control group the postischemic recovery of function (aortic flow) was approximately 50% of its preischemic value. Ischemic times were therefore 35, 50, 55, 60, 80, 100, and 130 min, respectively. In all cases hearts were subjected to 3 min preischemic infusion with St. Thomas' cardioplegic solution with or without added verapamil (1.1 mumol/liter). At 37 degrees C verapamil increased recovery by 36.6 +/- 4.8%; this increased to 57.4 +/- 6.0% at 34 degrees C. Below 34 degrees C, however, additional protection was progressively lost, so that at 27 degrees C or below verapamil contributed no significant additional protection. In separate aerobic perfusion studies with paced Langendorff-prepared hearts with intraventricular balloons, verapamil (0.2 mumol/liter) was shown to depress pressure development by up to 76% at 37 degrees C; this increased to 92% at 34 degrees C, but thereafter the drug's negative inotropic effects declined, so that at 24 degrees C and below there was no significant difference in developed pressure between the control and drug-treated groups. On the basis of these and other studies, the argument is advanced that by some mechanism common to both hypothermia and verapamil, the anti-ischemic and negative inotropic effects of verapamil are rendered redundant under conditions of hypothermia.

Aerobiosis↗

PubMed1983

Two different metabolic responses to ischaemia: inherent variability or artefact?

Guinea pig hearts, perfused with (5-3H) glucose (8 mmol . litre-1) and subjected to 30 min of reduced (6%) coronary flow, exhibited two distinctly different metabolic and electrophysiological responses to ischaemia. In 22 of the 50 hearts studied (Group 1) glucose utilisation declined during ischaemia from 2.5 +/- 0.2 to 1.3 +/- 0.2 mumol . litre-1 . g-1 dry wt. In these hearts, endogenous substrates such as glucogen and triglyceride were mobilised and, although input into glycolysis may have been initially increased through accelerated glycogenolysis, estimated glycolytic flux (1.7 +/- 0.1 mumol hexose . min-1 . g-1 dry wt) remained limited. Instead, there was a large accumulation of the intermediates of glycolysis, an increase in the content of AMP and cAMP and a particularly marked decline in creatine phosphate levels. With subsequent reperfusion, these hearts all fibrillated. In contrast, in the other 28 hearts (Group 2) glucose utilisation (5.1 +/- 0.4 mumol . min-1 . g-1 dry wt) and estimated glycolytic flux (4.1 +/- 0.01 mumol hexose . min-1 . g-1 dry wt) were increased during ischaemia. In these preparations, relatively little glycogen and triglyceride were utilised, and there was less accumulation of glycolytic intermediates. Further, lower levels of AMP and cAMP were observed and creatine phosphate: creatine ratios were better maintained. These hearts did not fibrillate during reperfusion. Thus the variable susceptibility of the myocardium to ischaemic damage, as evidenced by the random incidence of ventricular fibrillation during reperfusion, may have been related to two distinctly different metabolic responses to restricted perfusion.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

PubMed1982

Long-term prenylamine therapy: effects on responses to myocardial ischaemia in the isolated rat heart.

The effects of long-term administration of prenylamine gluconate were studied to define changes induced by chronic treatment that may alter the responses of the myocardium to ischaemic stress. Prenylamine gluconate was administered orally to rats (10 mg or 100 mg/kg per day) for 2 weeks. At the end of this period, hearts were excised for perfusion studies. In comparison with gluconate-treated controls, hearts from the group treated with the lower dose of prenylamine showed a significant reduction in basal cardiac function that was not apparent in the group treated with the higher dose of prenylamine. After a period (35 min) of ischaemia stress (reduced flow), a reduction in enzyme leakage and an increase in post-ischaemic functional recovery were observed in hearts from animals treated with the lower dose of prenylamine. In contrast, hearts from the group treated with the higher dose showed no significant improvement. However, chronic prenylamine therapy was shown to reduce in a dose-dependent manner the incidence of post-ischaemic arrhythmias. Thus, although the antiarrhythmic efficacy of long-term treatment with this agent appears to be proportional to the dosage, the ability of prenylamine to reduce ischaemic damage and promote functional recovery does not show a linear relationship with the drug dose.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1982

Prenylamine and the myocardial response to ischaemia and reperfusion: effects of acute and chronic treatment.

The ability of prenylamine gluconate (Segontin) to influence the extent of myocardial ischaemic injury was investigated in the isolated 'working' rat heart preparation. The drug was administered either acutely alone (4 microM litre-1 in the perfusion medium) or chronically plus acutely in which case animals were pre-treated (10 mg kg-1 day-1 orally) for 10 days and the drug was then also added (4 microM litre-1) to the perfusate. Acute administration alone resulted in a small reduction in spontaneous functional performance in the aerobic isolated heart in comparison with gluconate treated controls. It also increased the percentage of hearts able to recover functional activity after a period of severe ischaemia and decreased ischaemia induced injury as assessed by enzyme leakage. In contrast to the acute results the combination of chronic and acute administration of prenylamine did not significantly alter spontaneous cardiac function. Although a small increase in the number of hearts that recovered function was apparent, there was a concomitant decrease in post-ischaemic functional performance with no reduction of ischaemia induced enzyme leakage.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Effects of hydrogen peroxide on cardiac function and post-ischaemic functional recovery in the isolated 'working' rat heart.

The effects of hydrogen peroxide on the normal and ischaemic myocardium were investigated using the isolated 'working' rat heart preparation. In the range 0-3 microM no changes in heart rate, aortic flow, coronary flow, or aortic pressure were observed. Between 3 and 30 microM, however, there was a dose-dependent fall in aortic flow and an accompanying increase in coronary flow, the total cardiac output remaining unchanged. At concentrations about 30 microM functional failure occurred. Following a 24-min ischaemic period during which time 6 microM hydrogen peroxide was infused via the aorta at a constant rate to remove any vasodilatory effect, all hearts failed to recover. In contrast, 50% of control hearts recovered pump function. In conclusion, therefore, hydrogen peroxide can reduce function in the aerobic working rat heart and may exert a vasodilatory effect. When this effect is eliminated hydrogen peroxide affords no protection during ischaemia and appears to exacerbate tissue injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Long-term beta-blockade: prolonged protective action on the ischaemic myocardium.

In this study we have assessed the possibility that long-term beta-blockade may offer additional protection against myocardial ischaemia that is separate from that afforded by acute beta-blockade. In addition, the effect of intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA) on this additional protection was also investigated. Equipotent doses (4 mg . kg-1 body wt . day-1) of oxprenolol (possessing ISA) or propranolol (without ISA) were administered orally to rats for 3 weeks. Hearts were excised an perfused as isolated "working" heart preparations at variable times after the last dose. Hearts excised on the final day of drug administration showed significantly higher basal functional performance compared with untreated hearts. After 30 min reduced flow ischaemia (in the presence of exogenous catecholamine drive) hearts were aerobically reperfused and functional recovery measured. In both chronically beta-blocked groups, at times when plasma drug levels were undetectable, the number of hearts that recovered function and the cellular levels of creatine phosphate and glycogen were significantly increased. In addition, hearts from the oxprenolol-treated group perfused on the final day of drug administration, exhibited a greater recovery of heart rate compared with both propranolol treated and untreated groups. These results indicate that secondary consequences of long-term beta-blockade are beneficial to the ischaemic myocardium in the presence of high catecholamine drive. In addition, the possession of ISA by oxprenolol offered some advantages in terms of post-ischaemic functional recovery.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1980

Protection of the myocardium during ischemic arrest: possible toxicity of carnitine in cardioplegic solutions.

Carnitine has been suggested as an agent for the protection of the myocardium during regional ischemia and it might therefore be able to reduce tissue injury during surgically induced global ischemia. Using an isolated working rat heart model we have assessed the way in which various concentrations of carnitine infuence the efficacy of the St. Thomas' Hospital Cardioplegic Solution. Carnitine was found to exert a dose-dependent detrimental effect upon the ischemic myocardium, with high concentrations abolishing all the protective properties of the cardioplegic solution. Furthermore, this compound appeared to promote the occurrence of reperfusion dysrhythmias.

Animals↗