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Effects of dexamethasone and protein kinase C inhibitors on the induction of bradykinin B1 mRNA and the bradykinin B1 receptor-mediated contractile response in isolated rat ileum.

We detected the expression of inducible bradykinin (BK) B1 receptor mRNA in the rat ileum by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, when the isolated ileum was suspended for at least 1 hr in an aerated Tyrode's solution at 37 degrees. The induction of this mRNA was both time- and temperature-dependent, and was followed by a contractile response to des-Arg9-BK at around 3 hr of incubation; this response increased in magnitude with time and was maximal at 6 hr. In contrast, the contraction in response to BK and the expression of B2 receptor mRNA were constant throughout this 6-hr incubation period. The contraction due to des-Arg9-BK was selectively suppressed by B1 receptor antagonists, i.e. des-Arg9[Leu8]-BK and des-Arg10-HOE140, but not by the B2 antagonists D-Arg-[Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-BK and HOE140. The inducible des-Arg9-BK contractile response was suppressed by continuous in vitro exposure of the ileum to cycloheximide or actinomycin D, but neither inhibitor affected the contraction induced by BK, suggesting that the B1 receptor could be induced de novo. In vitro and ex vivo treatment of the ileum with dexamethasone suppressed the induction of the contractile response to des-Arg9-BK, but had no significant effect on the expression of B1 receptor mRNA. Some protein kinase C inhibitors, i.e. H7 and calphostin C, suppressed the expression of B1 receptor mRNA and diminished the contractile response to des-Arg9-BK. These results suggest that the de novo synthesis of the B1 receptor in the ileum preparation can be up-regulated at the transcriptional level (a process in which a specific isoform of protein kinase C may be involved). Additionally, these data suggest that the contractile response to des-Arg9-BK involves a process sensitive to some post-transcriptional action of dexamethasone.

Animals↗

Role of myosin light-chain phosphorylation in guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle contraction.

In acetylcholine (ACh)-stimulated gallbladder smooth muscle, we have previously shown that phosphorylation of the 20,000-Da myosin light chains is necessary for the initiation of contraction, that myosin is stably phosphorylated at steady state, and that dephosphorylation of cross bridges is not necessary for the slowing of cross-bridge cycling rates during the period of steady-state isometric stress. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether 1) K+ (60 or 80 mM) or cholecystokinin (CCK, 10(-8) M) stimulation is accompanied by changes in myosin light-chain phosphorylation in gallbladder smooth muscle and 2) dephosphorylated noncycling cross bridges exist in K(+)- or CCK-stimulated gallbladder smooth muscle. Isometric stress, isotonic shortening velocity, and myosin light-chain phosphorylation were determined during contraction with K+ or CCK. Steady-state isometric stress was reached within 2.5 min of stimulation with K+ or CCK and was maintained for the duration of the stimulation. Stimulation with K+ or CCK was associated with rapid increases in myosin light-chain phosphorylation and maintenance of myosin light-chain phosphorylation during the stimulation. In contrast, isotonic shortening velocity was maximal at 1 min of stimulation with either K+ or CCK and then declined significantly to values that were only 26-32% of the peak velocity. These data, along with data from previous experiments with ACh, suggest that myosin light-chain phosphorylation is essential in the initiation of contraction in gallbladder smooth muscle, regardless of the source of Ca2+ or of the contractile agonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Relationships between torque, velocity and power output during plantarflexion in healthy subjects.

This study investigated the relationships existing between torque, velocity and power output during plantarflexion. Using a Biodex dynamometric system, 15 healthy subjects performed three maximal dynamic tests, ranging from -12 degrees (-0.209 rad) of dorsiflexion to +47 degrees (+0.818 rad) of plantarflexion and one static test (test 4) at an angle of +10 degrees (+0.174 rad). The dynamic assessment included a 30 degrees s-1 (0.52 rad s-1) concentric isokinetic test (test 1) preceded by a 2-sec maximal pre-loading contraction. The other two dynamic tests were performed using the isotonic mode of testing with a selected torque of 27 N m; one of these tests was executed with pre-loading (test 2) while the other was performed without pre-loading (test 3). The results indicated that the dynamic peak torque, the peak power and the peak velocity were obtained in test 1, test 2 and test 3, respectively. These peak values, as well as the values of torque (test 1 and test 4), power (test 2) and velocity (test 3) obtained at a constant angle +10 degrees (+0.174 rad), were selected for the correlation analyses. The results showed that the torque, velocity and power output during plantarflexion were linearly related to one another with significant correlations (0.71 < r < 0.92; p < 0.01). This finding suggests that a common factor of muscular performance is assessed. Furthermore, these results indicated that the maximal torque produced by a subject can be predictive of his or her maximal velocity and power. Consequently, a stronger subject can generate higher velocity and power than a weaker subject when tested with the same load during maximal effort.

Adult↗

The effects of electrical stimulation, adenosine and adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) on mouse rectal muscle.

The effects of electrical field stimulation and of purine compounds, adenosine and adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) were examined on the mouse isolated rectum. Electrical field stimulation induced frequency-dependent contractions of mouse rectal muscles which were potentiated by physostigmine and inhibited by atropine or tetrodotoxin. Contractile amplitude at 37 degrees C was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater than at 25 degrees C, but the degree of potentiation by physostigmine was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater at 25 degrees C. ATP (1.6 x 10(-4)-1.28 x 10(-3) M) and adenosine (1.8 x 10(-4)-1.48 x 10(-3) M) inhibited in concentration-related fashion contractile responses induced by KCl (1.34 x 10(-2) M-1.07 x 10(-1) M) by acetylcholine (2.2 x 10(-7) M-1.4 x 10(-5) M) and by CaCl2 in high KCl (120 mM)-CaCl2-free Tyrode solution. Theophylline and quinidine ('purinoceptor' antagonists) antagonized ACH contractile effects and so could not be satisfactorily employed in the characterization of the purine receptors in the mouse rectum. It may be concluded from this study that in the mouse rectum, acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter and that there is a non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic inhibitory neuromuscular transmission in this tissue. Further, ATP and adenosine have been demonstrated to cause relaxation in this tissue by possibly a post-synaptic mechanism involving inhibition of Ca2+ influx into the depolarized muscle.

Acetylcholine↗

The importance of endogenous prostaglandins other than prostacyclin, for the modulation of contractility of some rabbit blood vessels.

Helically cut strips of rabbit aorta, extrapulmonary artery, coeliac artery, and femoral artery were set up in organ baths. Contractions of the strips by noradrenaline and angiotensin II were recorded isotonically. The release of prostaglandins 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, E2, F2 alpha, D2 and thromboxane B2 from the strips was measured by means of sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays. All blood vessels released a characteristic pattern of cyclo-oxygenase products. Prostacyclin (PGI2, measured as 6-keto-PGF1 alpha) was the major compound formed, followed by smaller amounts of PGE2 and traces of PGF2 alpha, PGD2 and thromboxane A2 (measured as thromboxane B2). The pulmonary and the femoral artery had comparatively high abilities to synthesize PGE2. Contractions induced by noradrenaline increased prostaglandin release from the pulmonary artery but not from the other blood vessels. Angiotensin II-induced contractions were accompanied by a marked prostaglandin release from the coeliac artery. After angiotensin II, prostaglandin release was also enhanced in the pulmonary artery, but remained essentially unchanged in the aorta and femoral artery. Arachidonic acid markedly increased the levels of all prostaglandin formed. Indomethacin inhibited the formation of all prostaglandins below the detection limits of the respective radioimmunoassays. Indomethacin treatment induced a qualitatively similar shifting of the concentration-response curves of noradrenaline and angiotensin II in some vessels: the concentration-response curves remained unchanged for the aorta, were slightly shifted to the left of the pulmonary artery, were markedly shifted to the left for the coeliac artery, and were shifted to the right for the femoral artery. 7 Exogenous PGI2 strongly and concentration-dependently inhibited contractions induced by the approximate EC50 of noradrenaline in the coeliac artery, but was without effect on the other three preparations. PGE2 had no effect on noradrenaline-induced contractions of the aorta, inhibited those of the pulmonary and the coeliac artery, but markedly potentiated those of the femoral artery. PGF2 alpha significantly enhanced contractions of the femoral artery, but increased contractions of the other preparations were not significant. PGD2 was without effect on any preparation. 8 In conclusion, the contractility of the aorta does not seem to be modulated substantially by prostaglandins. The major prostanoid regulating the tone of the coeliac artery was found to be PGI2. The contractility of the pulmonary and especially the femoral artery is probably not modulated by PGI2 but rather by PGE2. 9 These observations suggest that in certain blood vessels, prostaglandins other than PGI2 are important endogenous modulators of contractility.

Angiotensin II↗

Beta-blockade as an alternative to cardioplegic arrest during cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: As an alternative to cardioplegic arrest, cardiac surgical conditions have been produced using beta-blocker-induced minimal myocardial contraction (MMC) during cardiopulmonary bypass. The technique of MMC involves the use of high-dose intravenous esmolol to suppress myocardial chronotropy and inotropy sufficiently to produce cardiac surgical conditions. The purpose of this study was to compare conventional crystalloid cardioplegic arrest with MMC in terms of ischemia avoidance, myocardial edema formation, and cardiac function. METHODS: Twelve dogs were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass. Six dogs were subjected to crystalloid cardioplegic arrest for 2 hours. Surgical conditions were produced in the other 6 dogs for 2 hours using intravenous esmolol without aortic clamping or cardioplegia. Arterial and coronary sinus lactate concentrations were determined as a gauge of myocardial ischemia. Myocardial water content was determined using microgravimetry and preload recruitable stroke work was determined using sonomicrometry and micromanometry. RESULTS: Significant lactate washout was demonstrated after cardioplegic arrest but not after MMC. Myocardial water content was significantly less during and after MMC compared with cardioplegic arrest (p < 0.05). Preload recruitable stroke work was decreased compared with baseline values in both groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to a previous study that involved 1 hour of MMC, in this study, ventricular function was decreased to the same extent as with cardioplegic arrest after 2 hours of MMC. This was attributed to the accumulation of ASL-8123, the primary metabolite of esmolol, which possesses beta-antagonist properties. Although postbypass ventricular function is similar in both groups, MMC appears to be superior in terms of ischemia avoidance and myocardial edema formation.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Post-reextension force decay of relaxing cardiac muscle.

Residual active cardiac muscle force during ventricular filling causes deviations of the pressure-volume and pressure-segment length relations from passive left ventricular compliance curves. A possible interaction at the myocardial level between muscle reextension and subsequent active force decay has not yet been investigated. We therefore studied the relation between isolated cat papillary muscle reextension, load during reextension, and isometric force decay after isotonic reextension. Both timing and extent of the isotonic muscle reextension phase were altered while load during reextension was lowered, subsequent residual isometric force was decreased. The extent of reextension or the final muscle length did not alter residual active isometric force after isotonic reextension at an identical load. Moreover, irrespective of the loading history of the shortening phase of the contraction, equal loads during reextension resulted in superimposable subsequent isometric force decay traces. From these results it therefore appears that residual isometric force after isotonic reextension is determined by the load during reextension. Extrapolation of these results to the filling ventricle implies the existence of a dynamic interaction between instantaneous extent of filling, wall stress, and residual force development.

Animals↗

Effect of Ca2+ on cross-bridge turnover kinetics in skinned single rabbit psoas fibers: implications for regulation of muscle contraction.

The effect of Ca2+ upon the rate constant of force redevelopment following a period of isotonic shortening with immediate restretch to the starting sarcomere length was studied in rabbit psoas fibers at 5 degrees C. Control experiments support the assumption that the rate constant of force redevelopment represents isometric cross-bridge turnover kinetics (fapp + gapp), where fapp and gapp are the rate constants characterizing the transitions from the non-force-generating states to the force-generating states and back to the non-force-generating states, respectively. Parallel measurements of the rate constant of force redevelopment and of force, stiffness, and fiber ATPase during isometric contraction allow the effect of Ca2+ upon fapp and gapp to be determined. Analysis reveals that Ca2+ has a marked effect upon fapp, while gapp remains approximately unchanged. Furthermore, in the range above 25-30% of maximum Ca2+ activation, regulation of force, stiffness, and ATPase is mediated through changes in fapp. Below this range, however, it cannot be ruled out that, in addition, cross-bridges are also switched in and out of the turnover process ("recruitment"). As a consequence of regulation through turnover kinetics, both Ca2+ sensitivity and the slope of force-pCa (-log[Ca2+]) relations are shown to be affected by the ratio fapp/gapp, which may represent an important mechanism of modulation of contractile function in addition to modulation through changes within the regulatory protein system.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Myocyte contractility with caspase inhibition and simulated hyperkalemic cardioplegic arrest.

BACKGROUND: Exposure of left ventricular (LV) myocytes to simulated hyperkalemic cardioplegic arrest (HCA) has been demonstrated to perturb ionic homeostasis and adversely affect myocyte contractility on rewarming. Altered ionic homeostasis can cause cytosolic activation of the caspases. While caspases participate in apoptosis, these proteases can degrade myocyte contractile proteins, and thereby alter myocyte contractility. Accordingly, this study tested the hypothesis that caspase inhibition during HCA would attenuate the degree of myocyte contractile dysfunction upon rewarming, independent of a loss in myocyte viability. METHODS: Porcine (n = 8) LV myocytes were isolated and assigned to the following treatment groups: normothermic control: incubation in cell culture media for 2 hours at 37 degrees C; HCA only: incubation for 2 hours in hypothermic HCA solution (4 degrees C, 24 mEq K(+)); or incubation in hypothermic HCA solution supplemented with 10 microM of the caspase inhibitor, z-VAD (z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl-ketone, HCA+zVAD). Myocyte viability, assayed as a function of mitochondrial function, was determined to be similar in the normothermic and both HCA groups. RESULTS: The HCA caused a significant reduction in myocyte shortening velocity compared with normothermic control values (41 +/- 6 versus 86 +/- 8 microm/s, p < 0.05). The HCA+zVAD group had significantly improved myocyte shortening velocity compared with the HCA only group (63 +/- 7 microm/s, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Independent of changes in viability, caspase inhibition attenuated myocyte contractile dysfunction after HCA and rewarming. Thus, caspase activation during HCA contributes, at least in part, to impaired myocyte contractility with rewarming. Supplementation of HCA with caspase inhibitors may provide a means to preserve myocyte contractile function after cardioplegic arrest.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗

Cross-talk between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondrial calcium handling systems may play an important role in the regulation of contraction in anococcygeus smooth muscle.

Mitochondrial Ca(2+) and its relation with the contraction induced by phenylephrine was investigated. In normal Ca(2+), carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoro-methoxy)phenyl-hydrazone (FCCP) and oligomycin produced contraction similar to that promoted by phenylephrine. Phenylephrine-induced contraction was reduced by FCCP+oligomycin. In Ca(2+)-free, FCCP+oligomycin did not induce contraction. Response to FCCP+oligomycin was reduced upon Ca(2+) repletion and this response was lower than that to phenylephrine. Ca(2+) concentration was increased by FCCP+oligomycin. Since a profuse net of sarcoplasmic reticulum encloses mitochondria, a cross-talk between the two organelles may play an important role in the phenylephrine-induced contraction in presence of Ca(2+) encountered in both sarcoplasmic reticulum and extracellular medium of anococcygeus cells.

Animals↗

Temporal relation of ATP-sensitive potassium-channel activation and contractility before cardioplegia.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacologic treatment using potassium-channel openers (PCOs) before cardioplegic arrest has been demonstrated to provide beneficial effects on left ventricular performance with subsequent reperfusion and rewarming. However, the PCO treatment interval necessary to provide protective effects during cardioplegic arrest remains to be defined. The present study was designed to determine the optimum period of PCO treatment that would impart beneficial effects on left ventricular myocyte contractility after simulated cardioplegic arrest. METHODS: Left ventricular porcine myocytes were assigned randomly to three groups: (1) normothermic control = 37 degrees C for 2 hours; (2) cardioplegia = K+ (24 mEq/L) at 4 degrees C for 2 hours followed by reperfusion and rewarming; and (3) PCO and cardioplegia = 1 to 15 minutes of treatment with the PCO aprikalim (100 micromol/L) at 37 degrees C followed by hypothermic (4 degrees C) cardioplegic arrest and subsequent rewarming. Myocyte contractility was measured after rewarming by videomicroscopy. A minimum of 50 myocytes were examined at each treatment and time point. RESULTS: Myocyte velocity of shortening was reduced after cardioplegic arrest and rewarming compared with normothermic controls (63+/-3 microm/s versus 32+/-2 microm/s, respectively; p < 0.05). With 3 minutes of PCO treatment, myocyte velocity of shortening was improved after cardioplegic arrest to values similar to those of normothermic controls (56+/-3 microm/s). Potassium channel opener treatment for less than 3 minutes did not impart a protective effect, and the protective effect was not improved further with more prolonged periods of PCO treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A brief interval of PCO treatment produced beneficial effects on left ventricular myocyte contractile function in a simulated model of cardioplegic arrest and rewarming. These results suggest that a brief period of PCO treatment may provide a strategy for myocardial protection during prolonged cardioplegic arrest in the setting of cardiac operation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Separation of detubulation and vacuolation phenomena in amphibian skeletal muscle.

Sartorius muscle fibres from cold-adapted Rana temporaria were exposed to variants of an established detubulation procedure (Koutsis et al. (1995) J Muscle Res Cell Motil 16, 519-528) to test the extent to which detubulation and tubular vacuolation phenomena could be separated using different conditions of osmotic shock. A control procedure was optimised to a 28-min exposure to 400 mM glycerol-Ringer. This was followed by a recovery step involving its replacement by a Ca2+/Mg(2+)-Ringer solution and steady cooling over 30 min from room temperature (approximately 18 degress C) to approximately 10 degress C, followed by the restoration of the normal Ringer solution. This procedure successfully abolished the action potential after-depolarisation component, reflecting a loss of tubular conduction ('detubulation') in 74.3 +/- 5.9% of the fibres studied. Omitting the cooling during the recovery step sharply reduced the incidence of detubulation. So did omitting either the high-[Ca2+] and/or [Mg2+] in the recovery solutions in test procedures, but to significantly different extents (P < 5%). Yet trapping of fluorescent Sulfhorhodamine B dye in 'closed' vacuoles persisted albeit with reduced proportions of fibre volume occupied by vacuoles. Furthermore, the variations in recovery conditions produced similar levels of vacuolation despite smaller vacuole sizes in the cooled fibres (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that fibre vacuolation and detubulation are phenomena that are potentially separable through varying the conditions of osmotic shock, with detubulation requiring significantly more stringent conditions than vacuolation.

Action Potentials↗