Molecular Changes in Children with Heart Failure Undergoing Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether left ventricular assist device (LVAD) treatment in children with heart failure would result in the modification of molecular pathways involved in heart failure pathophysiology. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-seven explanted hearts from children were studied (16 nonfailing control, 20 failing, and 11 failing post-LVAD implantation [F-LVAD]). Protein expression and phosphorylation states were determined by receptor binding assays and Western blots. mRNA expression was measured with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. To evaluate for interactions and identify correlations, 2-way ANOVA and regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: Treatment with LVAD resulted in recovery of total ß-adrenergic receptor expression and ß1-adrenergic receptor (ß1-AR) in failing hearts to normal levels (ß-adrenergic receptor expression : 67.2 ± 11.5 fmol/mg failing vs 99.5 ± 27.7 fmol/mg nonfailing, 104 ± 38.7 fmol/mg F-LVAD, P ≤ .01; ß1-AR: 52.2 ± 10.3 fmol/mg failing vs 83.0 ± 23 fmol/mg non-failing, 76.5 ± 32.1 fmol/mg F-LVAD P ≤ .03). The high levels of G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 were returned to nonfailing levels after LVAD treatment (5.6 ± 9.0 failing vs 1.0 ± 0.493 nonfailing, 1.0 ± 1.3 F-LVAD). Interestingly, ß2-adrenergic receptor expression was significantly greater in F-LVAD (27.5 ± 12; P < .005) hearts compared with nonfailing (16.4 ± 6.1) and failing (15.1 ± 4.2) hearts. Phospholamban phosphorylation at serine 16 was significantly greater in F-LVAD (7.7 ± 11.7) hearts compared with nonfailing (1.0 ± 1.2, P = .02) and failing (0.8 ± 1.0, P = .01) hearts. Also, atrial natriuretic factor (0.6 ± 0.8) and brain natriuretic peptide (0.1 ± 0.1) expression in F-LVAD was significantly lower compared with failing hearts (2.8 ± 3.6, P = .01 and 0.6 ± 0.7, P = .02). CONCLUSION: LVAD treatment in children with heart failure results in reversal of several pathologic myocellular processes, and G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 may regulate ß1-AR but not ß2-adrenergic receptor expression in children with heart failure.