Progesterone impairs human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) trafficking by disruption of intracellular cholesterol homeostasis.

The prolongation of QT intervals in both mothers and fetuses during the later period of pregnancy implies that higher levels of progesterone may regulate the function of the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) potassium channel, a key ion channel responsible for controlling the length of QT intervals. Here, we studied the effect of progesterone on the expression, trafficking, and function of HERG channels and the underlying mechanism. Treatment with progesterone for 24 h decreased the abundance of the fully glycosylated form of the HERG channel in rat neonatal cardiac myocytes and HERG-HEK293 cells, a cell line stably expressing HERG channels. Progesterone also concentration-dependently decreased HERG current density, but had no effect on voltage-gated L-type Ca(2+) and K(+) channels. Immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis show that progesterone preferentially decreased HERG channel protein abundance in the plasma membrane, induced protein accumulation in the dilated endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and increased the protein expression of C/EBP homologous protein, a hallmark of ER stress. Application of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (a sterol-binding agent) or overexpression of Rab9 rescued the progesterone-induced HERG trafficking defect and ER stress. Disruption of intracellular cholesterol homeostasis with simvastatin, imipramine, or exogenous application of cholesterol mimicked the effect of progesterone on HERG channel trafficking. Progesterone may impair HERG channel folding in the ER and/or block its trafficking to the Golgi complex by disrupting intracellular cholesterol homeostasis. Our findings may reveal a novel molecular mechanism to explain the QT prolongation and high risk of developing arrhythmias during late pregnancy.

Molecular alteration of Ca(v)1.2 calcium channel in chronic myocardial infarction.

Ca(v)1.2 channels are important for excitation-contraction coupling of cardiac muscles. Alternative splicing of Ca(v)1.2 channels could produce extensive phenotypic variations of channel properties. In a rat model of chronic myocardial infarction, we investigated whether Ca(v)1.2 channels may alter the use of alternatively spliced exons to generate functional variants. A myocardial infarction model on rat was generated by ligating the left anterior descending artery. Eight weeks after ligation, we found that in the scar region, the expression of a number of alternatively spliced exons were changed. The proportions of exon 9* inclusion and exon 33 deletion were detected to increase and localize at the surviving cardiac muscle cells with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, laser capture microdissection, and immunostaining. The wild-type Delta9*/33 (deletion of exon 9* and inclusion of exon 33) channel was reduced greatly in the scar region and several other isoforms increased. Importantly, a novel 9*/Delta33 (inclusion of exon 9* and deletion of exon 33) channel was generated in the scar region. Electrophysiological studies showed that the channels found in scar region exhibited hyperpolarized shifts in both the activation and inactivation potentials when expressed in HEK293 cells. The changes of Ca(v)1.2 channels may play a role either in maintenance of muscle excitability and contractility or contribute to arrhythmogenesis.

Alternative splicing modulates diltiazem sensitivity of cardiac and vascular smooth muscle Ca(v)1.2 calcium channels.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: As a calcium channel blocker, diltiazem acts mainly on the voltage-gated calcium channels, Ca(v)1.2, for its beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, angina and/or supraventricular arrhythmias. However, the effects of diltiazem on different isoforms of Ca(v)1.2 channels expressed in heart and vascular smooth muscles remain to be investigated. Here, we characterized the effects of diltiazem on the splice variants of Ca(v)1.2 channels, predominant in cardiac and vascular smooth muscles. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Cardiac and smooth muscle isoforms of Ca(v)1.2 channels were expressed in human embryonic kidney cells and their electrophysiological properties were characterized using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. KEY RESULTS: Under closed-channel and use-dependent block (0.03 Hz), cardiac splice variant Ca(v)1.2CM was less sensitive to diltiazem than two major smooth muscle splice variants, Ca(v)1.2SM and Ca(v)1.2b. Ca(v)1.2CM has a more positive half-inactivation potential than the smooth muscle channels, and diltiazem shifted it less to negative potential. Additionally, the current decay was slower in Ca(v)1.2CM channels. When we modified alternatively spliced exons of cardiac Ca(v)1.2CM channels into smooth muscle exons, we found that all three loci contribute to the different diltiazem sensitivity between cardiac and smooth muscle splice isoforms. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Alternative splicing of Ca(v)1.2 channels modifies diltiazem sensitivity in the heart and blood vessels. Gating properties altered by diltiazem are different in the three channels.