Murine gamma-herpesvirus 68 causes severe large-vessel arteritis in mice lacking interferon-gamma responsiveness: a new model for virus-induced vascular disease.

Fundamental issues remain unresolved regarding the possible contribution of viruses to vascular pathology, as well as the role of the immune system in regulating these processes. Here we demonstrate that infection of mice with gamma-herpesvirus 68 (gammaHV68) provides a novel model for addressing these issues. Interferon-gamma receptor-deficient (IFNgammaR-/-) mice died weeks to months after gammaHV68 infection from a severe large-vessel panarteritis. GammaHV68-infected B cell-deficient and normal weanling mice exhibited milder large-vessel arteritis. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated gammaHV68 antigen in arteritic lesions and revealed a striking tropism of gammaHV68 for smooth muscle cells. These studies demonstrate that IFN-gamma is essential for control of chronic vascular pathology induced by gammaHV68 and suggest gamma-herpesviruses as candidate etiologic agents for human vasculitis.

Physiologic relevance of the membrane attack complex inhibitory protein CD59 in human seminal plasma: CD59 is present on extracellular organelles (prostasomes), binds cell membranes, and inhibits complement-mediated lysis.

We demonstrate here that CD59, an inhibitor of the membrane attack complex (MAC) of the complement system, is present in cell-free seminal plasma (SP) at a concentration of at least 20 micrograms/ml. Analyses by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and Edman degradation indicated that this protein, SP CD59, was similar, if not identical, to CD59 isolated from erythrocyte (E) membranes (E CD59). Like purified E CD59, SP CD59 also possesses a glycosyl phosphatidyl inositol (GPI) anchor and incorporates into the membranes of heterologous cells where it inhibits lysis by the human MAC. This phenomenon could be demonstrated not only if cells were incubated with purified SP CD59 but also if unfractionated SP were used. Further, CD59 in unfractionated SP bound to washed spermatozoa, increasing their membrane content of the protein. The mechanism by which this protein retains its GPI anchor while apparently present in the fluid phase is of interest and was further investigated. Using the techniques of high-speed centrifugation, fast performance liquid chromatography fractionation, and electron microscopy, we found that all detectable SP CD59 was associated with vesicular extracellular organelles. These organelles, named "prostasomes," were previously known to be present in SP and to interact with spermatozoa, although their function was uncertain. Interaction of heterologous E with prostasomes rendered the cells more resistant to lysis by human MACs. We propose that these organelles represent a pool of CD59 from which protein lost from spermatozoa, perhaps as a result of low level complement attack or of normal membrane turnover, can be replenished.

Uptake and subcellular distribution of [3H]arachidonic acid in murine fibrosarcoma cells measured by electron microscope autoradiography.

We have used quantitative electron microscope autoradiography to study uptake and distribution of arachidonate in HSDM1C1 murine fibrosarcoma cells and in EPU-1B, a mutant HSDM1C1 line defective in high affinity arachidonate uptake. Cells were labeled with [3H]arachidonate for 15 min, 40 min, 2 h, or 24 h. Label was found almost exclusively in cellular phospholipids; 92-96% of incorporated radioactivity was retained in cells during fixation and tissue processing. All incorporated radioactivity was found to be associated with cellular membranes. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contained the bulk of [3H]arachidonate at all time points in both cell types, while mitochondria, which contain a large portion of cellular membrane, were labeled slowly and to substantially lower specific activity. Plasma membrane (PM) also labeled slowly, achieving a specific activity only one-sixth that of ER at 15 min in HSDM1C1 cells (6% of total label) and one-third of ER in EPU-1B (10% of total label). Nuclear membrane (NM) exhibited the highest specific activity of labeling at 15 min in HSDM1C1 cells (twice that of ER) but was not preferentially labeled in the mutant. Over 24 h, PM label intensity increased to that of ER in both cell lines. However, NM activity diminished in HSDM1C1 cells by 24 h to a small fraction of that in ER. In response to agonists, HSDM1C1 cells release labeled arachidonate for eicosanoid synthesis most readily when they have been labeled for short times. Our results therefore suggest that NM and ER, sites of cyclooxygenase in murine fibroblasts, are probably sources for release of [3H]arachidonate, whereas PM and mitochondria are unlikely to be major sources of eicosanoid precursors.

Remodeling of ventricular conduction pathways in healed canine infarct border zones.

Remodeling of myocyte interconnections may be an important determinant of ventricular tachycardia in regions bordering healed infarcts. We used quantitative electron microscopy to characterize the distribution of gap junctions in 10 canine left ventricles 3-10 wk after coronary occlusion. In three normal canine left ventricles analyzed ultrastructurally, myocardial gap junctions were distributed anisotropically; gap junction profile length was significantly greater in the transverse than in longitudinal planes of section. In infarct border zone tissues, the normal anisotropic distribution was completely abolished and fewer gap junctions per unit intercalated disk length were observed. Analysis of individual gap junction profile length distributions revealed selective disruption of the largest gap junctions that collectively comprised only 9.6% of total junction profiles, but encompassed nearly 40% of aggregate gap junction length in the transverse plane of section. Three-dimensional reconstructions of myocyte interconnections by high resolution quantitative light microscopy of serial sections demonstrated a reduction in the number of cells connected by intercalated disks to a single myocyte from 11.2 +/- 1.0 in normal myocardium to 6.5 +/- 1.3 in border zone tissues (P less than 0.001). Connections of cells in primarily side-to-side apposition were reduced by 75%, whereas primarily end-to-end connections were reduced by only 22% (P less than 0.05). These alterations would disproportionately enhance axial resistivity in the transverse direction, potentially contributing to development of reentrant arrhythmias.

Expression of the Gs protein alpha-subunit disrupts the normal program of differentiation in cultured murine myogenic cells.

The manner in which growth factors acting at the cell surface regulate activity of myogenic basic-helix-loop-helix proteins in the nucleus and thus control the fate of committed skeletal myoblasts remains poorly understood. In this study, we report that immunoreactive Gs protein alpha-subunits (Gs alpha) localize to nuclei of proliferating C2C12 myoblasts but not to nuclei of differentiated postmitotic C2C12 myotubes. To explore the biological significance of this observation, we placed a cDNA encoding Gs alpha in an expression vector under the control of a steroid-inducible promoter and isolated colonies of stably transfected C2C12 myoblasts. Dexamethasone-induced expression of activated Gs alpha markedly delayed differentiation in comparison with uninduced stably transfected cells, which differentiated normally in mitogen-depleted media. Northern blot analysis showed that impaired differentiation was associated with delayed up-regulation of MyoD and myogenin and delayed down-regulation of Id, a dominant negative inhibitor of differentiation. Similar impairment of differentiation could not be reproduced in wild-type C2C12 cells by increasing intracellular cAMP either with forskolin or treatment with a cell-permeable cAMP analog. However, treatment of myoblasts with cholera toxin markedly inhibited myogenic differentiation. Taken together, these findings suggest a novel role for Gs alpha in modulating myogenic differentiation.

The rapid and reversible activation of a calcium-independent plasmalogen-selective phospholipase A2 during myocardial ischemia.

Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of two members of a novel family of calcium-independent plasmalogen-selective phospholipases A2 in mammalian myocardium (Wolf, R. A., and R. W. Gross. 1985. J. Biol. Chem. 260:7295-7303; and Hazen, S. L., D. A. Ford, and R. W. Gross. 1991. J. Biol. Chem. 266:5629-5633). To examine the potential role of these calcium-independent phospholipases A2 in mediating membrane dysfunction during early myocardial ischemia, the temporal course of alterations in phospholipase A2 activity during global ischemia in Langendorf perfused rabbit hearts was quantified and compared with traditionally accepted markers of myocytic ischemic injury and anaerobic metabolism. We now report that membrane-associated calcium-independent plasmalogen-selective phospholipase A2 activity increased over 400% during 2 min of global ischemia (P less than 0.01), was near maximally activated (greater than 10-fold) after only 5 min of ischemia, and remained activated throughout the entire ischemic interval examined (2-60 min). Activation of membrane-associated plasmalogen-selective phospholipase A2 after 5 min of myocardial ischemia was rapidly reversible during reperfusion of ischemic tissue. Both the activation of phospholipase A2 and its reversibility during reperfusion were temporally correlated to alterations in myocytic anaerobic metabolism. Furthermore, activation of membrane-associated phospholipase A2 was essentially complete before electron microscopic evidence of cellular damage. Collectively, these results identify dynamic alterations in calcium-independent plasmalogen-selective phospholipase A2 activity during myocardial ischemia which precede irreversible cellular injury and demonstrate that activation of plasmalogen-selective phospholipase A2 is amongst the earliest biochemical alterations in ischemic myocardium.

Truncated apo B-70.5-containing lipoproteins bind to megalin but not the LDL receptor.

Apo B-100 of LDL can bind to both the LDL receptor and megalin, but the molecular interactions of apo B-100 with these 2 receptors are not completely understood. Naturally occurring mutant forms of apo B may be a source of valuable information on these interactions. Apo B-70.5 is uniquely useful because it contains the NH2-terminal portion of apo B-100, that includes only one of the two putative LDL receptor-binding sites (site A). The lipoprotein containing apo B-70. 5 (Lp B-70.5) was purified from apo B-100/apo B-70.5 heterozygotes by sequential ultracentrifugation combined with immunoaffinity chromatography. Cell culture experiments, ligand blot analysis, and in vivo studies all consistently showed that Lp B-70.5 is not recognized by the LDL receptor. The kidney was identified as a major organ in catabolism of Lp B-70.5 in New Zealand white rabbits. Autoradiographic analysis revealed that renal proximal tubular cells selectively removed Lp B-70.5. On ligand blotting of renal cortical membranes, Lp B-70.5 bound only to megalin. The ability of megalin to mediate cellular endocytosis of Lp B-70.5 was confirmed using retinoic acid/dibutyryl cAMP-treated F9 cells. This study suggests that the putative LDL receptor-binding site A on apo B-100 might not by itself be a functional binding domain and that the apo B-binding sites recognized by the LDL receptor and by megalin may be different. Moreover, megalin may play an important role in renal catabolism of apo B truncations, including apo B-70.5.

Effects of endogenously produced leukotrienes, thromboxane, and prostaglandins on coronary vascular resistance in rabbit myocardial infarction.

In an effort to evaluate the synthesis and function of eicosanoids in myocardial infarction, we have developed a technique of in vivo myocardial infarction in rabbits followed by ex vivo cardiac perfusion. Isolated Langendorff perfused infarcted hearts (removed 1 or 4 d after infarction) responded to the inflammatory cell agonist N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) with (a) the release of leukotrienes B4, C4, and D4; (b) the release of large amounts of thromboxane (235 +/- 66 ng/5 min), prostacyclin (714 +/- 285 ng/5 min), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) (330 +/- 108 ng/5 min); and (c) a coronary vasoconstriction (21.1 +/- 2.5% increase in coronary perfusion pressure) that was specifically inhibited by the peptidoleukotriene receptor antagonist FPL-55712. While noninfarcted hearts challenged with fMLP also released leukotrienes B4, C4, and D4, they released only small amounts of the cyclooxygenase products (thromboxane, 30 +/- 9 ng/5 min; prostacyclin, 120 +/- 54 ng/5 min; PGE2, 27 +/- 10 ng/5 min) and showed minimal vasoconstriction (5.6 +/- 2.1% increase in perfusion pressure). Similarly, hearts challenged with fMLP 30 d following infarction released only small amounts of the cyclooxygenase products (thromboxane, 42 +/- 8 ng/5 min; prostacyclin, 386 +/- 31 ng/5 min; PGE2, 79 +/- 25 ng/5 min). When bradykinin was administered, no leukotrienes were produced, but acutely infarcted hearts released 10 times more thromboxane, prostacyclin, and PGE2 than normal hearts and significantly larger amounts of these products than 30-d infarcted hearts. Histologic analysis showed no inflammatory cells in normal hearts, a prominent polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration in 1-d infarcted tissue, fibroblast proliferation with mononuclear cell invasion in 4-d infarcted tissue, and a fibrotic scar with scanty mononuclear cell infiltrate in 30-d infarcted tissue. Inflammatory cell invasion was temporarily associated with augmented cyclooxygenase metabolism, suggesting that infiltrating leukocytes may be responsible for production of thromboxane, prostacyclin, and PGE2 in acutely infarcted hearts. The finding that endogenously produced peptidoleukotrienes are potent coronary vasoconstrictors in infarcted rabbit hearts suggests that these products may contribute to tissue injury in myocardial infarction.

Exaggerated atrial arachidonate metabolism in rabbit left ventricular myocardial infarction.

Isolated perfused rabbit hearts that have previously been subjected to in vivo left ventricular myocardial infarction respond to N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or bradykinin (BK) administration with the synthesis of large quantities of eicosanoids. To anatomically localize these synthetic responses we studied the effects of fMLP and BK on eicosanoid synthesis in isolated atria and isolated perfused ventricles from normal and infarcted (4 d in vivo) rabbit hearts. These studies revealed that enhanced agonist-stimulated eicosanoid synthesis occurs largely in the right atria of infarcted hearts, a site distant from the zone of injury. Studies of exogenous arachidonate metabolism in microsomes prepared from various regions of the heart showed that while prostaglandin synthetic capacity is preferentially localized to the right atrium, right atria from normal and infarcted hearts have similar thromboxane and PGE2 synthetic capacity. These results demonstrate that enhanced agonist-stimulated eicosanoid synthesis following rabbit left ventricular myocardial infarction occurs largely in the right atrium, and that this effect is independent of the activity of prostaglandin synthetic enzymes.

The carboxy terminus of tissue factor pathway inhibitor is required for interacting with hepatoma cells in vitro and in vivo.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a plasma Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor that directly inhibits coagulation Factor Xa and also inhibits tissue factor-initiated coagulation. Normal human plasma TFPI exists both as the full-length molecule and as variably carboxy-terminal truncated forms. We reported recently that the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein mediates the cellular degradation of TFPI after TFPI binding to the hepatoma cell surface. To examine whether the carboxy terminus of TFPI was required for interacting with hepatoma cells, a mutant of TFPI lacking the third Kunitz-type domain and basic carboxy terminus was generated. We found that this mutant, TFPI-160, did not compete with full-length 125I-TFPI-160 for binding to hepatoma cells. We were also unable to demonstrate specific binding of 125I-TFPI-160 to hepatoma cells at 4 degrees C. At 37 degrees C, significantly less 125I-TFPI-160 was internalized and degraded via low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein than full-length 125I-TFPI. Full-length 125I-TFPI binding to hepatoma cells could be inhibited > 90% by heparin and other highly charged molecules. Since TFPI, but not TFPI-160, was capable of effectively binding to cultured hepatoma cells, the fates of TFPI and TFPI-160 in vivo were examined. Both 125I-TFPI and 125I-TFPI-160 disappeared rapidly from the circulation after their intravenous administration into rats. The initial plasma half-life of 125I-TFPI was approximately 30 s whereas the half-life of 125I-TFPI-160 was approximately 4 min. 125I-TFPI was cleared predominantly by the liver. In contrast, 125I-TFPI-160 accumulated in the outer cortex of the kidney. Using microscopic autoradiography, we demonstrate that 125I-TFPI clearance is largely hepatocellular, whereas 125I-TFPI-160 accumulates mainly in the cells of the kidney proximal tubules. Together our findings demonstrate that the carboxy-terminal region(s) distal to amino acid 160 of TFPI mediates TFPI binding to hepatoma cells both in vitro and in vivo.

A gender-related defect in lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis in peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor alpha- deficient mice.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) is a nuclear receptor implicated in the control of cellular lipid utilization. To test the hypothesis that PPARalpha is activated as a component of the cellular lipid homeostatic response, the expression of PPARalpha target genes was characterized in response to a perturbation in cellular lipid oxidative flux caused by pharmacologic inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid import. Inhibition of fatty acid oxidative flux caused a feedback induction of PPARalpha target genes encoding fatty acid oxidation enzymes in liver and heart. In mice lacking PPARalpha (PPARalpha-/-), inhibition of cellular fatty acid flux caused massive hepatic and cardiac lipid accumulation, hypoglycemia, and death in 100% of male, but only 25% of female PPARalpha-/- mice. The metabolic phenotype of male PPARalpha-/- mice was rescued by a 2-wk pretreatment with beta-estradiol. These results demonstrate a pivotal role for PPARalpha in lipid and glucose homeostasis in vivo and implicate estrogen signaling pathways in the regulation of cardiac and hepatic lipid metabolism.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 promotes cardiac mitochondrial biogenesis.

Cardiac mitochondrial function is altered in a variety of inherited and acquired cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have identified the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 (PGC-1) as a regulator of mitochondrial function in tissues specialized for thermogenesis, such as brown adipose. We sought to determine whether PGC-1 controlled mitochondrial biogenesis and energy-producing capacity in the heart, a tissue specialized for high-capacity ATP production. We found that PGC-1 gene expression is induced in the mouse heart after birth and in response to short-term fasting, conditions known to increase cardiac mitochondrial energy production. Forced expression of PGC-1 in cardiac myocytes in culture induced the expression of nuclear and mitochondrial genes involved in multiple mitochondrial energy-transduction/energy-production pathways, increased cellular mitochondrial number, and stimulated coupled respiration. Cardiac-specific overexpression of PGC-1 in transgenic mice resulted in uncontrolled mitochondrial proliferation in cardiac myocytes leading to loss of sarcomeric structure and a dilated cardiomyopathy. These results identify PGC-1 as a critical regulatory molecule in the control of cardiac mitochondrial number and function in response to energy demands.

Alpha adrenergic-mediated accumulation of calcium in reperfused myocardium.

Reperfusion of ischemic myocardium is associated with increases in total myocardial calcium (Ca+2), which may influence the ultimate extent of ischemic damage as well as the development of arrhythmias. Since reperfusion is also associated with enhanced alpha-adrenergic responsivity, this study was performed to determine the potential interactions between alpha-adrenergic receptors and myocardial calcium during reperfusion. Cats were subjected to 35 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 10 min of reperfusion. Total myocardial calcium was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Intracellular calcium was calculated from measurements of extracellular space [( 3H]inulin). In control animals with reperfusion, total calcium increased from 0.32 +/- 0.03 to 0.65 +/- 0.05 mmol/100 g dry tissue (P less than 0.0001), while intracellular calcium increased from 0.15 +/- 0.03 to 0.40 +/- 0.05 mmol/100 g dry tissue (P less than 0.001). Pretreatment with the alpha-adrenergic blocking agents phentolamine or prazosin prevented the increase in total and intracellular calcium. Phentolamine and the aqueous soluble alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist BE-2254 administered as late as 2 min before reperfusion similarly attenuated the increase in tissue calcium. Although administration of BE-2254 2 min before reperfusion failed to block the reperfusion-induced increase in extracellular space, the increase in calculated intracellular calcium was prevented. beta-Adrenergic blockade with propranolol partially attenuated but did not prevent an increase in total tissue calcium. Labetalol, a combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic blocking agent completely blocked the increase in tissue calcium during reperfusion. Additional experiments performed after 70 min of ischemia with reperfusion demonstrated a 49% attenuation of the increase in tissue calcium with alpha-adrenergic blockade. Electron microscopy with pyroantimonate and x-ray microprobe analysis demonstrated a large increase in calcium precipitate in mitochondria after reperfusion in untreated animals. Though alpha-adrenergic blockade prevented the calcium deposition in mitochondria, other criteria of ischemia persisted. Thus, alpha-adrenergic blockade specifically prevents the increase in intracellular calcium during reperfusion in reversibly injured tissue, independent of alterations in extracellular space and tissue water.

Prophylaxis of early ventricular fibrillation by inhibition of acylcarnitine accumulation.

Hypoxia in isolated myocytes results in accumulation of long-chain acylcarnitines (LCA) in sarcolemma. Inhibition of carnitine acyltransferase I (CAT-I) with sodium 2-[5-(4-chlorophenyl)-pentyl]-oxirane-2-carboxylate (POCA) prevents both the accumulation of LCA in the sarcolemma and the initial electrophysiologic derangements associated with hypoxia. Another amphiphilic metabolite, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), accumulates in the ischemic heart in vivo, in part because of inhibition of its catabolism by accumulating LCA. It induces electrophysiologic alterations in vitro analogous to early changes induced by ischemia in vivo. The present study was performed to determine whether POCA could prevent accumulation of both LCA and LPC induced by ischemia in vivo and if so, whether attenuation of early arrhythmogenesis would result. LAD coronary artery occlusions were induced for 5 min in chloralose-anesthetized cats. Coronary occlusion in untreated control animals elicited prompt, threefold increases of LCA (73 +/- 8 to 286 +/- 60 pmol/mg protein) and twofold increase of LPC (3.3 +/- 0.4 to 7.5 +/- 0.9 nmol/mg protein) selectively in the ischemic zone, associated with ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurring within the 5-min interval before acquisition of myocardial samples in 64% of the animals. POCA prevented the increase of both LCA and LPC. It also prevented the early occurrence of VT or VF (within 5 min of occlusion) in all animals studied. The antiarrhythmic effect of POCA was not attributable to favorable hemodynamic changes or to changes in myocardial perfusion measured with radiolabeled microspheres. Thus, inhibition of CAT-I effectively reduced the incidence of lethal arrhythmias induced early after the onset of ischemia. Accordingly, pharmacologic inhibition of this enzyme provides a promising approach for prophylaxis of sudden cardiac death, that typically occurs very soon after the onset of acute ischemia, in man.

Role of invading leukocytes in enhanced atrial eicosanoid production following rabbit left ventricular myocardial infarction.

The isolated perfused hearts of rabbits previously subjected to in vivo left ventricular myocardial infarction (LVMI) show a 5-10-fold increase in f-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP) and bradykinin (BK)-stimulated eicosanoid metabolite production relative to noninfarcted hearts. This exaggerated arachidonate metabolism has been shown to occur primarily in the cardiac atria, a site remote from the zone of injury and to be associated with a 10-15-fold increase in atrial FMLP receptor number in the absence of atrial inflammation. All of these changes were temporally related to leukocyte infiltration into the infarct zone. To determine whether invading leukocytes mediate these responses, acute inflammatory cell influx was suppressed either by inducing leukopenia with nitrogen mustard or by administration of BW-755C, a mixed cyclooxygenase-lipoxygenase inhibitor. Both pharmacological manipulations resulted in a decrease in inflammatory cells in the infarct zone and a marked suppression (50-70%) of ex vivo agonist-stimulated eicosanoid metabolite production from perfused hearts and isolated atria. These manipulations also resulted in reversal of ex vivo FMLP-induced coronary vasoconstriction as well as augmentation of BK-induced coronary vasodilation. Further studies in nitrogen mustard-treated animals revealed a suppression of the LVMI-stimulated increase in atrial FMLP receptor number. These data show that suppression of leukocyte invasion after LVMI attenuates enhanced cardiac and atrial eicosanoid metabolite production, and results in marked changes in coronary vascular reactivity. An additional finding was that basal and stimulated LTB4 production was markedly increased in infarcted hearts. In vivo suppression of the increase in LTB4 production by BW-755C was associated with inhibition of inflammatory cell influx into the infarct zone. It therefore appears that LTB4 may be an important proinflammatory mediator of leukocyte invasion after LVMI.

Mechanisms of impaired exercise capacity in short duration experimental hyperthyroidism.

To investigate the mechanism of reduced exercise tolerance in hyperthyroidism, we characterized cardiovascular function and determinants of skeletal muscle metabolism in 18 healthy subjects aged 26 +/- 1 yr (mean +/- SE) before and after 2 wk of daily ingestion of 100 micrograms of triiodothyronine (T3). Resting oxygen uptake, heart rate, and cardiac output increased and heart rate and cardiac output at the same submaximal exercise intensity were higher in the hyperthyroid state (P less than 0.05). However, maximal oxygen uptake decreased after T3 administration (3.08 +/- 0.17 vs. 2.94 +/- 0.19 l/min; P less than 0.001) despite increased heart rate and cardiac output at maximal exercise (P less than 0.05). Plasma lactic acid concentration at an equivalent submaximal exercise intensity was elevated 25% (P less than 0.01) and the arteriovenous oxygen difference at maximal effort was reduced (P less than 0.05) in the hyperthyroid state. These effects were associated with a 21-37% decline in activities of oxidative (P less than 0.001) and glycolytic (P less than 0.05) enzymes in skeletal muscle and a 15% decrease in type IIA muscle fiber cross-sectional area (P less than 0.05). Lean body mass was reduced (P less than 0.001) and the rates of whole body leucine oxidation and protein breakdown were enhanced (P less than 0.05). Thus, exercise tolerance is impaired in short duration hyperthyroidism because of decreased skeletal muscle mass and oxidative capacity related to accelerated protein catabolism but cardiac pump function is not reduced.

A novel mouse model of lipotoxic cardiomyopathy.

Inherited and acquired cardiomyopathies are associated with marked intracellular lipid accumulation in the heart. To test the hypothesis that mismatch between myocardial fatty acid uptake and utilization leads to the accumulation of cardiotoxic lipid species, and to establish a mouse model of metabolic cardiomyopathy, we generated transgenic mouse lines that overexpress long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase in the heart (MHC-ACS). This protein plays an important role in vectorial fatty acid transport across the plasma membrane. MHC-ACS mice demonstrate cardiac-restricted expression of the transgene and marked cardiac myocyte triglyceride accumulation. Lipid accumulation is associated with initial cardiac hypertrophy, followed by the development of left-ventricular dysfunction and premature death. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining and cytochrome c release in transgenic hearts suggest that cardiac myocyte death occurs, in part, by lipid-induced programmed cell death. Taken together, our data demonstrate that fatty acid uptake/utilization mismatch in the heart leads to accumulation of lipid species toxic to cardiac myocytes. This novel mouse model will provide insight into the role of perturbations in myocardial lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of inherited and acquired forms of heart failure.

Slow ventricular conduction in mice heterozygous for a connexin43 null mutation.

To characterize the role of the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) in ventricular conduction, we studied hearts of mice with targeted deletion of the Cx43 gene. Mice homozygous for the Cx43 null mutation (Cx43 -/-) die shortly after birth. Attempts to record electrical activity in neonatal Cx43 -/- hearts (n = 5) were unsuccessful. Ventricular epicardial conduction of paced beats, however, was 30% slower in heterozygous (Cx43 -/+) neonatal hearts (0.14+/-0.04 m/s, n = 27) than in wild-type (Cx43 +/+) hearts (0.20+/-0.07 m/s, n = 32; P < 0.001). This phenotype was even more severe in adult mice; ventricular epicardial conduction was 44% slower in 6-9 mo-old Cx43 -/+ hearts (0.18+/-0.03 m/s, n = 5) than in wild-type hearts (0.32+/-0.07 m/s, n = 7, P < 0.001). Electrocardiograms revealed significant prolongation of the QRS complex in adult Cx43 -/+ mice (13.4+/-1.8 ms, n = 13) compared with Cx43 +/+ mice (11.5+/-1.4 ms, n = 12, P < 0.01). Whole-cell recordings of action potential parameters in cultured disaggregated neonatal ventricular myocytes from Cx43 -/+ and +/+ hearts showed no differences. Thus, reduction in the abundance of a major cardiac gap junction protein through targeted deletion of a Cx43 allele directly leads to slowed ventricular conduction.

Repeated simulated ischemia and protection against gap junctional uncoupling.

Ischemic preconditioning increases the heart's tolerance to a subsequent longer ischemic period. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of early and delayed preconditioning on gap junction communication, connexin abundance, and phosphorylation in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. Prolonged ischemia followed 5 minutes after preconditioning in the early protocol, whereas 20 hours separated preconditioning and prolonged ischemia in the delayed preconditioning protocol. Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) was assessed by Lucifer yellow dye transfer. An initial reduction in communication in response to sublethal ischemia was observed. This may be one mechanism whereby neighboring cells are protected from damaging substances produced during the first phase of subsequent regional ischemia in early preconditioning protocols. With respect to delayed preconditioning, the transient decrease in GJIC disappeared prior to prolonged ischemia, indicating that other mechanisms are responsible for delayed protection. Both early and delayed preconditioning preserved intercellular coupling after prolonged ischemia and this correlated with presence of less connexin43 dephosphorylation assessed by immunoblot.

Connexin expression and turnover : implications for cardiac excitability.

Electrical activation of the heart requires current transfer from one cell to another via gap junctions, arrays of densely packed intercellular channels. The extent to which cardiac myocytes are coupled is determined by multiple mechanisms, including tissue-specific patterns of expression of diverse gap junction channel proteins (connexins), and regulatory pathways that control connexin synthesis, intracellular trafficking, assembly into channels, and degradation. Many connexins, including those expressed in the heart, have been found to turn over rapidly. Recent studies in the intact adult heart suggest that connexin43, the principal cardiac connexin, is surprisingly short-lived (half-life approximately 1.3 hours). Both the proteasome and the lysosome participate in connexin43 degradation. Other ion channel proteins, such as those forming selected voltage-gated K(+) channels, may also exhibit rapid turnover kinetics. Regulation of connexin degradation may be an important mechanism for adjusting intercellular coupling in the heart under normal and pathophysiological conditions.