Alterations in phospholipid N-methylation of cardiac subcellular membranes due to experimentally induced diabetes in rats.

Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methylation was examined in cardiac subcellular membranes after inducing chronic experimental diabetes in rats (65 mg streptozotocin/kg, i.v.). The incorporation of radiolabeled methyl groups from S-adenosyl-L-methionine in diabetic sarcolemma was significantly depressed at all three catalytic sites (I, II, and III) of the methyltransferase system. An increase in methyl group incorporation was evident at site I without any changes at sites II and III in diabetic sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Similar changes were also seen for the individual N-methylated lipids (monomethyl-, dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine) specifically formed at each catalytic site in all cardiac membranes from diabetic animals. These alterations in N-methylation were reversible by a 14-d insulin therapy to the diabetic animals. In the presence of 10 microM ATP and 0.1 microM Ca2+, N-methylation was maximally activated at site I in both control and diabetic sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum, but not in mitochondria. Incubation of cardiac membranes with of S-adenosyl-L-methionine showed that Ca2(+)-stimulated ATPase activities in both sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum were augmented; however, the activation of diabetic sarcolemma was lesser and that of diabetic sarcoplasmic reticulum was greater in comparison with the control preparations. These results identify alterations in phosphatidylethanolamine N-methylation in subcellular membranes from diabetic heart, and it is suggested that these defects may be crucial in the development of cardiac dysfunction in chronic diabetes.

Characterization of heart sarcolemmal phospholipid methylation.

The transmethylation of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to phosphatidylcholine (PC) was studied in rat heart sarcolemmal membrane. Kinetically, three apparent Km values for S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) were obtained when the total [3H]methyl groups incorporation into the phospholipids was examined in the presence of 0.01-250 microM AdoMet. A first methyltransferase active site having a very low Km (0.1 microM) for AdoMet showed a partial requirement for Mg2+ and an optimum pH of 8.0 with a major formation of phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine (PMME). Both Ca2+ and K+ were inhibitory to this site. A second active site with a Km of 3.6 microM showed an optimum pH of 7.0 with predominant formation of phosphatidyl-N,N-dimethylethanolamine (PDME) and no Mg2+ requirement; in addition, transmethylation activity was also observed over a broad alkaline pH range (9-11) with an optimum at pH 10.5. This site was insensitive to Ca2+ but was stimulated by Na+, while K+ had an inhibitory effect. A third active site with a Km of 119 microM showed an optimum pH of 10.5 with major formation of PC and no Mg2+ requirement. This site was also insensitive to Ca2+ but markedly inhibited by both K+ and Na+. Under optimal conditions, the activities of all three methyltransferase sites were linear for at least 30 min of incubation and the sensitivity to the inhibitory effect of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine was different for each site. Addition of exogenous PMME and PDME as substrates enhanced the synthesis of the corresponding methylated products by 3-5-fold and 3-8-fold, respectively. In contrast, exogenous PE failed to increase methyltransferase activity. These results provide evidence for the existence of three distinct methyltransferase active sites in rat heart sarcolemma.

Stimulation of Ca2+-pump in rat heart sarcolemma by phosphatidylethanolamine N-methylation.

Incubation of purified cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles (SL) in the presence of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, a methyl donor for the enzymatic N-methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), increased the Ca2+-stimulated ATPase and ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation activities. Quantitative analysis of the methylated phospholipids revealed that maximal increase of Ca2+-pump activities was associated with predominant synthesis and intramembranal accumulation of phosphatidyl-N,N-dimethylethanolamine. The stimulation of SL Ca2+-pump activities was prevented by inhibitors of PE N-methylation such as S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine and methyl acetimidate hydrochloride. The results suggest a possible role of PE N-methylation in the regulation of Ca2+-transport across the heart SL membrane.

Phospholipase D activity in subcellular membranes of rat ventricular myocardium.

The phospholipase D (PL D), which catalyzes the formation of phosphatidic acid (PA), was studied in rat myocardium using 14C-labelled phosphatidylcholine (PC) as an exogenous substrate. Subcellular distribution experiments indicated the presence of PL D in particulate fractions only. Different procedures for the isolation of purified cardiac subcellular organelles showed the presence of PL D in sarcolemma (SL), sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondria with 14-, 11- and 5-fold enrichment when compared to the homogenate value, respectively. The activity of SL PL D was observed over a narrow acid pH range with an optimum at 6.5, and it showed a high specificity for PC while phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol showed a low rate of hydrolysis. Under optimal conditions, PA formation was linear for a 90-min period of incubation and the reaction rate was constant for 10 to 100 micrograms SL protein in the assay medium. The SR PL D displayed properties similar to those seen with the SL PL D. In membrane fractions PL D was also found to catalyze a transphosphatidylation reaction for the synthesis of phosphatidylglycerol. Assessment of the intramembranal levels of radioactive 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) in the absence or presence of KF suggested the presence of an active PA phosphohydrolase activity. This study indicates that a PC-specific PL D activity is localized in different membrane systems of the myocardium and may be associated with PA phosphohydrolase to act in a coordinated manner. The functional significance of PL D-dependent formation of PA in cardiac membranes is discussed.

Oxidative stress modifies the activity of cardiac sarcolemmal phospholipase C.

We have examined the direct effects of oxidant metabolites on cardiac sarcolemmal phosphoinositide phospholipase C which transduces signals from various receptors for the modulation of intracellular Ca2+ levels. The enzyme activity in rat cardiac sarcolemmal membranes that had been preincubated (10 min; 37 degrees C) with xanthine-xanthine oxidase, a superoxide anion generating system, was not significantly affected. The addition to this system of superoxide dismutase, which converts superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), resulted in a significant decrease of the enzyme activity in comparison with control values. Such decrease was fully prevented by catalase. Preincubation of sarcolemma with hypochlorous acid also gave a significant inhibition of phospholipase C, which was counteracted by the synthetic thiol reducer dithiothreitol. H2O2-pretreatment induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of the enzyme which was prevented by catalase but not by the iron chelator deferoxamine. Dithiothreitol was able to protect against, as well as to recover the enzyme activity from the H2O2 effects. These data suggest that superoxide anions and hydroxyl radicals did not interfere with phospholipase C activity, and that the nonradical oxidants, H2O2 and hypochlorous acid, may have acted through oxidation of thiol (SH) groups. The existence of reactive SH groups associated with the enzyme was confirmed by the inhibitory effects of SH modifiers (p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid, 5'5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), N-ethylmaleimide and methyl methanethiosulfonate), which were prevented and in some cases also reversed by dithiothreitol. The biological reducer glutathione (GSH) was not able to recover the H2O2-induced inhibition of phospholipase C, whereas its oxidized form (GSSG) decreased the enzyme activity both in control and H2O2-pretreated membranes. The enzyme was active in a wide range of GSH/GSSG redox states, but H2O2 pretreatment narrowed this range. The results showed that oxidative stress changed the redox state of sarcolemmal phospholipase C, and this deactivated the enzyme. The oxidants' concentrations that significantly impaired phospholipase C in this study were compatible with those occurring in vivo during ischemia-reperfusion [Am. J. Med. 91(Suppl. 3C):235, 1991]. This supports the possibility that alteration of the receptor-associated phospholipase C may be a factor in the oxidant-related dysfunction of the ischemic-reperfused heart.

Properties of 5'-nucleotidase in rat heart sarcolemma.

The activity of 5'-nucleotidase (5'-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.5) was examined in membrane fractions isolated by hypotonic shock-LiBr treatment (fraction HL) and sucrose gradient separation (fraction S) of rat ventricle homogenate. The enzyme activity in these two fractions differed significantly in several respects. In fraction HL, 5'-nucleotidase had a high affinity for AMP (Km 35 microM), and ATP was a potent competitive inhibitor. In contrast, the 5'-nucleotidase displayed by fraction S showed a low substrate affinity (Km 130 microM) and less sensitivity to ATP. Treatment of membranes with trypsin and neuraminidase markedly stimulated 5'-nucleotidase in fraction HL, whereas only a modest effect was observed in fraction S. Exposure of the membranes to Triton X-100 resulted in a 60% and 10% increase in the enzyme activity in fractions HL and S, respectively. The characteristic activity ratios of 5'-nucleotidase at 200 microM relative to 50 microM AMP in fractions HL and S were modified by alamethicin in an opposite way and became identical. Although concanavalin A almost completely inhibited the 5'-nucleotidase activity in both membrane preparations at a concentration of 2 microM, Hill plots of the data on concanavalin A inhibition revealed a coefficient of 2.2 for fraction S and 1.1 for fraction HL. The differences in 5'-nucleotidase activity of the two membrane fractions are considered to be due to differences in the orientation of the vesicles of the sarcolemmal preparations. These results suggest that two distinct catalytic sites for 5'-nucleotidase are present at the intra- and extracellular surface of the rat heart sarcolemma.

Solubilization of rat heart sarcolemma 5'-nucleotidase by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C.

The influence of a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C treatment on rat heart sarcolemmal 5'-nucleotidase was investigated. Upon complete hydrolysis of all phosphatidylinositol in the sarcolemma, 75% of 5'-nucleotidase activity was found in the solubilized form. The insolubilized enzyme after this treatment has the same Km for AMP as the untreated, sarcolemmal-bound enzyme (0.04 mM), whereas the solubilized enzyme has a 40-fold increase in Km for AMP (0.16 mM). Other sarcolemmal-bound enzymes were not affected by the same treatment. Hence, the specific involvement of phosphatidylinositol in the binding of 5'-nucleotidase to the sarcolemma of the rat heart is clearly demonstrated.

Inhibition of cardiac phosphatidylethanolamine N-methylation by oxygen free radicals.

This study was undertaken to examine the effects of oxygen free radicals on phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) N-methylation in rat heart sarcolemmal (SL) and sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) membranes. Three catalytic sites involved in the sequential methyl transfer reaction were studied by assaying the incorporation of radiolabeled methyl groups from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (0.055, 10, and 150 microM) into SL or SR PE molecules under optimal conditions. In the presence of xanthine + xanthine oxidase (superoxide anion radicals generating system), PE N-methylation was inhibited at site I and III in the heavy SL fraction isolated by the hypotonic shock-LiBr treatment method. In the light SL fraction isolated by sucrose-density gradient, a significant inhibition of PE N-methylation was seen at all three sites. These inhibitory effects of xanthine + xanthine oxidase on PE N-methylation were prevented by the addition of superoxide dismutase. Hydrogen peroxide showed a significant inhibition of PE N-methylation at site I in the heavy SL fraction, and at site I and II in the light SL fraction. Catalase blocked the inhibitory effects of hydrogen peroxide. The effects of both xanthine + xanthine oxidase and hydrogen peroxide on the SR membranes were similar to those seen for the heavy SL fraction. These results suggest that, in addition to lipid peroxidation, the oxygen free radicals may affect the function of cardiac membranes by decreasing the phospholipid N-methylation activity.

Adrenoreceptor-mediated effect of neuropeptide Y decreases cardiac inotropic responses.

The effect of neuropeptide Y on the number and affinity of catecholamine receptors in the ventricular myocardium was investigated. Receptor binding studies showed that incubation of cardiac membrane in the presence of neuropeptide Y (NPY, 10(-7) M) decreased the number of alpha/beta-adrenoceptor binding sites (Bmax) without affecting the affinity (KD) of these receptors. Although not able to modulate the contractility by itself, NPY was able to decrease the positive inotropic effects of phenylephrine and isoproterenol in the isolated, perfused myocardium. Ca2+/Mg(2+)-ATPase activity, measured from the sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofibrils, was unaltered whereas the activity of sarcolemmal Na+/K(+)-ATPase was decreased when NPY was included in the media. On the other hand, NPY was shown to increase the phosphoinositide-phospholipase C associated with the sarcolemma. These findings support the hypothesis that NPY modulates postsynaptic adrenergic receptors in the myocardium and can affect the adrenergic-induced, inotropic response.

Modification of heart sarcolemmal phosphoinositide pathway by lysophosphatidylcholine.

Although lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PtdCho) accumulates in the sarcolemmal (SL) membrane and alters its function during myocardial ischemia and diabetic cardiomyopathy, the effects of lyso-PtdCho on SL signalling processes have not yet been investigated. The present study was carried out to examine the actions of lyso-PtdCho on the rat heart SL membrane enzymes involved in the phosphoinositide pathway. Different lyso-PtdCho species (10 to 200 microM) inhibited the activities of both phosphatidylinositol kinase and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase in the SL membrane in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory potency of lyso-PtdCho compounds for phosphatidylinositol kinase was lyso-PtdCho plasmalogen > 1-oleoyl-lyso-PtdCho > 1-stearoyl-lyso-PtdCho > 1-palmitoyl-lyso-PtdCho, and that for phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase was lyso-PtdCho plasmalogen > 1-oleoyl-lyso-PtdCho > 1-palmitoyl-lyso-PtdCho > 1-stearoyl-lyso-PtdCho. The inhibitory effect of lyso-PtdCho on phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase was greater than that on phosphatidylinositol kinase. Lyso-PtdCho structural analogues, such as phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, L-alpha-glycerophosphate, oleate and phosphorylcholine, did not affect the phosphoinositide kinases, suggesting that the intact structure of lyso-PtdCho was required for the inhibition of the kinases. The detrimental action of lyso-PtdCho on PtdIns kinase was potentiated by acidosis. Unlike Ca2+, ATP (0.1 and 4 mM) increased lyso-PtdCho-induced deactivation of the kinases. Both enzyme activities were found to be depressed in the ischemic-reperfused or diabetic hearts. None of the tested lyso-PtdCho species altered phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) hydrolysis by SL phospholipase C. These results indicate that accumulation of lyso-PtdCho in the SL membrane under pathological conditions may diminish the availability of the PtdIns(4,5)P2 substrate for the production of second messengers by receptor-linked phospholipase C.

Role of phosphatidylinositol in basal adenylate cyclase activity of rat heart sarcolemma.

The adenylate cyclase activity and phospholipid composition were determined in rat heart sarcolemma after treating the membranes with a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Complete hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol in sarcolemma was associated with a marked loss of the basal adenylate cyclase activity. The recombination of the supernatant with the phosphatidylinositol-depleted membranes was found to reactivate the adenylate cyclase activity. The soluble component(s) in the supernatant, which restored the adenylate cyclase activity, was thermolabile and precipitated by ammonium sulfate. Extensive hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin in sarcolemma with a Clostridium welchii phospholipase C treatment did not affect the basal adenylate cyclase activity. These results suggest that phosphatidylinositol anchors component(s) essential for the expression of basal adenylate cyclase activity to the myocardial cell membrane.

Subcellular remodeling and heart dysfunction in chronic diabetes.

Heart dysfunction in chronic diabetes has been observed to be associated with depressed myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase activities as well as abnormalities in the sarcoplasmic reticular and sarcolemmal calcium transport processes. The evidence has been presented to show that alterations in the expression of myosin isozymes and regulatory proteins as well as myosin phosphorylation contribute to the development of myofibrillar remodeling in the diabetic heart. Defects in sarcoplasmic reticular and sarcolemmal calcium transport appear to be due to the accumulation of lipid metabolites in the membrane. Different agents, such as calcium-antagonists, beta-adrenoceptor blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, metabolic interventions and antioxidants, have been reported to exert beneficial effects in preventing subcellular remodeling and cardiac dysfunction in chronic diabetes. Clinical and experimental investigations have suggested that increased sympathetic activity, activated cardiac renin-angiotensin system, myocardial ischemia/functional hypoxia and elevated levels of glucose for a prolonged period, due to insulin deficiency, result in oxidative stress. It is proposed that oxidative stress associated with a deficit in the status of the antioxidant defense system may play a critical role in subcellular remodeling, calcium-handling abnormalities and subsequent diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Low level of sarcolemmal phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in cardiomyopathic hamster (UM-X7.1) heart.

OBJECTIVE: Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns 4,5-P(2)) is not only a precursor to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins 1,4, 5-P(3)) and sn-1,2 diacylglycerol, but also essential for the function of several membrane proteins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the level of this phospholipid in the cell plasma membrane (sarcolemma, SL) of cardiomyopathic hamster (CMPH) heart. METHODS: We examined the cardiac SL PtdIns 4,5-P(2) mass and the activities of the enzymes responsible for its synthesis and hydrolysis in 250-day-old UM-X7.1 CMPH at a severe stage of congestive heart failure (CHF) and in age-matched controls (Syrian Golden hamsters). RESULTS: The SL PtdIns 4,5-P(2) mass in CMPH was reduced by 72% of the control value. The activities of PtdIns 4 kinase and PtdIns 4-P 5 kinase were depressed by 69 and 50% of control values, respectively. Although, the total phospholipase C (PLC) activity was moderately, although significantly, decreased (by 18% of control), PLCdelta(1) isoenzyme activity in the SL membrane was elevated, with a concomitant increase in its protein content, whereas PLCbeta(1) and gamma(1) isoenzyme activities were depressed despite the increase in their protein levels. A 2-fold increase in the Ins 1,4,5-P(3) concentration in the cytosol of the failing heart of CMPH was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced SL level of PtdIns 4, 5-P(2) may severely jeopardize cardiac cell function in this hamster model of CHF. In addition, the profound changes in the profile of heart SL PLC isoenzyme could alter the complex second messenger responses of these isoenzymes, and elevated Ins 1,4,5-P(3) levels may contribute to intracellular Ca(2+) overload in the failing cardiomyocyte.

Sarcolemmal alterations during the development of genetically determined cardiomyopathy.

The purpose of this study was to identify alterations in specific enzyme and Ca2+ binding activities in cardiac sarcolemmal fractions from UM-X7.1 myopathic Syrian hamsters during the development of cardiomyopathy. Experimental and healthy control animals were examined from 25 to 200 days of age. Sarcolemmal Na+, K+-ATPase activity was depressed in the myopathic hamsters throughout the time course of this study. Sarcolemmal ATP-independent Ca2+ binding was found to be depressed in experimental animals as early as 55 days of age. Ca2+ -stimulated, Mg2+ -dependent ATPase activity was depressed in the experimental animals by 90 days of age and this decrease in enzyme activity was accompanied by a decrease in ATP-dependent Ca2+ binding capacity of the sarcolemmal membranes. Mg2+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -ATPase activities were only affected in the latter stages of the disease (155 to 200 days old). NaF, epinephrine and Gpp(NH)p stimulation of the sarcolemmal adenylate cyclase activity was also observed to be attenuated during the latter stages of the disease. These defects in adenylate cyclase system of the sarcolemmal fraction appeared specific since basal adenylate cyclase activity was not altered at any age studied. The results demonstrate that the earliest lesions in sarcolemmal activity in myopathic hamster heart occur in Na+, K+-ATPase and ATP-independent Ca2+ binding capacity. These defects correspond temporally to the initial stages of cardiac necrotic development in this strain of myopathic hamster.

Structure-activity relationship of the effect of cis-unsaturated fatty acids on heart sarcolemmal phospholipase D activity.

This study examined the role of fatty acids on the phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D (PLD) function of purified sarcolemmal (SL) membranes isolated from rat hearts. The enzyme's hydrolytic activity was determined by measuring [14C] phosphatidic acid formation from exogenous [14C] phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) in the absence or presence of the sodium salts of various saturated or unsaturated long-chain fatty acids (FA). In certain experiments the enzyme was also assayed in the transphosphatidylation mode. Cis-unsaturation and free carboxyl groups were structural prerequisites for the stimulatory effect exerted by FA on SL PLD. The most effective compounds were arachidonate and oleate, which maximally activated PLD at 4 and 5 mM concentration, respectively. To verify if a detergent-like mechanism was involved in PLD activation, anionic, zwitterionic and non-ionic detergents were used. Only anionic taurodeoxycholate had a slight effect, which was about 7% of that achieved by arachidonate or oleate. These results suggest that cis-unsaturated FA activate cardiac sarcolemmal PLD by a mechanism(s) which seems to be unrelated to non-specific perturbation of the membrane.

Subcellular alterations in cardiac phospholipase D activity in chronic diabetes.

Several studies have suggested that myocardial phospholipase D (PLD) and its hydrolytic product, phosphatidic acid (PtdOH), may regulate Ca2+ movements and contractile performance of the heart. Since abnormal intracellular Ca2+ handling is a major factor of myocardial dysfunction in chronic diabetes, we examined subcellular changes in PLD activity in myocardium from insulin-dependent diabetic rats. Diabetes in rats was induced by a single i.v. injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg body wt) and 8 weeks later the ventricular tissue was processed for the isolation of sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Compared to age-matched controls, the sarcolemmal, sarcoplasmic reticular and mitochondrial PLD activities were significantly depressed in the diabetic animals. The depressed sarcolemmal PLD activity was normalized, whereas the sarcoplasmic reticular and mitochondrial enzyme activities were partially reversed upon treating the 6-week diabetic rats with insulin for a period of 2 weeks. These data suggest that the reduction of PLD-derived PtdOH may lead to an impairment in this phospholipid signal transduction pathway and subsequent cardiac dysfunction in chronic diabetes.

Altered lipid metabolism in the failing heart of cardiomyopathic hamsters (UM-X7.1).

The lipid composition of different anatomic regions of 150 day-old UM-X7.1 cardiomyopathic hamster and age-matched controls (Syrian golden hamsters) was examined. Cardiomyopathic hamsters exhibit a phospholipid to protein ratio higher than healthy animals in atria, whereas the contrary is true in the other anatomic regions examined. In all tissues the cholesterol to phospholipid ratio is higher in cardiomyopathic hamster than in controls. Healthy and UM-X7.1 hamsters differ substantially as far as the percent distribution of fatty acids in total lipids is concerned, the lipids from cardiomyopathic animals accumulating fatty acids of the omega-6 series and being relatively poor in monoenoic fatty acids. The different fatty acid composition of heart lipids appears to be a consequence of a generalized disturbance of the lipid metabolism in cardiomyopathic hamsters during congestive heart failure.

Responses of heart function and intracellular free Ca2+ to phosphatidic acid in chronic diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: In view of the crucial role of phosphatidic acid (PA) in signal transduction and Ca(2+)-handling in myocardium, it was the objective of this study to examine the effects of PA on cardiac contractile force and intracellular free Ca2+ in control and chronic diabetic rats. METHODS: Diabetes was induced in rats by a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg.) and the animals were used for experiments eight weeks after the injection. Heart function was measured by using the isolated perfused heart preparations, and values for systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, rate of contraction (+dP/dt) and rate of relaxation (-dP/dt) were monitored. Intracellular free Ca2+ in cardiomyocytes was estimated by employing Fura-2/AM method. RESULTS: PA (5 x 10(-8) to 1 x 10(-5) M) produced a concentration-dependent increase in +dP/dt and -dP/dt in the isolated heart; however, these responses were significantly attenuated in diabetic hearts. ATP also caused a positive inotropic effect at concentrations of 1 x 10(-5) to 1 x 10(-4) M but the magnitude of these responses was similar in both control and diabetic groups. Using freshly isolated cardiomyocytes and Fura-2 technique, PA (1 x 10(-6) to 1 x 10(-4) M) was observed to evoke a concentration-dependent increase in [Ca2+]i in both control and diabetic groups. The EC50 and EC95 values for PA were not different but the maximum increase of [Ca2+]i in diabetic hearts was significantly lower in comparison to the control group (152 +/- 41 versus 304 +/- 56 nM). On the other hand, no difference in the increase of [Ca2+]i due to ATP or potassium chloride was seen between control and diabetic cardiomyocytes. Adrenaline pretreatment enhanced [Ca2+]i responses to ATP and PA in both groups; however, the PA-induced increase in [Ca2+]i, unlike the ATP-induced increase, was lower in the diabetic group compared to the control cells with similar pretreatment with adrenaline. The diminished increase in [Ca2+]i due to PA was also observed in cardiomyocytes obtained from rats in which diabetes was induced by intravenous alloxan (65 mg/kg). CONCLUSIONS: PA induced [Ca2+]i mobilization and positive inotropic response were depressed in diabetic heart; this defect in the signal transduction mechanism may contribute to the lower tonic responses of certain inotropic agents in chronic diabetes.

Impairment of mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticular functions during the development of heart failure in cardiomyopathic (UM-X7.1) hamsters.

The oxidative phosphorylation as well as calcium transporting properties of heart mitochondria and calcium transport activities of the fragments of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (microsomes) were studied during the life span of cardiomyopathic hamsters (UM-X7.1). Control healthy hamsters of the same age group were used for comparison. No changes in the oxidative phosphorylation ability of cardiomyopathic mitochondria were seen at early and moderate stages of heart failure; however, at severe stages, mitochondrial respiratory functions, but not the ADP:0 ratio, were impaired. Both creatine phosphate and ATP contents were decreased without any significant changes in the ATPase activities of myofibrils from the failing hearts. Heart mitochondria from cardiomyopathic animals at severe stages of failure exhibited less calcium binding and uptake activities in comparison with the control values whereas no changes in the mitochondrial calcium binding and uptake were seen in cardiomyopathic hamsters which showed no clinical signs of heart failure. Although mitochondrial calcium binding in cardiomyopathic hearts at early and moderate stages of failure was decreased, mitochondrial calcium uptake was not significantly different from the control. Microsomal calcium binding activity, unlike calcium uptake activity, was decreased in the hearts of cardiomyopathic hamsters without any signs of heart failure. Both calcium binding and calcium uptake activities of microsomes from animals with early, moderate and severe heart failure were less in comparison with the control values but were not associated with any changes in the Ca2+-stimulated ATPase activity. These results suggest that changes in the process of mitochondrial energy production and mitochondrial Ca2+-transport may be secondary to other factors whereas alterations in the sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+-transport may lead to the development of heart failure in the cardiomyopathic hamsters.