RESUMO
Down-regulation of Connexin43 (Cx43) has often been associated with the development of cardiac fibrosis. We showed previously that Scn5a heterozygous knockout mice (Scn5a+/-), which mimic familial progressive cardiac conduction defect, exhibit an age-dependent decrease of Cx43 expression and phosphorylation concomitantly with activation of TGF-ß pathway and fibrosis development in the myocardium between 45 and 60 weeks of age. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Gap-134 prevents Cx43 down-regulation with age and fibrosis development in Scn5a+/- mice. We observed in 60-week-old Scn5a+/- mouse heart a Cx43 expression and localization remodeling correlated with fibrosis. Chronic administration of a potent and selective gap junction modifier, Gap-134 (danegaptide), between 45 and 60 weeks, increased Cx43 expression and phosphorylation on serine 368 and prevented Cx43 delocalization. Furthermore, we found that Gap-134 prevented fibrosis despite the persistence of the conduction defects and the TGF-ß canonical pathway activation. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that the age-dependent decrease of Cx43 expression is involved in the ventricular fibrotic process occurring in Scn5a+/- mice. Finally, our study suggests that gap junction modifier, such as Gap-134, could be an effective anti-fibrotic agent in the context of age-dependent fibrosis in progressive cardiac conduction disease.
Assuntos
Benzamidas/farmacologia , Cardiomiopatias/prevenção & controle , Conexina 43/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/efeitos dos fármacos , Miocárdio/metabolismo , Canal de Sódio Disparado por Voltagem NAV1.5/deficiência , Prolina/análogos & derivados , Animais , Cardiomiopatias/genética , Cardiomiopatias/metabolismo , Cardiomiopatias/patologia , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Cultivadas , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/patologia , Fibrose , Camundongos da Linhagem 129 , Camundongos Knockout , Miocárdio/patologia , Canal de Sódio Disparado por Voltagem NAV1.5/genética , Fosforilação , Prolina/farmacologia , Pirazóis/farmacologia , Transdução de Sinais , Regulação para Cima , Remodelação Ventricular/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
AIM: Deletion of QKP1507-1509 amino-acids in SCN5A gene product, the voltage-gated Na+ channel Nav1.5, has been associated with a large phenotypic spectrum of type 3 long QT syndrome, conduction disorder, dilated cardiomyopathy and high incidence of sudden death. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a novel model of type 3 long QT syndrome to study the consequences of the QKP1507-1509 deletion. METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated a knock-in mouse presenting the delQKP1510-1512 mutation (Scn5a+/ΔQKP) equivalent to human deletion. Scn5a+/ΔQKP mice showed prolonged QT interval, conduction defects and ventricular arrhythmias at the age of 2â¯weeks, and, subsequently, structural defects and premature mortality. The mutation increased Na+ window current and generated a late Na+ current. Ventricular action potentials from Scn5a+/ΔQKP mice were prolonged. At the age of 4â¯weeks, Scn5a+/ΔQKP mice exhibited a remodeling leading to [Ca2+]i transients with higher amplitude and slower kinetics, combined with enhanced SR Ca2+ load. SERCA2 expression was not altered. However, total phospholamban expression was higher whereas the amount of Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII)-dependent T17-phosphorylated form was lower, in hearts from 4-week-old mice only. This was associated with a lower activity of CaMKII and lower calmodulin expression. In addition, Scn5a+/ΔQKP cardiomyocytes showed larger Ca2+ waves, correlated with the presence of afterdepolarizations during action potential recording. Ranolazine partially prevented action potential and QT interval prolongation in 4-week-old Scn5a+/ΔQKP mice and suppressed arrhythmias. CONCLUSION: The Scn5a+/ΔQKP mouse model recapitulates the clinical phenotype of mutation carriers and provides new and unexpected insights into the pathological development of the disease in patients carrying the QKP1507-1509 deletion.
Assuntos
Cálcio/metabolismo , Cardiomiopatias/etiologia , Cardiomiopatias/metabolismo , Síndrome do QT Longo/complicações , Síndrome do QT Longo/metabolismo , Potenciais de Ação , Animais , Cardiomiopatias/diagnóstico , Cardiomiopatias/mortalidade , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Progressão da Doença , Ecocardiografia , Eletrocardiografia , Testes de Função Cardíaca , Imuno-Histoquímica , Síndrome do QT Longo/diagnóstico , Síndrome do QT Longo/tratamento farmacológico , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Imagem Molecular , Miócitos Cardíacos/metabolismo , Canal de Sódio Disparado por Voltagem NAV1.5/genética , Canal de Sódio Disparado por Voltagem NAV1.5/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Propranolol/farmacologia , Transdução de Sinais , Taxa de SobrevidaRESUMO
Sinus node (SAN) dysfunction (SND) manifests as low heart rate (HR) and is often accompanied by atrial tachycardia or atrioventricular (AV) block. The only currently available therapy for chronic SND is the implantation of an electronic pacemaker. Because of the growing burden of SND in the population, new pharmacological therapies of chronic SND and heart block are desirable. We developed a collection of genetically modified mouse strains recapitulating human primary SND associated with different degrees of AV block. These mice were generated with genetic ablation of L-type Cav1.3 (Cav1.3-/-), T-type Cav3.1 (Cav3.1-/-), or both (Cav1.3-/-/Cav3.1-/-). We also studied mice haplo-insufficient for the Na+ channel Nav1.5 (Nav1.5+/) and mice in which the cAMP-dependent regulation of hyperpolarization-activated f-(HCN4) channels has been abolished (HCN4-CNBD). We analysed, by telemetric ECG recording, whether pharmacological inhibition of the G-protein-activated K+ current (IKACh) by the peptide tertiapin-Q could improve HR and AV conduction in these mouse strains. Tertiapin-Q significantly improved the HR of Cav1.3-/- (19%), Cav1.3-/-/Cav3.1-/- (23%) and HCN4-CNBD (14%) mice. Tertiapin-Q also improved cardiac conduction of Nav1.5+/- mice by 24%. Our data suggest that the development of pharmacological IKACh inhibitors for the management of SND and conduction disease is a viable approach.