ß3 adrenergic receptor selective stimulation during ischemia/reperfusion improves cardiac function in translational models through inhibition of mPTP opening in cardiomyocytes.

Selective stimulation of ß3 adrenergic-receptor (ß3AR) has been shown to reduce infarct size in a mouse model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. However, its functional long-term effect and the cardioprotective mechanisms at the level of cardiomyocytes have not been elucidated, and the impact of ß3AR stimulation has not been evaluated in a more translational large animal model. This study aimed at evaluating pre-perfusion administration of BRL37344 both in small and large animal models of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Pre-reperfusion administration of the ß3AR agonist BRL37344 (5 µg/kg) reduced infarct size at 2-and 24-h reperfusion in wild-type mice. Long-term (12-weeks) left ventricular (LV) function assessed by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was significantly improved in ß3AR agonist-treated mice. Incubation with ß3AR agonist (BRL37344, 7 µmol/L) significantly reduced cell death in isolated adult mouse cardiomyocytes during hypoxia/reoxygenation and decreased susceptibility to deleterious opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), via a mechanism dependent on the Akt-NO signaling pathway. Pre-reperfusion BRL37344 administration had no effect on infarct size in cyclophilin-D KO mice, further implicating mPTP in the mechanism of protection. Large-white pigs underwent percutaneous coronary ischemia/reperfusion and 3-T CMR at 7 and 45 days post-infarction. Pre-perfusion administration of BRL37344 (5 µg/kg) decreased infarct size and improved long-term LV contractile function. A single-dose administration of ß3AR agonist before reperfusion decreased infarct size and resulted in a consistent and long-term improvement in cardiac function, both in small and large animal models of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. This protection appears to be executed through inhibition of mPTP opening in cardiomyocytes.

ß1-Blockade Prevents Post-Ischemic Myocardial Decompensation Via ß3AR-Dependent Protective Sphingosine-1 Phosphate Signaling.

BACKGROUND: Although ß-blockers increase survival in patients with heart failure (HF), the mechanisms behind this protection are not fully understood, and not all patients with HF respond favorably to them. We recently showed that, in cardiomyocytes, a reciprocal down-regulation occurs between ß1-adrenergic receptors (ARs) and the cardioprotective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor-1 (S1PR1). OBJECTIVES: The authors hypothesized that, in addition to salutary actions due to direct ß1AR-blockade, agents such as metoprolol (Meto) may improve post-myocardial infarction (MI) structural and functional outcomes via restored S1PR1 signaling, and sought to determine mechanisms accounting for this effect. METHODS: We tested the in vitro effects of Meto in HEK293 cells and in ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from neonatal rats. In vivo, we assessed the effects of Meto in MI wild-type and ß3AR knockout mice. RESULTS: Here we report that, in vitro, Meto prevents catecholamine-induced down-regulation of S1PR1, a major cardiac protective signaling pathway. In vivo, we show that Meto arrests post-MI HF progression in mice as much as chronic S1P treatment. Importantly, human HF subjects receiving ß1AR-blockers display elevated circulating S1P levels, confirming that Meto promotes S1P secretion/signaling. Mechanistically, we found that Meto-induced S1P secretion is ß3AR-dependent because Meto infusion in ß3AR knockout mice does not elevate circulating S1P levels, nor does it ameliorate post-MI dysfunction, as in wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our study uncovers a previously unrecognized mechanism by which ß1-blockers prevent HF progression in patients with ischemia, suggesting that ß3AR dysfunction may account for limited/null efficacy in ß1AR-blocker-insensitive HF subjects.

Proteomic footprint of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury: Longitudinal study of the at-risk and remote regions in the pig model.

Reperfusion alters post-myocardial infarction (MI) healing; however, very few systematic studies report the early molecular changes following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Alterations in the remote myocardium have also been neglected, disregarding its contribution to post-MI heart failure (HF) development. This study characterizes protein dynamics and contractile abnormalities in the ischemic and remote myocardium during one week after MI. Closed-chest 40 min I/R was performed in 20 pigs sacrificed at 120 min, 24 hours, 4days, and 7days after reperfusion (n = 5 per group). Myocardial contractility was followed up by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and tissue samples were analyzed by multiplexed quantitative proteomics. At early reperfusion (120 min), the ischemic area showed a coordinated upregulation of inflammatory processes, whereas interstitial proteins, angiogenesis and cardio-renal signaling processes increased at later reperfusion (day 4 and 7). Remote myocardium showed decreased contractility at 120 min- and 24 h-CMR accompanied by transient alterations in contractile and mitochondrial proteins. Subsequent recovery of regional contractility was associated with edema formation on CMR and increases in inflammation and wound healing proteins on post-MI day 7. Our results establish for the first time the altered protein signatures in the ischemic and remote myocardium early after I/R and might have implications for new therapeutic targets to improve early post-MI remodeling.