Studies on the role of disturbed Ca2+ homeostasis in the pathomechanism of the cardiac effects of experimental diabetes using conventional and novel experimental techniques

The Na+/Ca2+exchanger (NCX) plays a crucial role in cardiac electrophysiology via maintaining ionic distributions between the cytoplasm and the extracellular space, shaping the action potential and modulating the contractile activity of the heart viatight regulation of the cytoplasmic[Ca2+]. Since the NCX is the primary transporter to extrude Ca2+from the cells, both the Ca2+content of the cardiomyocytes and magnitude and kinetics of the intracellular Ca2+-transient during action potential are highly dependent on its expression level and functional activity. In spite of its critical function, a relatively selective pharmacological NCX inhibitor (SEA0400) has only recently become available, offering yet unexplored novel possibilities in studying NCX function and malfunction. In our first experimental study we aimed to evaluate the effects of selective, partial NCX inhibition by SEA0400 on Ca2+handling in isolated canine ventricular myocytes.Since the origin and progression of the pathomechanisms, leading to diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy, are poorly explored, monitoring diabetes induced changes in intracellular Ca2+handling in cardiomyocytes in various functional states may help us to improve our rather limited understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetes-associated heart diseases. This improvement, in turn, may open much needed novel therapeutic avenues for more effective prevention and early treatment of cardiac complications in diabetic patients. In our second study we aimed to investigate in an experimental animal model of Type 1 diabetes the putative perturbations in NCX function, by monitoring shifts in intracellular [Ca2+], following the applicationof the selective NCX inhibitorSEA0400.The final part of the present thesis describes a promising methodological work. Virus-mediated gene transfer has recently become an important tool for introduction of recombinant genes into cardiomyocytes, offering the potential to treat both rare and common cardiac disorders. In our third study we have developed a novel, pseudorabies virusvector (PRV)-based technique, which enables the targeted delivery of genetically encoded activity sensors into primary culture of isolated adult canine cardiomyocytes. This system has several advantageous features: 1) the virus enters the cells without destroying the intact physiological properties of the cells for a prolonged period; 2) the virus had no effect on the observed physiological properties. We have shown for the first time, that novel herpesvirus-based vectors can efficiently transduce genes into non-dividing cardiac myocytes, offering an alternative approach for gene transfer in this fastidious experimental object

Comparison of the efficiency of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger or Na+/H+ exchanger inhibition and their combination in reducing coronary reperfusion-induced arrhythmias

During ischaemia/reperfusion, the rise in [Na+]i, induced by simultaneous depression of the Na+/K+-ATPase and activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE), shifts the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) into reverse transport mode, resulting in Ca2+ i overload, which is a critical factor in enhancing the liability to cardiac arrhythmias. The inhibition of NHE, and recently NCX has been suggested to effectively protect the heart from reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. In this study, we investigated and compared the efficacy of individual or the simultaneous inhibition of the NHE and NCX against reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts by applying a commonly used regional ischaemiareperfusion protocol. The NHE and NCX were inhibited by cariporide and SEA0400 or the novel, more selective ORM10103, respectively. Arrhythmia diagrams calculated for the reperfusion period were analysed for the incidence and duration of extrasystoles (ESs), ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). NHE inhibition by cariporide was highly efficient in reducing the recorded reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. Following the application of SEA0400 or ORM-10103, the number and duration of arrhythmic periods were efficiently or moderately decreased. While both NCX inhibitors effectively reduced ESs, the most frequently triggered arrhythmias, they exerted limited or no effect on VTs and VFs. Of the NCX inhibitors, ORM-10103 was more effective. Surprisingly, the simultaneous inhibition of the NCX and NHE failed to significantly improve the antiarrhythmic efficacy reached by NCX blockade alone. In conclusion, although principal simultaneous NHE+NCX inhibition should be highly effective against all types of the recorded reperfusion-induced arrhythmias, NCX inhibitors, alone or in combination with cariporide, seem to be moderately suitable to provide satisfactory cardioprotection - at least in the present arrhythmia model. Since ORM10103 and SEA0400 are known to effectively inhibit after-depolarisations, it is suggested that their efficacy and that of other NCX inhibitors may be higher and more pronounced in the predominantly Ca2+ i-dependent triggered arrhythmias. © 2015, Polish Physiological Society. All rights reserved

Selective Inhibition of Cardiac Late Na+ Current Is Based on Fast Offset Kinetics of the Inhibitor

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the selectivity of blocking the late Na+ current (INaL) over the peak Na+ current (INaP) is related to the fast offset kinetics of the Na+ channel inhibitor. Therefore, the effects of 1 µM GS967 (INaL inhibitor), 20 µM mexiletine (I/B antiarrhythmic) and 10 µM quinidine (I/A antiarrhythmic) on INaL and INaP were compared in canine ventricular myocardium. INaP was estimated as the maximum velocity of action potential upstroke (V+max). Equal amounts of INaL were dissected by the applied drug concentrations under APVC conditions. The inhibition of INaL by mexiletine and quinidine was comparable under a conventional voltage clamp, while both were smaller than the inhibitory effect of GS967. Under steady-state conditions, the V+max block at the physiological cycle length of 700 ms was 2.3% for GS967, 11.4% for mexiletine and 26.2% for quinidine. The respective offset time constants were 110 ± 6 ms, 456 ± 284 ms and 7.2 ± 0.9 s. These results reveal an inverse relationship between the offset time constant and the selectivity of INaL over INaP inhibition without any influence of the onset rate constant. It is concluded that the selective inhibition of INaL over INaP is related to the fast offset kinetics of the Na+ channel inhibitor

Novel Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger Inhibitor ORM-10962 Supports Coupled Function of Funny-Current and Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger in Pacemaking of Rabbit Sinus Node Tissue

Background and Purpose: The exact mechanism of spontaneous pacemaking is not fully understood. Recent results suggest tight cooperation between intracellular Ca$^{2+}$ handling and sarcolemmal ion channels. An important player of this crosstalk is the Na$^{+}$/ Ca$^{2+}$ exchanger (NCX), however, direct pharmacological evidence was unavailable so far because of the lack of a selective inhibitor. We investigated the role of the NCX current in pacemaking and analyzed the functional consequences of the I$_{f-}$NCX coupling by applying the novel selective NCX inhibitor ORM-10962 on the sinus node (SAN). Experimental Approach: Currents were measured by patch-clamp, Ca$^{2+}$-transients were monitored by fluorescent optical method in rabbit SAN cells. Action potentials (AP) were recorded from rabbit SAN tissue preparations. Mechanistic computational data were obtained using the Yaniv et al. SAN model. Key Results: ORM-10962 (ORM) marginally reduced the SAN pacemaking cycle length with a marked increase in the diastolic Ca$^{2+}$ level as well as the transient amplitude. The bradycardic effect of NCX inhibition was augmented when the funny-current (I$_{f}$) was previously inhibited and vice versa, the effect of I$_{f}$ was augmented when the Ca$^{2+}$ handling was suppressed. Conclusion and Implications: We confirmed the contribution of the NCX current to cardiac pacemaking using a novel NCX inhibitor. Our experimental and modeling data support a close cooperation between I$_{f}$ and NCX providing an important functional consequence: these currents together establish a strong depolarization capacity providing important safety factor for stable pacemaking. Thus, after individual inhibition of I$_{f}$ or NCX, excessive bradycardia or instability cannot be expected because each of these currents may compensate for the reduction of the other providing safe and rhythmic SAN pacemaking

Novel Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger Inhibitor ORM-10962 Supports Coupled Function of Funny-Current and Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger in Pacemaking of Rabbit Sinus Node Tissue

Background and Purpose: The exact mechanism of spontaneous pacemaking is not fully understood. Recent results suggest tight cooperation between intracellular Ca$^{2+}$ handling and sarcolemmal ion channels. An important player of this crosstalk is the Na$^{+}$/ Ca$^{2+}$ exchanger (NCX), however, direct pharmacological evidence was unavailable so far because of the lack of a selective inhibitor. We investigated the role of the NCX current in pacemaking and analyzed the functional consequences of the I$_{f-}$NCX coupling by applying the novel selective NCX inhibitor ORM-10962 on the sinus node (SAN). Experimental Approach: Currents were measured by patch-clamp, Ca$^{2+}$-transients were monitored by fluorescent optical method in rabbit SAN cells. Action potentials (AP) were recorded from rabbit SAN tissue preparations. Mechanistic computational data were obtained using the Yaniv et al. SAN model. Key Results: ORM-10962 (ORM) marginally reduced the SAN pacemaking cycle length with a marked increase in the diastolic Ca$^{2+}$ level as well as the transient amplitude. The bradycardic effect of NCX inhibition was augmented when the funny-current (I$_{f}$) was previously inhibited and vice versa, the effect of I$_{f}$ was augmented when the Ca$^{2+}$ handling was suppressed. Conclusion and Implications: We confirmed the contribution of the NCX current to cardiac pacemaking using a novel NCX inhibitor. Our experimental and modeling data support a close cooperation between I$_{f}$ and NCX providing an important functional consequence: these currents together establish a strong depolarization capacity providing important safety factor for stable pacemaking. Thus, after individual inhibition of I$_{f}$ or NCX, excessive bradycardia or instability cannot be expected because each of these currents may compensate for the reduction of the other providing safe and rhythmic SAN pacemaking

Herpesvirus-mediated delivery of a genetically encoded fluorescent Ca2+ sensor to canine cardiomyocytes

We report the development and application of a pseudorabies virus-based system for delivery of troponeon, a fluorescent Ca2+ sensor to adult canine cardiomyocytes. The efficacy of transduction was assessed by calculating the ratio of fluorescently labelled and nonlabelled cells in cell culture. Interaction of the virus vector with electrophysiological properties of cardiomyocytes was evaluated by the analysis of transient outward current (Ito), kinetics of the intracellular Ca2+ transients, and cell shortening. Functionality of transferred troponeon was verified by FRET analysis. We demonstrated that the transfer efficiency of troponeon to cultured adult cardiac myocytes was virtually 100%. We showed that even after four days neither the amplitude nor the kinetics of the Ito current was significantly changed and no major shifts occurred in parameters of [Ca2+]i transients. Furthermore, we demonstrated that infection of cardiomyocytes with the virus did not affect the morphology, viability, and physiological attributes of cells

A szívritmuszavarok és a myocardiális repolarizáció mechanizmusainak vizsgálata; antiaritmiás és proaritmiás gyógyszerhatások elemzése = Study of the mechanism of cardiac arrhythmias and repolarization, antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic drug action

A kardiovaszkuláris betegségek és azon belül is az életet veszélyeztető kamrai és pitvari aritmiák a fő halálozási okok közé tartoznak a fejlett ipari országokban, de Magyarországon is. Ezzel összhangban, a jelen kutatási projekt is a különböző életet veszélyeztető aritmiák megelőzésének a lehetőségét, és a különböző gyógyszerek antiaritmiás és proaritmiás hatásainak a kutatását tűzte ki célul. Vizsgálataink során megállapítottuk, hogy kísérletes diabetes mellitusban mind kutyán, mind nyúlon az IKs áram és következményesen a repolarizációs rezerv csökkenése következik be amely emberben vélhetően hozzájárulhat e betegségben észlelt hirtelen szívhalál kockázat növekedéséhez. Molekuláris biológiai vizsgálatokban sikerült feltérképeznünk az emberi szívizom különféle ioncsatornáinak denzitását is. A proaritmiás gyógyszerhatások elemzésére újszerű módszert dolgoztunk ki, amelynek gyógyszerbiztonsági klinikai jelentősége és hasznosulása várható. A projekt teljesítése során további új ismereteket szereztünk a Na+/Ca2+ cseremechanizmus (NCX) repolarizációban betöltött szerepét illetően. In vivo kutya kísérletekben vizsgáltuk a peroxynitrit és gap junction csatornák szerepét az ischaemiás prekondicionálásban. Ezek az eredmények várhatóan hozzájárulnak egyrészt a szívizomzat élettani, kórélettani (aritmia mechanizmusok) ismereteinek a gyarapításában, másrészt új és biztonságos antiaritmiás terápiák kifejlesztéséhez. | Cardiovascular diseases, including life threatening ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias, are the leading causes of mortality in industrialized countries and also in Hungary. In harmony with this, the major goal of the project was to investigate the mechanisms involved in cardiac repolarization and in antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic drug actions. Representing important findings during the project, we established that in experimental diabetes mellitus the IKs potassium current is down-regulated resulting in the attenuation of repolarization reserve which may contribute to the increased proarrhythmic risk of diabetic patients. Using molecular biological methods we have analyzed the transmembrane ion channel densities of the human heart. To assess proarrhyhtmic drug side effects we developed a novel method which can be expected to contribute to better prediction of proarrhythmic risk in both preclinical and clinical safety pharmacology investigations. During the project, we have gained further insights regarding the role of NCX in the cardiac repolarization process. In in vivo studies we have investigated the possible role of peroxynitrite and gap junctions in ischaemic preconditioning. These results can be expected to help to better understand the physiology and pathophysiology of cardiac muscle, and arrhythmias, and should significantly contribute to the development of safer and more effective antiarrhythmic treatment modalities