4 research outputs found
Role of advanced glycation end products in cardiovascular disease
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are produced through the non enzymatic glycation and oxidation of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Enhanced formation of AGEs occurs particularly in conditions associated with hyperglycaemia such as diabetes mellitus (DM). AGEs are believed to have a key role in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease in patients with DM through the modification of the structure, function and mechanical properties of tissues through crosslinking intracellular as well as extracellular matrix proteins and through modulating cellular processes through binding to cell surface receptors [receptor for AGEs (RAGE)]. A number of studies have shown a correlation between serum AGE levels and the development and severity of heart failure (HF). Moreover, some studies have suggested that therapies targeted against AGEs may have therapeutic potential in patients with HF. The purpose of this review is to discuss the role of AGEs in cardiovascular disease and in particular in heart failure, focussing on both cellular mechanisms of action as well as highlighting how targeting AGEs may represent a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of HF
Advanced glycation end products reduce the calcium transient in cardiomyocytes by increasing production of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide
Advanced glycation end products (AGE) are central to the development of cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes mellitus. AGE may alter cellular function through cross-linking of cellular proteins or by activating the AGE receptor (RAGE). However, the signalling molecules involved during AGE stimulation in cardiomyocytes remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of AGE treatment on intracellular calcium homeostasis of isolated cardiomyocytes and studied the activation of signalling molecules involved in this process. Treatment of cardiomyocytes with AGE for 24 h resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in calcium transient amplitude, reaching a maximum 50% reduction at a dose of 1 mg·mL−1. This was accompanied with a 32% reduction in sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content but without any detectable changes in the expression of major calcium channels. Mechanistically, we observed a significant increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in AGE-treated cardiomyocytes and enhancement of NADPH oxidase activity. This was accompanied with activation of p38 kinase and nuclear translocation of NF-κB, and subsequently induction of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression, leading to excessive nitric oxide production. Overall, our data reveal the molecular signalling that may underlie the alteration of intracellular calcium homeostasis in cardiac myocytes due to AGE stimulation. This may provide new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy
Specific Role of Neuronal Nitric-oxide Synthase when Tethered to the Plasma Membrane Calcium Pump in Regulating the β-Adrenergic Signal in the Myocardium*S⃞
The cardiac neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) has been described as a
modulator of cardiac contractility. We have demonstrated previously that
isoform 4b of the sarcolemmal calcium pump (PMCA4b) binds to nNOS in the heart
and that this complex regulates β-adrenergic signal transmission in
vivo. Here, we investigated whether the nNOS-PMCA4b complex serves as a
specific signaling modulator in the heart. PMCA4b transgenic mice (PMCA4b-TG)
showed a significant reduction in nNOS and total NOS activities as well as in
cGMP levels in the heart compared with their wild type (WT) littermates. In
contrast, PMCA4b-TG hearts showed an elevation in cAMP levels compared with
the WT. Adult cardiomyocytes isolated from PMCA4b-TG mice demonstrated a
3-fold increase in Ser16 phospholamban (PLB) phosphorylation as
well as Ser22 and Ser23 cardiac troponin I (cTnI)
phosphorylation at base line compared with the WT. In addition, the relative
induction of PLB phosphorylation and cTnI phosphorylation following
isoproterenol treatment was severely reduced in PMCA4b-TG myocytes, explaining
the blunted physiological response to the β-adrenergic stimulation. In
keeping with the data from the transgenic animals, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes
overexpressing PMCA4b showed a significant reduction in nitric oxide and cGMP
levels. This was accompanied by an increase in cAMP levels, which led to an
increase in both PLB and cTnI phosphorylation at base line. Elevated cAMP
levels were likely due to the modulation of cardiac phosphodiesterase, which
determined the balance between cGMP and cAMP following PMCA4b overexpression.
In conclusion, these results showed that the nNOS-PMCA4b complex regulates
contractility via cAMP and phosphorylation of both PLB and cTnI