Monitoring mitochondrial electron fluxes using NAD(P)H-flavoprotein fluorometry reveals complex action of isoflurane on cardiomyocytes

Mitochondrial bioenergetic studies mostly rely on isolated mitochondria thus excluding the regulatory role of other cellular compartments important for the overall mitochondrial function. In intact cardiomyocytes, we followed the dynamics of electron fluxes along specific sites of the electron transport chain (ETC) by simultaneous detection of NAD(P)H and flavoprotein (FP) fluorescence intensities using a laser-scanning confocal microscope. This method was used to delineate the effects of isoflurane, a volatile anesthetic and cardioprotective agent, on the ETC. Comparison to the effects of well-characterized ETC inhibitors and uncoupling agent revealed two distinct effects of isoflurane: uncoupling-induced mitochondrial depolarization and inhibition of ETC at the level of complex I. In correlation, oxygen consumption measurements in cardiomyocytes confirmed a dose-dependent, dual effect of isoflurane, and in isolated mitochondria an obstruction of the ETC primarily at the level of complex I. These effects are likely responsible for the reported mild stimulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production required for the cardioprotective effects of isoflurane. In conclusion, isoflurane exhibits complex effects on the ETC in intact cardiomyocytes, altering its electron fluxes, and thereby enhancing ROS production. The NAD(P)H-FP fluorometry is a useful method for exploring the effect of drugs on mitochondria and identifying their specific sites of action within the ETC of intact cardiomyocytes.

Mitochondrial depolarization underlies delay in permeability transition by preconditioning with isoflurane: roles of ROS and Ca2+

During reperfusion, the interplay between excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, as the crucial mechanism of cardiomyocyte injury, remains intriguing. Here, we investigated whether an induction of a partial decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) is an underlying mechanism of protection by anesthetic-induced preconditioning (APC) with isoflurane, specifically addressing the interplay between ROS, Ca(2+), and mPTP opening. The magnitude of APC-induced decrease in DeltaPsi(m) was mimicked with the protonophore 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), and the addition of pyruvate was used to reverse APC- and DNP-induced decrease in DeltaPsi(m). In cardiomyocytes, DeltaPsi(m), ROS, mPTP opening, and cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca(2+) were measured using confocal microscope, and cardiomyocyte survival was assessed by Trypan blue exclusion. In isolated cardiac mitochondria, antimycin A-induced ROS production and Ca(2+) uptake were determined spectrofluorometrically. In cells exposed to oxidative stress, APC and DNP increased cell survival, delayed mPTP opening, and attenuated ROS production, which was reversed by mitochondrial repolarization with pyruvate. In isolated mitochondria, depolarization by APC and DNP attenuated ROS production, but not Ca(2+) uptake. However, in stressed cardiomyocytes, a similar decrease in DeltaPsi(m) attenuated both cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca(2+) accumulation. In conclusion, a partial decrease in DeltaPsi(m) underlies cardioprotective effects of APC by attenuating excess ROS production, resulting in a delay in mPTP opening and an increase in cell survival. Such decrease in DeltaPsi(m) primarily attenuates mitochondrial ROS production, with consequential decrease in mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake.

KATP channel subunits in rat dorsal root ganglia: alterations by painful axotomy

Background

ATP-sensitive potassium (K_ATP) channels in neurons mediate neuroprotection, they regulate membrane excitability, and they control neurotransmitter release. Because loss of DRG neuronal K_ATP currents is involved in the pathophysiology of pain after peripheral nerve injury, we characterized the distribution of the K_ATP channel subunits in rat DRG, and determined their alterations by painful axotomy using RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.

Results

PCR demonstrated Kir6.1, Kir6.2, SUR1 and SUR2 transcripts in control DRG neurons. Protein expression for all but Kir6.1 was confirmed by Western blots and immunohistochemistry. Immunostaining of these subunits was identified by fluorescent and confocal microscopy in plasmalemmal and nuclear membranes, in the cytosol, along the peripheral fibers, and in satellite glial cells. Kir6.2 co-localized with SUR1 subunits. Kir6.2, SUR1, and SUR2 subunits were identified in neuronal subpopulations, categorized by positive or negative NF200 or CGRP staining. K_ATP current recorded in excised patches was blocked by glybenclamide, but preincubation with antibody against SUR1 abolished this blocking effect of glybenclamide, confirming that the antibody targets the SUR1 protein in the neuronal plasmalemmal membrane.

In the myelinated nerve fibers we observed anti-SUR1 immunostaining in regularly spaced funneled-shaped structures. These structures were identified by electron microscopy as Schmidt-Lanterman incisures (SLI) formed by the Schwann cells. Immunostaining against SUR1 and Kir6.2 colocalized with anti-Caspr at paranodal sites.

DRG excised from rats made hyperalgesic by spinal nerve ligation exhibited similar staining against Kir6.2, SUR1 or SUR2 as DRG from controls, but showed decreased prevalence of SUR1 immunofluorescent NF200 positive neurons. In DRG and dorsal roots proximal to axotomy SLI were smaller and showed decreased SUR1 immunofluorescence.

Conclusions

We identified Kir6.2/SUR1 and Kir6.2/SUR2 K_ATP channels in rat DRG neuronal somata, peripheral nerve fibers, and glial satellite and Schwann cells, in both normal state and after painful nerve injury. This is the first report of K_ATP channels in paranodal sites adjacent to nodes of Ranvier and in the SLI of the Schwann cells. After painful axotomy K_ATP channels are downregulated in large, myelinated somata and also in SLI, which are also of smaller size compared to controls.

Because K_ATP channels may have diverse functional roles in neurons and glia, further studies are needed to explore the potential of K_ATP channels as targets of therapies against neuropathic pain and neurodegeneration.

Xenon preconditioning: the role of prosurvival signaling, mitochondrial permeability transition and bioenergetics in rats

BACKGROUND

Similar to volatile anesthetics, the anesthetic noble gas xenon protects the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are not fully understood. We tested the hypothesis that xenon-induced cardioprotection is mediated by prosurvival signaling kinases that target mitochondria.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats instrumented for hemodynamic measurements were subjected to a 30 min left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 2 h reperfusion. Rats were randomly assigned to receive 70% nitrogen/30% oxygen (control) or three 5-min cycles of 70% xenon/30% oxygen interspersed with the oxygen/nitrogen mixture administered for 5 min followed by a 15 min memory period. Myocardial infarct size was measured using triphenyltetrazolium staining. Additional hearts from control and xenon-pretreated rats were excised for Western blotting of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3beta) phosphorylation and isolation of mitochondria. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption before and after hypoxia/reoxygenation and mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening were determined.

RESULTS

Xenon significantly (P < 0.05) reduced myocardial infarct size compared with control (32 +/- 4 and 59% +/- 4% of the left ventricular area at risk; mean +/- sd) and enhanced phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3beta. Xenon pretreatment preserved state 3 respiration of isolated mitochondria compared with the results obtained in the absence of the gas. The Ca(2+) concentration required to induce mitochondrial membrane depolarization was larger in the presence compared with the absence of xenon pretreatment (78 +/- 17 and 56 +/- 17 microM, respectively). The phosphoinositol-3-kinase-kinase inhibitor wortmannin blocked the effect of xenon on infarct size and respiration.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that xenon preconditioning reduces myocardial infarct size, phosphorylates Akt, and GSK-3beta, preserves mitochondrial function, and inhibits Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. These data suggest that xenon-induced cardioprotection occurs because of activation of prosurvival signaling that targets mitochondria and renders them less vulnerable to ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Near infrared light protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxia and reoxygenation injury by a nitric oxide dependent mechanism

Photobiomodulation with near infrared light (NIR) provides cellular protection in various disease models. Previously, infrared light emitted by a low-energy laser has been shown to significantly improve recovery from ischemic injury of the canine heart. The goal of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that NIR (670 nm) from light emitting diodes produces cellular protection against hypoxia and reoxygenation-induced cardiomyocyte injury. Additionally, nitric oxide (NO) was investigated as a potential cellular mediator of NIR. Our results demonstrate that exposure to NIR at the time of reoxygenation protects neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and HL-1 cells from injury, as assessed by lactate dehydrogenase release and MTT assay. Similarly, indices of apoptosis, including caspase 3 activity, annexin binding and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol, were decreased after NIR treatment. NIR increased NO in cardiomyocytes, and the protective effect of NIR was completely reversed by the NO scavengers carboxy-PTIO and oxyhemoglobin, but only partially blocked by the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NMMA. Mitochondrial metabolism, measured by ATP synthase activity, was increased by NIR, and NO-induced inhibition of oxygen consumption with substrates for complex I or complex IV was reversed by exposure to NIR. Taken together these data provide evidence for protection against hypoxia and reoxygenation injury in cardiomyocytes by NIR in a manner that is dependent upon NO derived from NOS and non-NOS sources.

Role for SUR2A ED domain in allosteric coupling within the K(ATP) channel complex

Allosteric regulation of heteromultimeric ATP-sensitive potassium (K_ATP) channels is unique among protein systems as it implies transmission of ligand-induced structural adaptation at the regulatory SUR subunit, a member of ATP-binding cassette ABCC family, to the distinct pore-forming K⁺ (Kir6.x) channel module. Cooperative interaction between nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) of SUR is a prerequisite for K_ATP channel gating, yet pathways of allosteric intersubunit communication remain uncertain. Here, we analyzed the role of the ED domain, a stretch of 15 negatively charged aspartate/glutamate amino acid residues (948–962) of the SUR2A isoform, in the regulation of cardiac K_ATP channels. Disruption of the ED domain impeded cooperative NBDs interaction and interrupted the regulation of K_ATP channel complexes by MgADP, potassium channel openers, and sulfonylurea drugs. Thus, the ED domain is a structural component of the allosteric pathway within the K_ATP channel complex integrating transduction of diverse nucleotide-dependent states in the regulatory SUR subunit to the open/closed states of the K⁺-conducting channel pore.

Role of sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive potassium channel in oxidative stress-induced apoptosis: mitochondrial connection

From time of their discovery, sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive K+ (sarcK ATP) channels were thought to have an important protective role in the heart during stress whereby channel opening protects the heart from stress-induced Ca2+ overload and resulting damage. In contrast, some recent studies indicate that sarcK ATP channel closing can lead to cardiac protection. Also, the role of the sarcK ATP channel in apoptotic cell death is unclear. In the present study, the effects of channel inhibition on apoptosis and the specific interaction between the sarcK ATP channel and mitochondria were investigated. Apoptotic cell death of cultured HL-1 and neonatal cardiomyocytes following exposure to oxidative stress was significantly increased in the presence of sarcK ATP channel inhibitor HMR-1098 as evidenced by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and caspase-3,7 assays. This was paralleled by an increased release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol, suggesting activation of the mitochondrial death pathway. sarcK ATP channel inhibition during stress had no effect on Bcl-2, Bad, and phospho-Bad, indicating that the increase in apoptosis cannot be attributed to these modulators of the apoptotic pathway. However, monitoring of mitochondrial Ca2+ with rhod-2 fluorescent indicator revealed that mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation during stress is potentiated in the presence of HMR-1098. In conclusion, this study provides novel evidence that opening of sarcK ATP channels, through a specific Ca2+-related interaction with mitochondria, plays an important role in preventing cardiomyocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial damage during stress.

Isoflurane preconditioning uncouples mitochondria and protects against hypoxia-reoxygenation

Ischemic cardiac injury can be substantially alleviated by exposing the heart to pharmacological agents such as volatile anesthetics before occurrence of ischemia-reperfusion. A hallmark of this preconditioning phenomenon is its memory, when cardioprotective effects persist even after removal of preconditioning stimulus. Since numerous studies pinpoint mitochondria as crucial players in protective pathways of preconditioning, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of preconditioning agent isoflurane on the mitochondrial bioenergetic phenotype. Endogenous flavoprotein fluorescence, an indicator of mitochondrial redox state, was elevated to 195 +/- 16% of baseline upon isoflurane application in intact cardiomyocytes, indicating more oxidized state of mitochondria. Isoflurane treatment also elicited partial dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, which remained depolarized even after anesthetic withdrawal (tetramethylrhodamine fluorescence intensity declined to 83 +/- 3 and 81 +/- 7% of baseline during isoflurane exposure and washout, respectively). Mild uncoupling, with preserved ATP synthesis, was also detected in mitochondria that were isolated from animals that had been previously preconditioned by isoflurane in vivo, revealing its memory nature. These mitochondria, after exposure to hypoxia and reoxygenation, exhibited better preserved respiration and ATP synthesis compared with mitochondria from nonpreconditioned animals. Partial mitochondrial depolarization was paralleled by a diminished Ca(2+) uptake into isoflurane-treated mitochondria, as indicated by the reduced increment in rhod-2 fluorescence when mitochondria were challenged with increased Ca(2+) (180 +/- 24 vs. 258 +/- 14% for the control). In conclusion, isoflurane preconditioning elicits partial mitochondrial uncoupling and reduces mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake. These effects are likely to reduce the extent of the mitochondrial damage after the hypoxic stress.

Mechanism of cardiac sarcolemmal adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel activation by isoflurane in a heterologous expression system

BACKGROUND

Activation of the cardiac sarcolemmal adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel during metabolic stress initiates cellular events that preserve cardiac performance. Previous studies showed that halogenated anesthetics prime KATP channels under whole cell voltage clamp and act in intracellular pH (pHi)-dependent manner on KATP channels in excised membrane patches. However, it is not known how halogenated anesthetics interact with these channels.

METHODS

The authors evaluated the effect of pHi and isoflurane on the KATP channel subunits, the pore-forming inward rectifier Kir6.2, and the regulatory sulfonylurea receptor SUR2A, using HEK293 cells as a heterologous expression system. Single channel activity was recorded in the inside-out patch configuration.

RESULTS

At pHi 7.4, isoflurane had negligible effect on activity of wild-type Kir6.2/SUR2A, but at pHi 6.8, the channel open probability was increased by isoflurane (0.177 +/- 0.077 to 0.364 +/- 0.164). By contrast, the open probability of truncated Kir6.2DeltaC26, which forms a functional channel without SUR2A, was attenuated by isoflurane at both pHi 7.4 and pHi 6.8. Coexpression of Kir6.2DeltaC26 with SUR2A restored pHi sensitivity of channel activation by isoflurane. Site-directed mutagenesis within the Walker motifs of SUR2A abolished isoflurane activation of KATP channel at pHi 6.8. In addition, the pancreatic-type channels expressing sulfonylurea receptor SUR1 could not be activated by isoflurane.

CONCLUSIONS

The nucleotide binding domains of SUR2A play a crucial role in isoflurane facilitation of the KATP channel activity at moderately acidic pHi as would occur during early ischemia. These findings support direct and differential interaction of isoflurane with the subunits of the cardiac sarcolemmal KATP channel.

Targeted expression of Kir6.2 in mitochondria confers protection against hypoxic stress

Selective K(+) transport in the inner mitochondrial membrane has been attributed to at least three different channel types: ATP-sensitive, Ca(2+)-regulated and voltage-dependent K(+) channels. Studies utilizing their selective modulators have suggested that an increased activity of these channels plays an important role in the cellular protection from metabolic stress. However, direct evidence for this effect is largely absent, and recent findings on the lack of specificity for several channel openers and blockers have questioned the actual contribution of the mitochondrial K(+) channels in the preservation of cellular viability. In order to directly investigate the role of enhanced mitochondrial K(+) uptake in cellular protection, we selectively expressed the inward rectifying K(+) channel Kir6.2 in the mitochondria of HEK293 and HL-1 cells. Targeted Kir6.2 expression was achieved by cloning the Kir6.2 gene in pCMV/mito/GFP vector and the proper trafficking to mitochondria was confirmed by colocalization studies and Western blot. An increased K(+) influx to mitochondria overexpressing Kir6.2, as evidenced by using the K(+)-sensitive PBFI AM fluorescent dye, substantially improved the cellular viability after hypoxic stress, which was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. In parallel, monitoring of mitochondrial Ca(2+) during stress, via the specific indicator rhod-2, revealed a significant attenuation of Ca(2+) accumulation in mitochondria overexpressing K(+) channels. This effect was abolished in mitochondria expressing an inactive mutant of Kir6.2. Mitochondria expressing Kir6.2 K(+) channel also exhibited a significant degree of depolarization that became even more pronounced during the stress. In conclusion, this study provides the first non-pharmacological evidence that an increased K(+) influx to mitochondria protects against hypoxic stress by preventing detrimental effects of Ca(2+) overload.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases trigger isoflurane preconditioning concomitant with upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in rats

INTRODUCTION

Extracellular signal-related kinases 1 and 2 (Erk1/2) are mitogen-activated protein kinases that have been implicated in anesthetic preconditioning; but whether Erk1/2 triggers or mediates this beneficial effect and the mechanisms by which Erk1/2 produces cardioprotection are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that isoflurane preconditioning is triggered by Erk1/2 concomitant with upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in rats instrumented for hemodynamic measurement and subjected to a 30-min coronary artery occlusion and 2-h reperfusion.

METHODS

Rats randomly received IV 0.9% saline (control) or isoflurane (1.0 minimum alveolar concentration administered for 30 min and discontinued 15 min [memory period] before coronary occlusion) in the absence or presence of the selective Erk1/2 inhibitor PD 098059 (1 mg/kg in dimethylsulfoxide administered IV either 3 min before exposure to isoflurane [trigger] or 3 min after discontinuation of the drug [mediator]). Additional rabbits were pretreated with dimethylsulfoxide alone. Left ventricular tissue samples were obtained at selected intervals from additional groups of rats for Western immunoblot analysis of phospho-Erk1/2, HIF-1alpha, and VEGF protein expression.

RESULTS

Isoflurane significantly (P < 0.05) reduced infarct size (41% +/- 8% of the left ventricular area at risk; triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining) as compared with control (59% +/- 4%). PD 098059 administered before, but not after, isoflurane abolished this cardioprotection (61% +/- 5% and 42% +/- 9%, respectively). Isoflurane-induced increases in phospho-Erk1/2, HIF-1alpha, and VEGF expression were also inhibited by PD 098059 pretreatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that Erk1/2 triggers isoflurane preconditioning concomitant with HIF-1alpha and VEGF upregulation in vivo.

Kv1.5 channelopathy due to KCNA5 loss-of-function mutation causes human atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a rhythm disorder characterized by chaotic electrical activity of cardiac atria. Predisposing to stroke and heart failure, this common condition is increasingly recognized as a heritable disorder. To identify genetic defects conferring disease susceptibility, patients with idiopathic atrial fibrillation, lacking traditional risk factors, were evaluated. Genomic DNA scanning revealed a nonsense mutation in KCNA5 that encodes Kv1.5, a voltage-gated potassium channel expressed in human atria. The heterozygous E375X mutation, present in a familial case of atrial fibrillation and absent in 540 unrelated control individuals, introduced a premature stop codon disrupting the Kv1.5 channel protein. The truncation eliminated the S4-S6 voltage sensor, pore region and C-terminus, preserving the N-terminus and S1-S3 transmembrane domains that secure tetrameric subunit assembly. Heterologously expressed recombinant E375X mutant failed to generate the ultrarapid delayed rectifier current I(Kur) vital for atrial repolarization and exerted a dominant-negative effect on wild-type current. Loss of channel function translated into action potential prolongation and early after-depolarization in human atrial myocytes, increasing vulnerability to stress-provoked triggered activity. The pathogenic link between compromised Kv1.5 function and susceptibility to atrial fibrillation was verified, at the organism level, in a murine model. Rescue of the genetic defect was achieved by aminoglycoside-induced translational read-through of the E375X premature stop codon, restoring channel function. This first report of Kv1.5 loss-of-function channelopathy establishes KCNA5 mutation as a novel risk factor for repolarization deficiency and atrial fibrillation.

Inhibition of Glycogen Synthase Kinase Enhances Isoflurane-Induced Protection Against Myocardial Infarction During Early Reperfusion In Vivo

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-beta protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury. Brief exposure to isoflurane before and during early reperfusion after coronary artery occlusion also protects against infarction. Whether GSK-beta mediates this action is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that GSK inhibition enhances isoflurane-induced postconditioning. Rabbits (n = 88; 6 to 7 per group) subjected to a 30-min coronary occlusion followed by 3 h reperfusion received saline, isoflurane (0.5 or 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration [MAC]) administered for 3 min before and 2 min after reperfusion, the selective GSK inhibitor SB216763 (SB21; 0.2 or 0.6 mg/kg), or 0.5 MAC isoflurane plus 0.2 mg/kg SB21. Other groups of rabbits pretreated with phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin (0.6 mg/kg), 70-kDa ribosomal protein s6 kinase (p70s6K) inhibitor rapamycin (0.25 mg/kg), or mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opener atractyloside (5 mg/kg) received 0.6 mg/kg SB21 or 0.5 MAC isoflurane plus 0.2 mg/kg SB21. Additional groups received the mPTP inhibitor, cyclosporin A (5 mg/kg), plus 0.2 mg/kg SB21 with or without atractyloside pretreatment. Isoflurane (1.0 but not 0.5 MAC) and SB21 (0.6 but not 0.2 mg/kg) reduced (P < 0.05) infarct size (21% +/- 5%, 44% +/- 7%, 23% +/- 4%, and 46% +/- 2%, respectively, of left ventricular area at risk, mean+/- sd; triphenyltetrazolium staining) as compared with control (42% +/- 6%). Isoflurane (0.5 MAC) plus 0.2 mg/kg SB21 and cyclosporin A plus 0.2 mg/kg SB21 produced similar degrees of protection (24% +/- 4% and 27% +/- 6%, respectively). Atractyloside but not wortmannin or rapamycin abolished protection produced by 0.6 mg/kg SB21 and 0.5 MAC isoflurane plus 0.2 mg/kg SB21. Thus, GSK inhibition enhances isoflurane-induced protection against infarction during early reperfusion via a mPTP-dependent mechanism.

The Influence of B-Cell Lymphoma 2 Protein, an Antiapoptotic Regulator of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition, on Isoflurane-Induced and Ischemic Postconditioning in Rabbits

Brief exposure to isoflurane or repetitive, transient ischemia during early reperfusion after prolonged coronary artery occlusion protects against myocardial infarction by inhibiting the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Inhibition of mPTP during delayed ischemic preconditioning occurred concomitant with enhanced expression of the antiapoptotic protein B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). We tested the hypothesis that Bcl-2 mediates myocardial protection by isoflurane or brief ischemic episodes during reperfusion in rabbits (n = 91) subjected to a 30-min left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by 3 h reperfusion. Rabbits received 0.9% saline, isoflurane (0.5 or 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration, MAC) administered for 3 min before and 2 min after reperfusion, 3 cycles of postconditioning ischemia (10 or 20 s each) during early reperfusion, 0.5 MAC isoflurane plus 3 cycles of postconditioning ischemia (10 s), or the direct mPTP inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA, 10 mg/kg) in the presence or absence of the selective Bcl-2 inhibitor HA14-1 (2 mg/kg, i.p.). Isoflurane (1.0, but not 0.5, MAC) and postconditioning ischemia (20 s but not 10 s) significantly (P < 0.05) reduced infarct size (mean +/- sd, 21% +/- 4%, 43% +/- 7%, 19% +/- 7%, and 39% +/- 11%, respectively, of left ventricular area at risk) as compared with control (44% +/- 4%). Isoflurane (0.5 MAC) plus 10 s postconditioning ischemia and CsA alone also exerted protection. HA14-1 alone did not affect infarct size nor block protection produced by CsA but abolished reductions in infarct size caused by 1.0 MAC isoflurane, 20 s postconditioning ischemia, and 0.5 MAC isoflurane plus 10 s postconditioning ischemia. The results suggest that Bcl-2 mediates isoflurane-induced and ischemic postconditioning by indirectly modulating mPTP activity in vivo.

Impact of in vivo preconditioning by isoflurane on adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels in the rat heart: lasting modulation of nucleotide sensitivity during early memory period

BACKGROUND

The early memory of anesthetic-induced preconditioning (APC) is a period when myocardial protection continues even after removal of the anesthetic. Because adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels are important mediators of APC, the authors investigated the hypothesis that the memory involves channel priming by isoflurane via a long-term modulation of the sensitivity to intracellular adenosine nucleotides.

METHODS

Ventricular cardiomyocytes were obtained from the rat hearts after 30 min in vivo APC with 1.4% isoflurane and from control non-APC rat hearts. Whole cell and excised inside-out patch clamp techniques were used to study the sarcolemmal KATP channel. Membrane expression of KATP channel proteins, the pore-forming inward rectifier Kir6.2, and the regulatory sulfonylurea receptor SUR2A were assessed in APC and non-APC hearts by Western blotting.

RESULTS

Activation of whole cell KATP current by isoflurane was enhanced after in vivo APC. At the single-channel level, this was paralleled by a 12-fold decrease in adenosine 5'-triphosphate sensitivity and a 3-fold decrease in adenosine 5'-diphosphate sensitivity, without changing the probability of channel opening or single-channel conductance. The membrane expression of Kir6.2 and SUR2A subunits was not altered by in vivo APC. A direct in vitro application of isoflurane to excised membrane patches increased the channel open probability and produced a 4-fold decrease in adenosine 5'-triphosphate sensitivity only of channels in non-APC myocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

In vivo APC by isoflurane decreases sensitivity of the sarcolemmal KATP channel to inhibition by adenosine 5'-triphosphate and decreases adenosine 5'-diphosphate sensitivity. These effects persist even after discontinuation of the anesthetic, suggesting a possible novel factor that may contribute to the mechanism of early memory of APC.

Role of Erk1/2, p70s6K, and eNOS in isofluraneinduced cardioprotection during early reperfusionin vivo

PURPOSE

Administration of isoflurane during early reperfusion after prolonged coronary artery occlusion decreases myocardial infarct size by activating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signal transduction. The extracellular signal-related kinases (Erk1/2) represent a redundant mechanism by which signaling elements downstream from PI3K, including 70-kDA ribosomal protein s6 kinase (p70s6K) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), may be activated to reduce reperfusion injury. We tested the hypothesis Erk1/2, p70s6K, and eNOS mediate isoflurane-induced postconditioning in rabbit myocardium in vivo.

METHODS

Barbiturate-anesthetized rabbits (n = 78) instrumented for measurement of systemic hemodynamics were subjected to a 30-min coronary occlusion followed by three hours reperfusion. Rabbits were randomly assigned to receive 0.9% saline (control), the Erk1/2 inhibitor PD 098059 (2 mg x kg(-1)), the p70s6K inhibitor rapamycin (0.25 mg x kg(-1)), the nonselective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 10 mg x kg(-1)), the selective inducible NOS antagonist aminoguanidine hydrochloride (AG, 300 mg x kg(-1)), or the selective neuronal NOS inhibitor 7-nitroindazole (7-NI, 50 mg x kg(-1)) in the presence or absence of 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration isoflurane administered for three minutes before and two minutes after reperfusion.

RESULTS

Brief exposure to 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration isoflurane reduced (P < 0.05) infarct size (21 +/- 4% [mean +/- SD] of left ventricle area at risk, respectively; triphenyltetrazolium staining) as compared to control (41 +/- 5%). PD 098059, rapamycin, and L-NAME, but not AG nor 7-NI, abolished the protection produced by isoflurane.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the protective effects of isoflurane against infarction during early reperfusion are mediated by Erk1/2, p70s6K, and eNOS in vivo.

Inhibition of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Enhances Isoflurane-Induced Cardioprotection During Early Reperfusion: The Role of Mitochondrial KATP Channels

Inhibition of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) mediates the protective effects of brief, repetitive ischemic episodes during early reperfusion after prolonged coronary artery occlusion. Brief exposure to isoflurane immediately before and during early reperfusion also produces cardioprotection, but whether mPTP is involved in this beneficial effect is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that mPTP mediates isoflurane-induced postconditioning and also examined the role of mitochondrial KATP (mKATP) channels in this process. Rabbits (n = 102) subjected to a 30-min coronary occlusion followed by 3 h reperfusion received 0.9% saline (control), isoflurane (0.5 or 1.0 MAC) administered for 3 min before and 2 min after reperfusion, or the mPTP inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA, 5 or 10 mg/kg) in the presence or absence of the mPTP opener atractyloside (5 mg/kg) or the selective mK(ATP) channel antagonist 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD; 10 mg/kg). Other rabbits received 0.5 MAC isoflurane plus 5 mg/kg CsA in the presence and absence of atractyloside or 5-HD. Isoflurane (1.0 but not 0.5 MAC) and CsA (10 but not 5 mg/kg) reduced (P < 0.05) infarct size (21% +/- 4%, 44% +/- 6%, 24% +/- 3%, and 43% +/- 6%, respectively, mean +/- sd of left ventricular area at risk; triphenyltetrazolium staining) as compared with control (42% +/- 7%). Isoflurane (0.5 MAC) plus CsA (5 mg/kg) was also protective (27% +/- 4%). Neither atractyloside nor 5-HD alone affected infarct size, but these drugs abolished protection by 1.0 MAC isoflurane, 10 mg/kg CsA, and 0.5 MAC isoflurane plus 5 mg/kg CsA. The results indicate that mPTP inhibition enhances, whereas opening abolishes, isoflurane-induced postconditioning. This isoflurane-induced inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition is dependent on activation of mitochondrial KATP channels in vivo.