Protection of neuronal uptake-1 inhibitors in ischemic and anoxic hearts by norepinephrine-dependent and -independent mechanisms

Cardiac ischemia and anoxia induce massive norepinephrine (NE) release, which is mediated by a reverse operation of uptake-1 and can be suppressed by uptake-1 inhibitors. We studied effects of uptake-1 inhibitors on incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF%) and myocardial contracture in perfused rat hearts under ischemic or anoxic conditions. NE release occurred in hearts during ischemia or anoxia and was largely inhibited by desipramine, imipramine, and cocaine. The generation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) during reperfusion also was abolished by desipramine. During anoxia/reoxygenation, VF (93 and 71%, respectively) and myocardial contracture occurred and were significantly inhibited by desipramine and by NE depletion. Regional ischemia and reperfusion induced high VF% (86 and 100%, respectively), which was reduced or abolished by desipramine and imipramine at 0.03 and 0.3 microM. During the ischemic phase, cocaine was similarly antiarrhythmic, as was a combination of timolol and prazosin, but NE depletion was not. In NE-depleted hearts, cocaine or the combination of timolol and prazosin showed limited effect on VF%, whereas both desipramine and imipramine abolished VF. In anesthetized rats in vivo, ischemic VF% was reduced by desipramine (30 vs. 92%; p < 0.01). In conclusion, uptake-1 inhibitors protect hearts against ischemia/reperfusion- and anoxia/reoxygenation-induced arrhythmias, partly because of the inhibition of locally mediated NE release. Other actions of desipramine and imipramine may contribute to the overall efficacy.

Functional assessment of alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes in porcine coronary artery

1. alpha 1-Adrenoceptors are known to play an important role in vasoconstriction in response to adrenergic stimulation. However, the functional importance of alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes at the epicardial coronary artery remains unclear. We examined alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes by comparing functional affinities for alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists on noradrenaline (NA)-induced vasoconstriction in porcine denuded right coronary arteries. 2. Noradrenaline induced a dose-dependent vasoconstriction in incubated vessel rings. Prazosin and phentolamine were potent and competitive antagonists for NA-induced contraction (pA2 10.27 and 9.03, respectively). In contrast, the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine had a low affinity (pA2 6.13). Two selective alpha 1A-adrenoceptor antagonists, WB 4101 and 5-methyl urapidil, were potent and competitive antagonists of alpha 1-adrenoceptor-induced contraction (pA2 10.67 and 8.90, respectively) and the selective alpha 1D-adrenoceptor antagonist BMY 7378 had a low affinity (pA2 6.06). Noradrenaline-induced contraction was insensitive to the alkylating effects of chlorethylclonidine. These observations indicate that the vasoconstriction is predominantly mediated by the alpha 1A-adrenoceptor subtype. This was also supported by a good correlation between pA2 values from the present study and reported binding affinities (pKi) of various alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists with cloned human alpha 1A-adrenoceptors (r = 0.98), but not for alpha 1B- or alpha 1D-adrenoceptor subtypes (r = 0.77 and 0.41, respectively). 3. Our results indicate that the alpha 1A-adrenoceptor is the main functional receptor subtype in porcine denuded coronary arteries.

Impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in large, but not small arteries in rats after coronary ligation

Vascular responses were studied in both large and small arteries of rats following 8 weeks of heart failure produced by coronary ligation. Responses to noradrenaline, acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside were studied in isolated thoracic aorta and mesenteric arteries. In the aorta, concentration-response curves for noradrenaline were similar between heart failure and sham animals and unaffected by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG). Relaxation by acetylcholine was impaired in heart failure rats (EC50-6.79 log M heart failure vs. -7.15 log M sham). In the presence of L-NOARG, relaxation by acetylcholine was completely abolished in rings from sham rats, whereas constriction was observed in rings from heart failure rats. Relaxation by sodium nitroprusside was not different between sham and heart failure rats. In mesenteric arteries, responses to noradrenaline, acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside were not different between heart failure and sham rats. L-NOARG reduced the maximum response to acetylcholine in both heart failure (82% to 50%) and shams (89% to 49%) by a similar magnitude, with no effect on relaxation to sodium nitroprusside. These data suggest that acetylcholine-induced relaxation is impaired in the aorta, but not mesenteric arteries in rats with heart failure. The mechanism is not solely due to impaired nitric oxide release and may be due to acetylcholine-induced contraction.

Depression of efferent parasympathetic control of heart rate in rats with myocardial infarction: effect of losartan

Heart failure is associated with attenuation of parasympathetic nervous function and enhanced renin-angiotensin activity. We tested whether there was a dysfunction in the efferent cholinergic neurotransmission in the heart of rats with chronic myocardial infarction (MI) and the potential role of angiotensin II (Ang II) receptors in such changes. Rats with MI and sham-operation were anesthetized, and heart rate (HR) reduction in response to vagal nerve stimulation was measured before and after losartan administration (10 mg/kg, i.v.) in the presence or absence of physostigmine to inhibit acetylcholinesterase. Infarcted rats had an average infarct size (IS) of 38% of the left ventricle (LV), depressed LV dP/dtmax, elevated LVEDP, and cardiac hypertrophy. Nerve stimulation (1-16 Hz) reduced HR in a frequency-dependent manner. The bradycardiac responses were significantly attenuated in infarcted versus control rats (p < 0.01), indicating an impaired efferent vagal tone. In contrast, the bradycardic response to exogenous acetylcholine was similar in both groups, implying an unchanged muscarinic receptor responsiveness in hearts with MI. HR response to nerve stimulation was potentiated by losartan in infarcted rats by 21 +/- 4 versus 4 +/- 2 beats/min (p < 0.01) but was unaffected in control rats. This effect of losartan was inversely related to the extent of attenuation of vagally mediated HR reduction. IS was correlated with both the extent of attenuation in vagally mediated bradycardia and the effect of losartan. In conclusion, the efferent vagal control of HR is attenuated in rats with MI and heart failure. This attenuation may be partly due to a presynaptic inhibition of acetylcholine release through the tonic activation, by Ang II, of neuronal AT1 receptors.

Effects of micromolar concentrations of Mn, Mo, and Si on alpha1-adrenoceptor-mediated contraction in porcine coronary artery

We studied the effects of trace elements, Mn, Mo, and Si, on vasoconstriction induced by norepinephrine (NE) or electrical field stimulation in isolated porcine right coronary arteries. Alpha1-adrenoceptor (AR) antagonist prazosin dose-despondently suppressed vasoconstriction in response to NE or field stimulation indicating an alpha1-AR mediated response. Mn, Mo, and Si at 0.3-3 micromol/L dose-despondently inhibited NE mediated contraction (all p < 0.05). In contrast, Mn, Mo, and Si at the same concentrations (0.3-3 micromol/L) enhanced the maximal contractile response to field stimulation in a dose-dependent manner (all p < 0.05), but these elements at 10 micromol/L suppressed the vasoconstrictive response. The results indicate that in porcine right coronary arteries, the alpha1-AR-mediated vasoconstriction by NE or electrical field stimulation was affected differently by micromolar concentrations of Mn, Mo, and Si and that the elements might facilitate NE release presynaptically but inhibit the contractile response postsynaptically.

Effects of intracellular Ca2+ chelating on noradrenaline release in normoxic and anoxic hearts

1. Ischaemia and anoxia induce excessive noradrenaline (NA) release in the heart by a mechanism independent of both nerve activity and extracellular Ca2+. The present study was designed to examine the potential role of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in anoxic NA release in the heart by chelating intracellular free Ca2+. 2. In normoxic hearts, preloading with an intracellular free Ca2+ chelator (BAPTA) reduced neuronal NA release by 65%, confirming the effectiveness of the loading protocol. Release of NA independent of nerve activity occurred in hearts subjected to a 40 min period of anoxic, substrate-free and nominal Ca(2+)-free perfusion. Loading hearts with BAPTA prior to anoxia failed to reduce NA overflow (1561 +/- 147 vs 1496 +/- 206 pmol/g over 40 min). Infusion with BAPTA (20 mumol/L) during the first 25 min of the anoxic period reduced the quantity of anoxic NA release by approximately 25% from 2013 +/- 124 to 1476 +/- 207 pmol/g (P < 0.05). 3. Our results confirm that anoxic NA release is predominantly a Ca(2+)-independent process with Ca2+ mobilization from endogenous storage playing only a minor contributing role.

Ins(1,4,5)P3 and arrhythmogenic responses during myocardial reperfusion: evidence for receptor specificity

Reperfusion of ischemic rat hearts initiates the generation of inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and arrhythmias, provided that either norepinephrine or thrombin is present. In the current study, effects on endothelin-1 (ET-1) responses were investigated. Reperfusion of catecholamine-depleted, [3H]inositol-labeled hearts in the presence of ET-1 caused an increase in [3H]inositol phosphates (7,073 +/- 1,004 to 17,300 +/- 206 counts.min-1.g tissue-1, means +/- SE, n = 4, P < 0.01), which was quantitatively greater than the release observed under normoxic conditions, but there was no increase in [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3. Gentamicin (150 microM) inhibited inositol phosphate responses in the presence of either norepinephrine or thrombin but did not inhibit the response to ET-1, providing additional evidence that the inositol phosphate response to ET-1 does not involve formation of Ins(1,4,5)P3, even under reperfusion conditions. In contrast to norepinephrine and thrombin, ET-1 did not initiate reperfusion arrhythmias (4.4% ventricular fibrillation compared with 0% ventricular fibrillation in catecholamine-depleted controls). The data provide strong evidence that the effect of ischemia-reperfusion on inositol phosphate responses is specific for particular receptor types and eliminates G proteins, phospholipase C enzymes, and substrate availability as the primary factors responsible for Ins(1,4,5)P3 generation under reperfusion conditions.

Antiischemic and antiarrhythmic activities of some novel alinidine analogs in the rat heart

The antiischemic and antiarrhythmic effects of alinidine and a number of novel alinidine analogs were examined by using perfused rat-heart models. In the isolated working rat heart, the alinidine analog TH91:21 (10 microM; a butyl derivative) significantly increased the postischemic recovery of the heart in terms of both power and efficiency when compared with the control group. In the in situ perfused heart model, this same compound, along with TH91:22 (10 microM; a pentyl derivative) also significantly reduced the severity of both ischemia- and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in both paced and unpaced hearts. Thus this study is the first to demonstrate the potent antiarrhythmic efficacy of two novel alinidine analogs TH91:21 and TH91:22, with TH91:21 also demonstrated to be a potent antiischemic agent in the isolated working rat heart. Although the mode of action of these compounds remains unclear, results from this study suggest that it is not simply a result of bradycardia or blockade of KATP channels, two actions these compounds possess. These compounds thus possess a novel and beneficial pharmacologic profile worthy of further study.

Role of Ca2+ in metabolic inhibition-induced norepinephrine release in rat brain synaptosomes

Ischemia and simulated ischemic conditions induce enhanced release of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain and the heart. Although studies with neuronal preparations demonstrated a rise in [Ca2+]i under energy-depleted conditions, such release of NE in the heart appears to be predominantly Ca2+ independent. Since Ca2+ overload occurs in ischemia or energy depletion and since a rise in [Ca2+]i triggers exocytosis without membrane depolarization, we tested the possibility, using brain synaptosomes, that increased NE release could be, at least in part, a consequence of raised [Ca2+]i. Brain synaptosomes were incubated with Krebs-Henseleit medium, and ischemia was mimicked by treatment with metabolic inhibitors. NE content in incubation medium (supernatant) and synaptosomes was analyzed chromatographically. Treatment with metabolic inhibitors reduced ATP content by 75% and increased [Ca2+]i by more than fourfold within minutes. Metabolic inhibition elicited NE release, which started within 10 minutes and reached a maximum after 30 minutes, with a corresponding 55% reduction in synaptosomal NE content after 40 minutes. NE release, together with a marked increase in [Ca2+]i, was also induced in energy-depleted synaptosomes by Ca2+ repletion after incubation with the Ca(2+)-free medium. Effects on NE release of various interventions to prevent Ca2+ overload were tested. Omission of Ca2+ from the incubation medium or loading synaptosomes with the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM (20 and 100 mumol/L) prevented NE release, indicating a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism. Inhibition of Ca2+ channels with omega-conotoxin, cadmium, or nifedipine had no effect on NE release during energy depletion. In contrast, nickel and 3,4-dichlorobenzamil, Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange inhibitors, dose-dependently inhibited NE release. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that under energy-depleted conditions, Ca2+ overload in synaptosomes of noradrenergic neurons from the brain is an important mechanism for the enhanced release of NE and that a reversal of Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange may be the key pathway leading to intraneuronal Ca2+ overload.

Dietary fish oil prevents reperfusion Ins(1,4,5)P3 release in rat heart: possible antiarrhythmic mechanism

Dietary enrichment with fish oil-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has been shown to suppress the arrhythmias that occur during postischemic reperfusion. We have recently implicated a rapid release of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] during postischemic reperfusion in the generation of these arrhythmias. The effects of dietary supplementation with fish oil on both cardiac Ins(1,4,5)P3 and arrhythmogenic responses to reperfusion were therefore investigated in perfused rat hearts. Comparisons were made with control and n-6 polyunsaturated or saturated fat-supplemented diets. In control hearts, reperfusion increased Ins(1,4,5)P3 levels [from 9 +/- 2 at 20 min ischemia to 26 +/- 3 counts per minute (cpm)/mg protein with 2 min of reperfusion] and produced a high incidence of ventricular tachycardia (92% VT) and ventricular fibrillation (85% VF). Dietary fish oil supplementation, which increased composition of n-3 fatty acids in myocardial membrane phospholipids, prevented the reperfusion-induced rise in Ins(1,4,5)P3 (11 +/- 1 at 20 min ischemia and 12 +/- 2 cpm/mg protein after 2-min reperfusion) and significantly suppressed reperfusion arrhythmias (38% VT, 13% VF; P < 0.01 vs. control group). Thus the inhibition of reperfusion-induced rises in Ins(1,4,5)P3 by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids after dietary fish oil supplementation provides a possible mechanism for the inhibitory effect of n-3 fatty acids on reperfusion-induced arrhythmias.

Ins(1,4,5)P3 during myocardial ischemia and its relationship to the development of arrhythmias

Reperfusion of globally ischemic rat hearts in vitro causes release of inositol(1,4,5) trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) which is associated with the development of reperfusion arrhythmias. Both of these responses require the presence of a receptor agonist, either norepinephrine or thrombin, and both responses are inhibited by the aminoglycoside, gentamicin and the polyamine, spermine. In the current study, the role of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in the development of arrhythmias under ischemic conditions was addressed. Arrhythmias [ventricular premature beats, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (VF)] occurring over 25 min subsequent to coronary artery ligation were shown to be independent of endogenous norepinephrine or adrenergic receptor stimulation but were effectively inhibited by gentamicin (0.15-1.5 mM, 95% VF in controls compared with 0% VF, at 1.5 mM, P < 0.01) and spermine (5 mM, 40% VF, P < 0.01). Depletion of Ca2+ stores, including Ins(1,4,5)P3-sensitive Ca2+ stores, with thapsigargin (300 nM) reduced the incidence of ischemic arrhythmias (40% VF, P < 0.01). [3H]-Inositol-labeled right atria incubated under conditions of simulated ischemia retained the ability to respond to norepinephrine by releasing inositol phosphates. Under ischemic conditions, gentamicin (1.5 mM) caused a reduction in [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 without any effect on the other inositol phosphates. Similar effects of gentamicin were observed under ischemic conditions in the absence of norepinephrine (95 +/- 8 cpm/mg, mean +/- S.E.M., n = 4, v 29 +/- 4, P < 0.0] for 1.5 mM gentamicin). Agonist independent release of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 under ischemic conditions required extracellular Ca2+ suggesting the operation of a Ca(2+)-activated phospholipase C. In agreement with this, release of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 could be initiated by Ca2+ overload under normoxic conditions and this was inhibited by gentamicin. These findings show that Ca2+ overload can enhance release of Ins(1,4,5)P3 under ischemic conditions and provide evidence that this release is involved in the genesis of arrhythmias under these conditions.

Response to cardiac sympathetic activation in transgenic mice overexpressing beta 2-adrenergic receptor

Transgenic mice have been created with 200-fold overexpression of beta 2-adrenergic receptors specifically in the heart. Cardiac function was studied in these transgenic mice and their controls at baseline and during isoproterenol perfusion or sympathetic nerve stimulation. The model used was an in situ buffer-perfused, innervated heart, and the left ventricle maximal derivative of pressure over time (dP/dtmax) and heart rate (HR) were measured. Basal HR and dP/dtmax were 30-40% higher in hearts from transgenic mice than controls. Electrical stimulation of sympathetic nerves (2, 4, and 8 Hz) or infusion of isoproterenol markedly increased HR and dP/dtmax in control hearts. Hearts from transgenic mice did not respond to isoproterenol. However, hearts from transgenic mice retained the HR response to nerve stimulation, and a small increase in dP/dtmax was also detected. Atenolol inhibited the response to nerve stimulation in control hearts but not that in hearts from transgenic mice. ICI-118551 inhibited the response in transgenic hearts. Basal HR and dP/dtmax were decreased by ICI-118551 only in transgenic hearts. Thus overexpression of cardiac beta 2-receptors modifies beta-adrenergic activity, but the responses to endogenous and exogenous adrenergic stimulation are affected differently.

Arrhythmogenic action of thrombin during myocardial reperfusion via release of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate

BACKGROUND

Cardiac reperfusion initiates release of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and arrhythmogenesis via norepinephrine stimulation of alpha1-adrenergic receptors. The present study examines arrhythmogenic effects of thrombin-stimulated Ins(1,4,5)P3 release under these conditions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

[3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 release was measured in [3H]inositol-labeled rat hearts by high-performance liquid chromatography. Arrhythmia studies were performed in buffer-perfused rat hearts. Two-minute reperfusion after 20 minutes of global ischemia increased [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 from 1123 +/- 77 to 2238 +/- 44 cpm/mg tissue. No increase was observed in catecholamine-depleted hearts (755 +/- 89 cpm/mg). The addition of thrombin (5 IU/mL) or thrombin receptor agonist peptide (TRAP(1-6), 50 micromol/L) restored the reperfusion Ins(1,4,5)P3 response (thrombin, 1518 +/- 68 cpm/mg and TRAP(1-6), 1755 +/- 128 cpm/mg). Ins(1,4,5)P3 release initiated by norepinephrine or thrombin was inhibited by gentamicin (150 micromol/L; 986 +/- 52 and 868 +/- 125 cpm/mg, respectively). The thrombin response was inhibited by the phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122 (5 micromol/L; 394 +/- 59 cpm/mg) but not by its inactive isomer U-73343. The norepinephrine response was not inhibited by U-73122 (2126 +/- 74 cpm/mg). Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation were observed in intact hearts but not in hearts from catecholamine-depleted rats (ventricular fibrillation duration, 110 +/- 19 versus 0 +/- 0 seconds). The addition of thrombin or TRAP(1-6) increased arrhythmias in catecholamine-depleted hearts (112 +/- 32 and 89 +/- 28 seconds, respectively). Gentamicin and U-73122 but not U-73343 prevented thrombin-induced arrhythmias. Gentamicin inhibited norepinephrine-initiated arrhythmias, but U-73122 was ineffective.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the development of reperfusion arrhythmias under these conditions depends on the release of Ins(1,4,5)P3.

Cardiovascular protection by oestrogen is partly mediated through modulation of autonomic nervous function

Experimental studies have provided evidence that the autonomic nervous activity is modulated by oestrogen. Such modulation at central and peripheral levels tends to suppress sympathetic but elevate parasympathetic tone to the cardiovascular system. Thus, available data support the view that cardiovascular protection by oestrogen may, at least in part, be mediated by its influence on autonomic nervous function.

Suppression of ventricular arrhythmias during ischemia-reperfusion by agents inhibiting Ins(1,4,5)P3 release

BACKGROUND

Reperfusion following myocardial ischemia causes a rapid and transient release of inositol (1,4,5)triphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3]. The aim of this study was to test whether this increased Ins(1,4,5)P3 release was important for the development of ventricular arrhythmias and whether agents that inhibit this signal transduction pathway, such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, suppress arrhythmias.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In perfused rat hearts, ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), and accumulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 were measured during early reperfusion. A number of different compounds, including neomycin, gentamicin, streptomycin, spermine, reserpine, and prazosin, were effective in inhibiting the reperfusion-induced Ins(1,4,5)P3 release and the onset of VT and VF in parallel. A strong correlation existed between Ins(1,4,5)P3 content, measured at 2 minutes of reperfusion, and the incidence of reperfusion VT and VF. In addition, intravenous gentamicin suppressed the onset of arrhythmias under ischemic and reperfusion conditions in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results are consistent with the view that Ins(1,4,5)P3 release plays a pivotal role in mediating arrhythmias during early reperfusion. Agents inhibiting Ins(1,4,5)P3 release are antiarrhythmic and may have potential use clinically.

Effects of dietary fat supplementation on inositol phosphate release and metabolism in rat left atria

Eight weeks dietary supplementation with oils enriched in saturated fats, n-6 polyunsaturated fats and n-3 polyunsaturated fats resulted in a reduced inositol phosphate response in isolated rat left atria. Reductions in both basal activity and norepinephrine-stimulated activity were observed. Diets supplemented with n-3 polyunsaturated fats produced a greater decrease in the norepinephrine-stimulated release than the other dietary groups. In addition, supplementation with n-6 polyunsaturated fats resulted in higher levels of the Ca(2+)-releasing compound inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate while addition of n-3 fats eliminated accumulation of inositol(1, 4)bisphosphate in response to norepinephrine. The reduction in inositol phosphate accumulation observed in all fat-supplemented groups demonstrates the need for caution in choosing relevant control groups in such dietary studies. The specific effects of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fats on individual inositol phosphate isomers demonstrates subtle effects on inositol phosphate metabolism, the significance of which requires further investigation.

Sympatholytic action of intravenous amiodarone in the rat heart

BACKGROUND

Amiodarone is a commonly used antiarrhythmic agent with complex pharmacological effects. Although ventricular arrhythmias can be suppressed soon after intravenous amiodarone, the mechanisms responsible for this action are unclear. We studied the effects of acute treatment with amiodarone on the metabolism and release of norepinephrine (NE) in intact rats and in perfused rat hearts.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Experiments were performed in anesthetized rats and in perfused, innervated hearts with amiodarone administered intravascularly. NE release was induced by electrical stimulation of the sympathetic ganglion. Concentrations of NE and its intraneuronal metabolite dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG) in hearts, plasma, and coronary venous effluent were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Acute administration of amiodarone induced dose-dependent increases in DHPG concentrations in plasma (5 mg/kg, +48%; 15 mg/kg, +84%; and 50 mg/kg, +467%) and in coronary venous effluent (1 mumol/L, +37%; 3 mumol/L, +510%; and 10 mumol/L, +1100%) together with an unchanged basal overflow of NE. In perfused hearts, NE release evoked by nerve stimulation was inhibited by infusion of amiodarone (1 mumol/L, -16%; 3 mumol/L, -24%; and 10 mumol/L, -64%) or by intravenous amiodarone (50 mg/kg) given 1 hour before heart perfusion (-70%), and the extent of this suppression correlated well with levels of DHPG overflow present immediately before nerve stimulation. When given in vitro and in vivo, amiodarone also significantly reduced NE and increased DHPG content in the heart, leading to a raised DHPG/NE ratio. All these effects of amiodarone were similar to those found with reserpine but less potent. In contrast, oral amiodarone produced none of these effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute administration of amiodarone in perfused hearts or intact rats induces partial NE depletion in the heart by interfering with vesicular NE storage and enhancing intraneuronal NE metabolism, effects associated with an impaired NE release during sympathetic activation. Oral dosing with amiodarone has no such effect. Further study is required to test whether this novel sympatholytic effect of amiodarone contributes to its antiarrhythmic action after intravenous administration.

Sex differences in the parasympathetic nerve control of rat heart

1. As it has been shown that oestrogen enhances the cholinergic muscarinic activity in the central nervous system, we studied sex differences in the response to parasympathetic nervous stimulation in the rat heart using in vivo and in vitro preparations. 2. In in situ perfused, innervated hearts, stimulation of bilateral vagus nerves (15 Hz with 1 mumol/L physostigmine) inhibited sympathetic nerve stimulation (5 Hz) induced noradrenaline release to a greater extent in female than in male rats (54 +/- 5 vs 72 +/- 5% of control). Similarly, vagus nerve stimulation at 1-20 Hz reduced heart rate (HR) more in females than males, and this sex difference became more marked in the presence of physostigmine. The chronotropic effect of vagal stimulation was attenuated after ovariectomy but potentiated after castration when compared with sham-operated controls. In contrast, the muscarinic agonist methacholine reduced neural NA release and HR equally well in both sexes. 3. In anaesthetized rats, reduction in HR and mean arterial pressure by vagus nerve stimulation (1-20 Hz) was more pronounced in females than in males after inhibition of acetylcholinesterase with physostigmine. 4. The results indicate that activation of parasympathetic nerve leads to greater presynaptic and postsynaptic effects in female than in male rat hearts, presumably due to a higher level of acetylcholine release following nerve activation.

Mechanisms of noradrenaline release in the anoxic heart of the rat

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to examine the time course of exocytotic and "spontaneous" noradrenaline overflow and the influence of an Uptake1 inhibitor, desipramine, in rat hearts subjected to anoxic and substrate-free perfusion.

METHODS

Hearts were perfused with a constant flow and exocytotic noradrenaline overflow was elicited either by electrical stimulation of the left stellate ganglion or by K+ depolarisation. Noradrenaline overflow was measured by HPLC.

RESULTS

Energy depletion for a period of 30 min resulted in an enhanced spontaneous noradrenaline overflow and a progressive decline in the nerve stimulation induced noradrenaline overflow. However, noradrenaline overflow induced by 40 mM K+ was enhanced by three- to fourfold in the energy depleted conditions. During anoxia, desipramine (0.3 microM) inhibited the spontaneous noradrenaline overflow and partly increased, in the early phase of anoxia, noradrenaline overflow by nerve stimulation, but showed no effect on K+ induced overflow. Further experiments showed that K+ at 10 mM failed to evoke noradrenaline overflow in normoxic hearts but induced a significant overflow in energy depleted hearts, either in the presence or absence of desipramine; quantities of noradrenaline overflow in response to 10-40 mM K+ were substantially higher in anoxia. This difference in noradrenaline overflow caused by K+ during normoxia and anoxia was partly narrowed by desipramine which enhanced overflow in normoxia.

CONCLUSIONS

"Spontaneous" and exocytotic noradrenaline release coexist within the 30 min period of anoxia but their responses to Uptake1 inhibitor differ. K(+)-induced noradrenaline overflow was markedly augmented by energy depletion due to a combination of failed neuronal reuptake and enhanced exocytosis.

Propranolol and lidocaine inhibit neural norepinephrine release in hearts with increased extracellular potassium and ischemia

BACKGROUND

Propranolol and lidocaine are effective antiarrhythmic drugs in myocardial ischemia and infarction. As sympathetic nerve activation and norepinephrine release in ischemic hearts are arrhythmogenic, we tested the possibility that both agents inhibit neural norepinephrine release following sympathetic activation in the ischemic environment.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The model used was an in situ perfused innervated rat heart. Norepinephrine release was induced by electrical stimulation of the left cervicothoracic stellate ganglion and analyzed using radioenzymatic assay or high-performance liquid chromatography. In normoxically perfused hearts, evoked norepinephrine release was not affected by either of the two agents at doses of 1 to 10 mumol/L when extracellular K+ concentration was 4 mmol/L but dose-dependently reduced at 10 mmol/L K+ (D,L-propranolol: -53 +/- 4% at 1 mumol/L and -64 +/- 6% at 10 mumol/L K+, lidocaine: -37 +/- 11% at 0.1 mumol/L, -67 +/- 5% at 1 mumol/L, and -75 +/- 6% at 10 mumol/L). At 10 mmol/L K+, norepinephrine release was not affected by timolol or atenolol (both 10 mumol/L but was equally inhibited by D- or L-propranolol at 10 mumol/L (-56 +/- 5% and -53 +/- 9%, respectively), indicating a beta-blocking-independent mechanism. In hearts with metabolic acidosis (pH 6.85) at K+ of 4 mmol/L, neural norepinephrine release was also reduced by propranolol at 10 mumol/L (-37%). Finally, in hearts perfused with 4 mmol/L K+ and subjected to 6-minute periods of ischemia, neural norepinephrine release was similarly suppressed by D,L-propranolol (-38 +/- 6% at 0.1 mumol/L, -44 +/- 5% at 1 mumol/L, and -78 +/- 3% at 10 mumol/L) or lidocaine (-39 +/- 7% at 0.1 mumol/L, -58 +/- 9% at 1 mumol/L, and -91 +/- 3% at 10 mumol/L).

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that propranolol and lidocaine inhibit neural norepinephrine release via a Na+ channel-blocking mechanism that is synergistic with changes induced by ischemia, primarily raised extracellular K+. This mechanism may contribute to the anti-ischemic and antiarrhythmic properties of both agents in acute myocardial ischemia, which induces increased extracellular K+ and sympathetic activation.

Lack of modulation by dietary unsaturated fats on sympathetic neurotransmission in rat hearts

We examined the effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on cardiac sympathetic neurotransmission. Rats were fed semisynthetic diets (18.5% fat wt/wt) high in saturated fatty acids (control diet), high in n-6 PUFA (corn oil), or enriched with n-3 PUFA (Maxepa). A perfused innervated heart model was used to examine different aspects of sympathetic neurotransmission 10 wk after the feeding. Dietary PUFA increased the content of n-6 or n-3 PUFA in myocardial phospholipids compared with animals fed control diets. Myocardial norepinephrine content, sympathetic nerve stimulation-induced norepinephrine release, neural reuptake, presynaptic alpha-adrenergic inhibition of norepinephrine release, and postsynaptic inotropic response (+/- dP/dt) to sympathetic nerve stimulation or to a beta-agonist were essentially not influenced by dietary PUFA. Neural norepinephrine release during prolonged ischemia (60 min) was also similar in hearts from rats fed n-6 PUFA and control diets. Thus a modification of sympathetic neurotransmission was not achieved by feeding PUFA-enriched diets for 10 wk.

Sympathetic activation and increased extracellular potassium: synergistic effects on cardiac potassium uptake and arrhythmias

During acute myocardial ischemia, a combination of increased extracellular K+ concentration and sympathetic nerve activation exists. Using a perfused innervated rat heart model, we studied the influence of increased extracellular K+ concentrations on neural norepinephrine (NE) release, adrenergic stimulation-induced K+ uptake by the heart, and the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. Hearts were globally perfused with control (4 mM) or increased concentrations of K+ (7-16 mM). Sympathetic nerve stimulation-induced NE release was analyzed by radioenzymatic assay. Cardiac K+ uptake was assessed by the reduction in K+ concentration in the coronary venous effluent induced by nerve stimulation. Neural NE release was not influenced by increasing K+ from 4 mM to 7, 10, and 13 mM, but was suppressed by 16 mM K+ (-40 +/- 10%). Nerve stimulation induced cardiac uptake of K+, which was blocked by the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist timolol. This stimulated K+ uptake was substantially enhanced by increasing extracellular K+ and was also dependent on the intensity of sympathetic stimulation at 10 mM K+. Sympathetic nerve stimulation, together with a high K+ of 10 mM, was potent in initiating ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and quantitative NE release was well correlated with the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias. Our results demonstrate the synergistic effects of increased extracellular K+ and sympathetic activation, which may be involved in the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias.

[Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial functions of bezoar antipyretic tablets]

Bezoar Antipyretic Tablets can inhibit markedly acute exudative inflammation. It can also inhibit markedly drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, etc. It has no influence on Bacillus pyocyaneus, etc.

Effects of presynaptic α-adrenoceptors and neuronal reuptake on noradrenaline overflow and cardiac response

Using an in situ perfused, innervated rat heart model, we studied the effects of presynaptic alpha-adrenergic and neuronal reuptake inhibition on evoked noradrenaline (NA) overflow and the postsynaptic response by sympathetic ganglion stimulation. NA overflow was significantly increased by neuronal reuptake inhibitors (desipramine and (+)-oxaprotiline) or by alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists (phentolamine and yohimbine), but the inotropic response was augmented only by alpha-antagonists. In the presence of desipramine, nerve stimulation induced a frequency-dependent increase in NA overflow and postsynaptic response, both were enhanced by yohimbine. In the absence of desipramine, however, postsynaptic response was potentiated by yohimbine despite an unchanged (at 2 and 5 Hz) or even reduced NA overflow (at 10 Hz). Thus, this study suggests that NA release and cardiac response are modulated by presynaptic alpha-adrenoceptors, and that the neuronal reuptake modifies the amount of NA overflow but has little effect on the postsynaptic response.