Intracellular origin and regulation of endogenous lipolysis in rat heart

Relation between lipolysis and glycolysis during ischemia in the isolated rat heart

The relation between lipolysis and glycolysis during ischemia was investigated in isolated perfused rat hearts. In hearts perfused with 11 mM glucose, ischemia caused a marked increase of glycerol release from 10 to 33 nmol/g wt weight/min. Substrate-free perfusion induced an initial stimulation of glycerol release, but lipolysis was subsequently reduced to values comparable to normoxic conditions. Neither did perfusion in the presence of acetate (10 mM) and beta-hydroxybutyrate (10 mM) stimulate lipolysis. Inhibition of glycolysis by pyruvate prevented the increase of glycerol release during ischemia. These data suggest a tight link between glycolysis and lipolysis during ischemia which is probably mediated by the availability of glycolytically produced glycerol-3-phosphate for reesterification. In the absence of glycerol-3-phosphate, the lipolysis is regulated by product inhibition. As a consequence, the tissue triglyceride levels after perfusion remained fairly constant in all groups of hearts. The calculated energy loss by the reesterification cycle during ischemia was found to be approximately 2.5% of the total energy production. These data are inconsistent with the assumption that this energy loss contributes significantly to the negative energetic balance of the heart during ischemia. Removal of fatty acids by reesterification may constitute a protective mechanism in order to prevent excessive intracellular accumulation of fatty acids and derivative esters during ischemia.

Cardiovascular actions of the calmodulin inhibitor felodipine

The cardiovascular effects of intravenous (1.5-10 nmol X kg-1) and intracoronary (50 nmol) administration of felodipine, 4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-2, 6-dimethyl-3-ethoxycarbonyl-5-methoxycarbonylpyridine, were studied in anaesthetized pigs. Following intravenous administration dose-dependent decreases were observed in left ventricular systolic blood pressure (up to 30%) and in the resistances of the systemic (up to 40%) and coronary vascular beds (up to 45%), whereas heart rate, cardiac output, myocardial contractility (regional and global), and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were minimally affected. Myocardial blood flow increased independently of the dose (20%), while the coronary venous O2-content more than doubled. The concomitant decrease in myocardial O2-consumption (up to 30%) was dose-dependent in the range from 1.5-6.75 nmol X kg-1. Intracoronary administration of 50 nmol had only minor effects on global and regional myocardial performance but produced a doubling of the coronary blood flow which was accompanied by a 70% decrease in myocardial O2-extraction. O2-consumption decreased considerably more (35%) than after intravenous administration in spite of the minimal decrease in O2-demand (7%). We conclude that felodipine dilates both systemic and coronary blood vessels. Although the reduction in myocardial O2-consumption is primarily caused by the reduction in afterload, a direct effect on myocardial metabolism can also be involved.

Intracoronary infusion of small doses of nifedipine lowers regional myocardial O2-consumption without altering regional myocardial function

Intracoronary infusion of low doses (0.1-0.3 microgram X kg-1) of nifedipine caused dose-dependent decreases in regional myocardial O2-consumption, without significant changes in any of its major global hemodynamic determinants: heart rate, left ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressure and maxLVdP/dt. Furthermore, regional myocardial function was unaltered. It is suggested that nifedipine decreased myocardial O2-consumption by a direct effect on myocardial metabolism. Some of the possible mechanisms involved are discussed.