Hormonal control of heart function and myosin ATPase activity

Effects of riboflavin analogues and diuretics on the spontaneously hypertensive rat heart

The chronic treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with 7,8-dimethyl-10-(3-chlorobenzyl) isoalloxazine [CBI], 7,8-diethyl-10-aminol isoalloxazine [DEAI], enduron (methyclothiazide) and amiloride were studied for their effects on blood pressure and cardiac contractile protein ATPase activities. After 35 weeks of treatment all the above antihypertensive agents showed a decrease in blood pressure in the SHR (p less than 0.01). Chronic treatment with CBI, DEAI, enduron, and amiloride significantly improved the myofibrillar ATPase activity at all pCa2+ concentrations (p less than 0.01). Furthermore, CBI, DEAI, enduron, and amiloride drug treatments enhanced actin-activated myosin ATPase activity (p less than 0.01). The Ca2(+)-activated myosin ATPase activity was significantly elevated after treating with CBI and DEAI (p less than 0.01). These results suggest that the antihypertensive agents used in this study helped in reducing the blood pressure with a subsequent increase in myocardial contractile protein ATPase activity.

Hormonal influences on cardiac myosin ATPase activity and myosin isoenzyme distribution

It has been recognized for a long time that changes in hormone secretion can influence cardiac function; however, the biochemical basis for these changes has only recently been clarified. In this review the influences of hormonal status on the contractile protein myosin is discussed. Myosin has a rod-like portion and a globular head and consists of two myosin heavy chains (MHC) and four light chains (LC), two of which are identical. The globular head is the site of an ATP-splitting enzyme, the myosin ATPase, and increases in myosin ATPase activity are closely related to an increased velocity of contraction of the heart. Myosin ATPase activity shows marked response to alterations in thyroid hormone, insulin, glucocorticoid, testosterone and catecholamine levels, but marked animal species differences in this response occur. Thyroid hormone administration to normal rabbits, for example, increases myosin ATPase activity markedly, but the myosin ATPase activity of hyperthyroid rats remains unchanged. In contrast, in hypothyroid rats myosin ATPase activity is markedly decreased but the hypothyroid rabbit shows no such response. These species-related differences in the hormonal response of myosin ATPase activity result from the predominance pattern of specific myosin isoenzymes. In the normal rat heart three myosin isoenzymes, V1, V2 and V3, can be separated electrophoretically. Myosin V1 predominates (70% of total myosin), and has the highest myosin ATPase activity, whereas in rabbits myosin V3, which has a lower myosin ATPase activity, is the predominant isomyosin. Thyroid hormone administration to rabbits induces myosin V1 predominance and therefore increases myosin ATPase activity, whereas in hyperthyroid rats only a small further increase in V1 predominance can occur. The alterations in myosin isoenzyme predominance and myosin ATPase activity are closely correlated to changes in cardiac contractility. Hormone-induced alterations in myosin isoenzyme predominance are mediated through changes in the formation of two isoforms of myosin heavy chain. Changes in the expression of different myosin heavy chain genes are most likely responsible for the thyroid hormone and insulin-induced alterations in myosin isoenzyme predominance. Investigation of the control of myosin heavy chain formation can provide further insights into the hormonal control of a multigene family as well as broaden our understanding of the molecular events which result in altered cardiac contractility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Reconstitution of heavy chain and light chain 1 in cardiac subfragment-1 from hyperthyroid and euthyroid rabbit hearts

It is now established that cardiac myosin from hyperthyroid rabbit hearts (TXM) exhibits high Ca2+ ATPase activity. The high Ca2+ ATPase activity of TXM was completely retained in cardiac myosin subfragment-1 (S-1) (1.33 +/- 0.04 mumol Pi/mg per min; euthyroid, 0.51 +/- 0.04). Cardiac S-1 from hyperthyroid and euthyroid rabbits (TXS-1 and NS-1) had the same pattern in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The possible influence of heavy and light chains of TXM on increasing the ATPase activity was examined by reconstitution in the S-1 preparation. Crosswise reconstitution was performed using cardiac S-1 heavy chain (90,000 daltons) and light chain 1 (LC1) (27,000 daltons) from hyperthyroid and euthyroid hearts. Reconstitution was verified by using radiolabeled LC1. More than 95% of S-1 was recovered with full ATPase activity. When TXS-1 was reconstituted with LC1 from euthyroid hearts, the reconstituted molecule retained high ATPase activity. On the other hand, NS-1 reconstituted with LC1 from hyperthyroid hearts failed to increase the ATPase activity. The ATPase activity of S-1 was determined by the source of the heavy chain. These results suggest that the high Ca2+ ATPase activity of cardiac myosin and S-1 from hyperthyroid animals arises from the molecular alteration of the heavy chain induced by thyroxine administration.

Influence of thyroid hormone administration on myosin ATPase activity and myosin isoenzyme distribution in the heart of diabetic rats

Previous studies have shown that diabetes mellitus leads in rats to a 45% decrease in cardiac Ca++ activated myosin ATPase, a change in myosin isoenzyme distribution and a lowering of plasma T4 and T3 levels. Hypothyroidism causes similar changes in myosin ATPase and myosin isoenzyme distribution. We determined if thyroid hormone administration in physiological replacement dose (0.3 microgram T3/100 g BW) or pharmacological doses (3 micrograms T3/100 g BW and 10 micrograms T4/100 g BW) can normalize myosin ATPase and isoenzyme distribution in diabetic rats. Control animals have a Ca++ myosin ATPase activity of 1.23 +/- 0.14 mumol Pi/mg protein/min and myosin V1 represented 70% and myosin V3 15% of total myosin. Four weeks after streptozotocin administration myosin ATPase was 0.61 +/- 0.14, and myosin V3 represented 67% of total myosin. Administration of 0.3 microgram T3/100 g BW/day for four weeks to diabetic animals resulted in no significant increase in myosin ATPase (0.69 +/- 0.07 mumol Pi/mg protein/min) or in myosin isoenzyme distribution. In contrast, administration of 3 micrograms T3/100 g BW/day or 10 micrograms T4/100 g BW/day for 4 wk led to a normalization of myosin ATPase activity (for T3 1.03 +/- 0.18, for T4 1.06 +/- 0.15). In addition the myosin isoenzyme distribution pattern normalized. These findings may point to a diminished thyroid hormone responsiveness in diabetic rats or could result from diabetes related disturbances of cellular metabolism, which are normalized by pharmacologic doses of thyroid hormone.

A comparative study of myosin and its subunits in adult and neonatal-rat hearts and in rat heart cells from young and old cultures

A possible explanation for the decrease in myosin Ca2+-dependent ATPase activity as rat heart cells age in culture is presented. The subunit structure and enzyme kinetics of myosin from adult and neonatal rat hearts and from rat heart cells of young and old cultures are compared. These studies indicate that the loss in Ca-ATPase activity of myosin from older cultures was an intrinsic property of the myosin itself. Myofibrillar fractions from the indicated four sources showed no qualitative or quantitative differences in electrophoretic patterns. Myosin from older cultures was more sensitive to alkaline denaturation than was myosin from younger cultures, as indicated by its more accelerated loss of K+(EDTA)-dependent ATPase activity after 10 min of incubation at pH 10. Furthermore, myosin from older cultures was more temperature-sensitive, as indicted by a more rapid loss of Ca-ATPase with decrease in assay temperature. It is suggested that there is either a change in conformation of myosin molecules at or near the active site of the enzyme or alternatively there is a change in light chain 1-light chain 2 and/or light-chain-heavy-chain interaction(s) in the myosin molecules under study.

Cardiac contractile proteins. Adenosine triphosphatase activity and physiological function

This review has pointed out the good correlation frequently observed between ATPase activity of various contractile protein preparations and contractile function of various muscles including the myocardium. Some of the variables in the measurement of the various ATPases and the relationship of these measurements to physiological ATPase in the intact myofibril have been mentioned. The possible roles of changes in the light chains of sulfhydryl groups in the control of ATPase activity have been outlined. The possibility that phosphorylating reactions might exert control over physiological activity remains to be clarified. It is evident that, despite the large amount of research that has been done, our understanding of how the biochemistry of contractile proteins relates to physiological function is in its infancy, and only with a more complete elucidation of the underlying biochemistry of the components of contractile proteins of physiological and pathophysiological adaptations become evident.

Cardiac myosin adenosinetriphosphatase of rat and mouse. Distinctive enzymatic properties compared with rabbit and dog cardiac myosin

Cardiac myosin obtained from rats and mice (smaller animals) had a higher adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activity in the presence of calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) than did cardiac myosin from rabbits and dogs (larger animals). Structural differences between the two types of cardiac myosin were suggested by the lower apparent activation energy of the Ca 2+ activated ATPase reaction catalyzed by cardiac myosin from the smaller animals and by the lower rate of inactivation of ATPase at pH 9.0. No evidence for activators of myosin ATPase was found in heart muscle or cardiac myosin from rats and mice. The cardiac myosin from these animals was also distinctive with respect to the pattern of activation and inhibition of ATPase by salts and sulfhydryl reagents. ATPase activity of cardiac myosin from the smaller animals was less sensitive to the inhibitory effect of KCl in the presence of Ca 2+ and was not activated by N -ethylmaleimide, suggesting a difference in the myosin molecule at or near the active site. When sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed, no difference was observed in the molecular weight or the proportion of the light chains between the two types of cardiac myosin. ATPase activity of skeletal myosin was approximately the same in all animals and showed a pattern similar to that of the cardiac myosins from rabbits and dogs. The structural difference in the cardiac myosin from rats and mice suggested by these experiments appears to account for the enhanced myocardial contractility found in these animals.