Involvement of superoxide radicals on adrenochrome formation stimulated by arachidonic acid in bovine heart sarcolemmal vesicles

Oxidative Stress in Takotsubo Syndrome-Is It Essential for an Acute Attack? Indirect Evidences Support Multisite Impact Including the Calcium Overload-Energy Failure Hypothesis

Indirect evidences in reviews and case reports on Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) support the fact that the existence of oxidative stress (OS) might be its common feature in the pre-acute stage. The sources of OS are exogenous (environmental factors including pharmacological and toxic influences) and endogenous, the combination of both may be present, and they are being discussed in detail. OS is associated with several pathological conditions representing TTS comorbidities and triggers. The dominant source of OS electrones are mitochondria. Our analysis of drug therapy related to acute TTS shows many interactions, e.g., cytostatics and glucocorticoids with mitochondrial cytochrome P450 and other enzymes important for OS. One of the most frequently discussed mechanisms in TTS is the effect of catecholamines on myocardium. Yet, their metabolic influence is neglected. OS is associated with the oxidation of catecholamines leading to the synthesis of their oxidized forms - aminochromes. Under pathological conditions, this pathway may dominate. There are evidences of interference between OS, catecholamine/aminochrome effects, their metabolism and antioxidant protection. The OS offensive may cause fast depletion of antioxidant protection including the homocystein-methionine system, whose activity decreases with age. The alteration of effector subcellular structures (mitochondria, sarco/endoplasmic reticulum) and subsequent changes in cellular energetics and calcium turnover may also occur and lead to the disruption of cellular function, including neurons and cardiomyocytes. On the organ level (nervous system and heart), neurocardiogenic stunning may occur. The effects of OS correspond to the effect of high doses of catecholamines in the experiment. Intensive OS might represent "conditio sine qua non" for this acute clinical condition. TTS might be significantly more complex pathology than currently perceived so far.

Redox signal transduction: reductive reasoning

The activation of receptors has been believed to be due to a conformational change that occurs when the agonist "locks" into the receptor. However, evidence suggests that several receptors are activated by redox reactions, which occur when an agonist binds with the receptor. The stereochemistry of the receptor likely provides specificity to the electron transfer by determining which agonist can bind to the receptor. The resulting signal, in some cases, may then be transferred across the membrane by G-proteins, which also are redox-coupled. This concept puts receptors into the large group of cell functions that are redox-regulated. Other systems for which evidence of redox regulation occurs include ion pumps and channels, as well as transcription factors.

Measurement of adrenolutin as an oxidation product of catecholamines in plasma

Using the reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mobile phases composed of simple acids, we have developed an assay technique for the measurement of adrenolutin, one of the oxidation products of catecholamines, in rat plasma. Ion-pairing chromatography permits the separation and quantitation of plasma adrenolutin (microM) in a linear manner. Sample preparation involved the precipitation of plasma proteins with perchloric acid and it is easier to handle a large number of samples at a time. However, we were unable to demonstrate the presence of adrenochrome, another oxidation product of catecholamines, in plasma since adrenochrome was rapidly destroyed in acid as well as in blood and was quickly changed into adrenolutin. Adrenolutin peak in HPLC was confirmed by 1) the retention time; 2) co-injection of adrenolutin and; 3) the appearance of 3H-adrenolutin after injection of 3H-norepinephrine. Administration of different catecholamines as well as adrenochrome and adrenolutin in rats also increased the level of adrenolutin in plasma. Adrenolutin was found to be present in plasma in other species including dog, rabbit and pig. High level of adrenolutin, which may represent total concentration of aminolutin in plasma, suggests the presence of an efficient mechanism for the oxidation of catecholamines under in vivo conditions.

Opioids stimulate sarcolemmal NAD(P)H-vanadate dehydrogenase activity

The present study demonstrates that the bovine cardiac sarcolemma possesses an NAD(P)H dehydrogenase activity which is able to oxidize both NADH and NAD(P)H in the presence of vanadate as an electron acceptor. The NADH dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher than the NAD(P)H dehydrogenase activity and both of them were almost completely inhibited by superoxide dismutase and atebrin and markedly reduced by the addition of the protonophore 2,4-dinitrophenol. The incubation of the sarcolemma in the presence of 10(-10), 10(-9), 10(-8) M methionine-enkephalin, a prevalent delta-opioid receptor agonist, or dynorphin A (1-17), a prevalent kappa-receptor agonist, produced a dose-dependent increase in the NAD(P)H dehydrogenase activity, with 10(-10) and 10(-9) M dynorphin A (1-17) more effective than the corresponding doses of methionine-enkephalin. The preincubation of the sarcolemma in the presence of superoxide-dismutase, atebrin or 2,4-dinitrophenol strongly inhibited the opioid-stimulated dehydrogenase activity. The stimulatory action elicited by 10(-8) M methionine-enkephalin or dynorphin A (1-17) was completely antagonized by 10(-8) M naloxone or Mr 1452, respectively, whilst 10(-8) M naloxone exerted only a partially antagonistic action against the effect produced by 10(-8) M dynorphin A (1-17), significantly more accentuated than the action of 10(-8) M Mr 1452 versus the same dose of methionine-enkephalin.

Inhibition by ceruloplasmin of the cardiac sarcolemmal adrenochrome formation

The addition of ceruloplasmin to bovine cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles supplemented with NADPH was able to reduce the formation of adrenochrome from adrenaline. This inhibitory effect appears at 2.5 microM ceruloplasmin and it is almost complete at the level of 20 microM.