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Terrar DA. Timing mechanisms to control heart rhythm and initiate arrhythmias: roles for intracellular organelles, signalling pathways and subsarcolemmal Ca 2. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220170. [PMID: 37122228 PMCID: PMC10150226 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhythms of electrical activity in all regions of the heart can be influenced by a variety of intracellular membrane bound organelles. This is true both for normal pacemaker activity and for abnormal rhythms including those caused by early and delayed afterdepolarizations under pathological conditions. The influence of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) on cardiac electrical activity is widely recognized, but other intracellular organelles including lysosomes and mitochondria also contribute. Intracellular organelles can provide a timing mechanism (such as an SR clock driven by cyclic uptake and release of Ca2+, with an important influence of intraluminal Ca2+), and/or can act as a Ca2+ store involved in signalling mechanisms. Ca2+ plays many diverse roles including carrying electric current, driving electrogenic sodium-calcium exchange (NCX) particularly when Ca2+ is extruded across the surface membrane causing depolarization, and activation of enzymes which target organelles and surface membrane proteins. Heart function is also influenced by Ca2+ mobilizing agents (cADP-ribose, nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate and inositol trisphosphate) acting on intracellular organelles. Lysosomal Ca2+ release exerts its effects via calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II to promote SR Ca2+ uptake, and contributes to arrhythmias resulting from excessive beta-adrenoceptor stimulation. A separate arrhythmogenic mechanism involves lysosomes, mitochondria and SR. Interacting intracellular organelles, therefore, have profound effects on heart rhythms and NCX plays a central role. This article is part of the theme issue 'The heartbeat: its molecular basis and physiological mechanisms'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Terrar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
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Tóth N, Loewe A, Szlovák J, Kohajda Z, Bitay G, Levijoki J, Papp JG, Varró A, Nagy N. The reverse mode of the Na +/Ca 2+ exchanger contributes to the pacemaker mechanism in rabbit sinus node cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21830. [PMID: 36528651 PMCID: PMC9759562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25574-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Sinus node (SN) pacemaking is based on a coupling between surface membrane ion-channels and intracellular Ca2+-handling. The fundamental role of the inward Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) is firmly established. However, little is known about the reverse mode exchange. A simulation study attributed important role to reverse NCX activity, however experimental evidence is still missing. Whole-cell and perforated patch-clamp experiments were performed on rabbit SN cells supplemented with fluorescent Ca2+-tracking. We established 2 and 8 mM pipette NaCl groups to suppress and enable reverse NCX. NCX was assessed by specific block with 1 μM ORM-10962. Mechanistic simulations were performed by Maltsev-Lakatta minimal computational SN model. Active reverse NCX resulted in larger Ca2+-transient amplitude with larger SR Ca2+-content. Spontaneous action potential (AP) frequency increased with 8 mM NaCl. When reverse NCX was facilitated by 1 μM strophantin the Ca2+i and spontaneous rate increased. ORM-10962 applied prior to strophantin prevented Ca2+i and AP cycle change. Computational simulations indicated gradually increasing reverse NCX current, Ca2+i and heart rate with increasing Na+i. Our results provide further evidence for the role of reverse NCX in SN pacemaking. The reverse NCX activity may provide additional Ca2+-influx that could increase SR Ca2+-content, which consequently leads to enhanced pacemaking activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémi Tóth
- grid.9008.10000 0001 1016 9625Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, P.O. Box 427, Szeged, 6720 Hungary
| | - Axel Loewe
- grid.7892.40000 0001 0075 5874Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jozefina Szlovák
- grid.9008.10000 0001 1016 9625Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, P.O. Box 427, Szeged, 6720 Hungary
| | - Zsófia Kohajda
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gergő Bitay
- grid.9008.10000 0001 1016 9625Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, P.O. Box 427, Szeged, 6720 Hungary
| | - Jouko Levijoki
- grid.419951.10000 0004 0400 1289Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland
| | - Julius Gy. Papp
- grid.9008.10000 0001 1016 9625Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, P.O. Box 427, Szeged, 6720 Hungary ,ELKH-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Szeged, Hungary
| | - András Varró
- grid.9008.10000 0001 1016 9625Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, P.O. Box 427, Szeged, 6720 Hungary ,ELKH-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Norbert Nagy
- grid.9008.10000 0001 1016 9625Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 12, P.O. Box 427, Szeged, 6720 Hungary ,ELKH-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Szeged, Hungary
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Averin AS, Konakov MV, Pimenov OY, Galimova MH, Berezhnov AV, Nenov MN, Dynnik VV. Regulation of Papillary Muscle Contractility by NAD and Ammonia Interplay: Contribution of Ion Channels and Exchangers. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:1239. [PMID: 36557146 PMCID: PMC9785361 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12121239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Various models, including stem cells derived and isolated cardiomyocytes with overexpressed channels, are utilized to analyze the functional interplay of diverse ion currents involved in cardiac automaticity and excitation-contraction coupling control. Here, we used β-NAD and ammonia, known hyperpolarizing and depolarizing agents, respectively, and applied inhibitory analysis to reveal the interplay of several ion channels implicated in rat papillary muscle contractility control. We demonstrated that: 4 mM β-NAD, having no strong impact on resting membrane potential (RMP) and action potential duration (APD90) of ventricular cardiomyocytes, evoked significant suppression of isometric force (F) of paced papillary muscle. Reactive blue 2 restored F to control values, suggesting the involvement of P2Y-receptor-dependent signaling in β-NAD effects. Meantime, 5 mM NH4Cl did not show any effect on F of papillary muscle but resulted in significant RMP depolarization, APD90 shortening, and a rightward shift of I-V relationship for total steady state currents in cardiomyocytes. Paradoxically, NH4Cl, being added after β-NAD and having no effect on RMP, APD, and I-V curve, recovered F to the control values, indicating β-NAD/ammonia antagonism. Blocking of HCN, Kir2.x, and L-type calcium channels, Ca2+-activated K+ channels (SK, IK, and BK), or NCX exchanger reverse mode prevented this effect, indicating consistent cooperation of all currents mediated by these channels and NCX. We suggest that the activation of Kir2.x and HCN channels by extracellular K+, that creates positive and negative feedback, and known ammonia and K+ resemblance, may provide conditions required for the activation of all the chain of channels involved in the interplay. Here, we present a mechanistic model describing an interplay of channels and second messengers, which may explain discovered antagonism of β-NAD and ammonia on rat papillary muscle contractile activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey S. Averin
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Maxim V. Konakov
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Oleg Y. Pimenov
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Miliausha H. Galimova
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Alexey V. Berezhnov
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Miroslav N. Nenov
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Vladimir V. Dynnik
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino 142290, Russia
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Gilani N, Wang K, Muncan A, Peter J, An S, Bhatti S, Pandya K, Zhang Y, Tang YD, Gerdes AM, Stout RF, Ojamaa K. Triiodothyronine maintains cardiac transverse-tubule structure and function. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2021; 160:1-14. [PMID: 34175303 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Subclinical hypothyroidism and low T3 syndrome are commonly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. We examined effects of T3 on T-tubule (TT) structures, Ca2+ mobilization and contractility, and clustering of dyadic proteins. Thyroid hormone (TH) deficiency was induced in adult female rats by propyl-thiouracil (PTU; 0.025%) treatment for 8 weeks. Rats were then randomized to continued PTU or triiodo-L-thyronine (T3; 10 μg/kg/d) treatment for 2 weeks (PTU + T3). After in vivo echocardiographic and hemodynamic recordings, cardiomyocytes (CM) were isolated to record Ca2+ transients and contractility. TT organization was assessed by confocal microscopy, and STORM images were captured to measure ryanodine receptor (RyR2) cluster number and size, and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC, Cav1.2) co-localization. Expressed genes including two integral TT proteins, junctophilin-2 (Jph-2) and bridging integrator-1 (BIN1), were analyzed in left ventricular (LV) tissues and cultured CM using qPCR and RNA sequencing. The T3 dosage used normalized serum T3, and reversed adverse effects of TH deficiency on in vivo measures of cardiac function. Recordings of isolated CM indicated that T3 increased rates of Ca2+ release and re-uptake, resulting in increased velocities of sarcomere shortening and re-lengthening. TT periodicity was significantly decreased, with reduced transverse tubules but increased longitudinal tubules in TH-deficient CMs and LV tissue, and these structures were normalized by T3 treatment. Analysis of STORM data of PTU myocytes showed decreased RyR2 cluster numbers and RyR localizations within each cluster without significant changes in Cav1.2 localizations within RyR clusters. T3 treatment normalized RyR2 cluster size and number. qPCR and RNAseq analyses of LV and cultured CM showed that Jph2 expression was T3-responsive, and its increase with treatment may explain improved TT organization and RyR-LTCC coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimra Gilani
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Kaihao Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA; Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Adam Muncan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Jerrin Peter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Shimin An
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA; Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Simran Bhatti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Khushbu Pandya
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Youhua Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Yi-Da Tang
- Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China
| | - A Martin Gerdes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Randy F Stout
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA; NYIT Imaging Center, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
| | - Kaie Ojamaa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Northern Blvd., Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.
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5
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Varró A, Tomek J, Nagy N, Virág L, Passini E, Rodriguez B, Baczkó I. Cardiac transmembrane ion channels and action potentials: cellular physiology and arrhythmogenic behavior. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1083-1176. [PMID: 33118864 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00024.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are among the leading causes of mortality. They often arise from alterations in the electrophysiological properties of cardiac cells and their underlying ionic mechanisms. It is therefore critical to further unravel the pathophysiology of the ionic basis of human cardiac electrophysiology in health and disease. In the first part of this review, current knowledge on the differences in ion channel expression and properties of the ionic processes that determine the morphology and properties of cardiac action potentials and calcium dynamics from cardiomyocytes in different regions of the heart are described. Then the cellular mechanisms promoting arrhythmias in congenital or acquired conditions of ion channel function (electrical remodeling) are discussed. The focus is on human-relevant findings obtained with clinical, experimental, and computational studies, given that interspecies differences make the extrapolation from animal experiments to human clinical settings difficult. Deepening the understanding of the diverse pathophysiology of human cellular electrophysiology will help in developing novel and effective antiarrhythmic strategies for specific subpopulations and disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Varró
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Jakub Tomek
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Norbert Nagy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Virág
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Elisa Passini
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Blanca Rodriguez
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - István Baczkó
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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6
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Vagos MR, Arevalo H, Heijman J, Schotten U, Sundnes J. A Novel Computational Model of the Rabbit Atrial Cardiomyocyte With Spatial Calcium Dynamics. Front Physiol 2020; 11:556156. [PMID: 33162894 PMCID: PMC7583320 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.556156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of cardiac electrophysiology are widely used to supplement experimental results and to provide insight into mechanisms of cardiac function and pathology. The rabbit has been a particularly important animal model for studying mechanisms of atrial pathophysiology and atrial fibrillation, which has motivated the development of models for the rabbit atrial cardiomyocyte electrophysiology. Previously developed models include detailed representations of membrane currents and intracellular ionic concentrations, but these so-called “common-pool” models lack a spatially distributed description of the calcium handling system, which reflects the detailed ultrastructure likely found in cells in vivo. Because of the less well-developed T-tubular system in atrial compared to ventricular cardiomyocytes, spatial gradients in intracellular calcium concentrations may play a more significant role in atrial cardiomyocyte pathophysiology, rendering common-pool models less suitable for investigating underlying electrophysiological mechanisms. In this study, we developed a novel computational model of the rabbit atrial cardiomyocyte incorporating detailed compartmentalization of intracellular calcium dynamics, in addition to a description of membrane currents and intracellular processes. The spatial representation of calcium was based on dividing the intracellular space into eighteen different compartments in the transversal direction, each with separate systems for internal calcium storage and release, and tracking ionic fluxes between compartments in addition to the dynamics driven by membrane currents and calcium release. The model was parameterized employing a population-of-models approach using experimental data from different sources. The parameterization of this novel model resulted in a reduced population of models with inherent variability in calcium dynamics and electrophysiological properties, all of which fall within the range of observed experimental values. As such, the population of models may represent natural variability in cardiomyocyte electrophysiology or inherent uncertainty in the underlying experimental data. The ionic model population was also able to reproduce the U-shaped waveform observed in line-scans of triggered calcium waves in atrial cardiomyocytes, characteristic of the absence of T-tubules, resulting in a centripetal calcium wave due to subcellular calcium diffusion. This novel spatial model of the rabbit atrial cardiomyocyte can be used to integrate experimental findings, offering the potential to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiological role of calcium-handling abnormalities under diseased conditions, such as atrial fibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcia R Vagos
- Simula Research Laboratory, Computational Physiology Department, Lysaker, Norway.,Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hermenegild Arevalo
- Simula Research Laboratory, Computational Physiology Department, Lysaker, Norway.,Center for Cardiological Innovation, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jordi Heijman
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ulrich Schotten
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Joakim Sundnes
- Simula Research Laboratory, Computational Physiology Department, Lysaker, Norway.,Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Center for Cardiological Innovation, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
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Crossman DJ, Jayasinghe ID, Soeller C. Transverse tubule remodelling: a cellular pathology driven by both sides of the plasmalemma? Biophys Rev 2017; 9:919-929. [PMID: 28695473 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0273-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Transverse (t)-tubules are invaginations of the plasma membrane that form a complex network of ducts, 200-400 nm in diameter depending on the animal species, that penetrates deep within the cardiac myocyte, where they facilitate a fast and synchronous contraction across the entire cell volume. There is now a large body of evidence in animal models and humans demonstrating that pathological distortion of the t-tubule structure has a causative role in the loss of myocyte contractility that underpins many forms of heart failure. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms of pathological t-tubule remodelling to date have focused on proteins residing in the intracellular aspect of t-tubule membrane that form linkages between the membrane and myocyte cytoskeleton. In this review, we shed light on the mechanisms of t-tubule remodelling which are not limited to the intracellular side. Our recent data have demonstrated that collagen is an integral part of the t-tubule network and that it increases within the tubules in heart failure, suggesting that a fibrotic mechanism could drive cardiac junctional remodelling. We examine the evidence that the linkages between the extracellular matrix, t-tubule membrane and cellular cytoskeleton should be considered as a whole when investigating the mechanisms of t-tubule pathology in the failing heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Crossman
- Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | | | - Christian Soeller
- Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Biomedical Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Chu L, Greenstein JL, Winslow RL. Modeling Na +-Ca 2+ exchange in the heart: Allosteric activation, spatial localization, sparks and excitation-contraction coupling. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2016; 99:174-187. [PMID: 27377851 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2016.06.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The cardiac sodium (Na+)/calcium (Ca2+) exchanger (NCX1) is an electrogenic membrane transporter that regulates Ca2+ homeostasis in cardiomyocytes, serving mainly to extrude Ca2+ during diastole. The direction of Ca2+ transport reverses at membrane potentials near that of the action potential plateau, generating an influx of Ca2+ into the cell. Therefore, there has been great interest in the possible roles of NCX1 in cardiac Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). Interest has been reinvigorated by a recent super-resolution optical imaging study suggesting that ~18% of NCX1 co-localize with ryanodine receptor (RyR2) clusters, and ~30% of additional NCX1 are localized to within ~120nm of the nearest RyR2. NCX1 may therefore occupy a privileged position in which to modulate CICR. To examine this question, we have developed a mechanistic biophysically-detailed model of NCX1 that describes both NCX1 transport kinetics and Ca2+-dependent allosteric regulation. This NCX1 model was incorporated into a previously developed super-resolution model of the Ca2+ spark as well as a computational model of the cardiac ventricular myocyte that includes a detailed description of CICR with stochastic gating of L-type Ca2+ channels and RyR2s, and that accounts for local Ca2+ gradients near the dyad via inclusion of a peri-dyadic (PD) compartment. Both models predict that increasing the fraction of NCX1 in the dyad and PD decreases spark frequency, fidelity, and diastolic Ca2+ levels. Spark amplitude and duration are less sensitive to NCX1 spatial redistribution. On the other hand, NCX1 plays an important role in promoting Ca2+ entry into the dyad, and hence contributing to the trigger for RyR2 release at depolarized membrane potentials and in the presence of elevated local Na+ concentration. Whole-cell simulation of NCX1 tail currents are consistent with the finding that a relatively high fraction of NCX1 (~45%) resides in the dyadic and PD spaces, with a dyad-to-PD ratio of roughly 1:2. Allosteric Ca2+ activation of NCX1 helps to "functionally localize" exchanger activity to the dyad and PD by reducing exchanger activity in the cytosol thereby protecting the cell from excessive loss of Ca2+ during diastole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Chu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Institute for Computational Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Whiting School of Engineering, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Joseph L Greenstein
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Institute for Computational Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Whiting School of Engineering, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Raimond L Winslow
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Institute for Computational Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Whiting School of Engineering, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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9
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Ginsburg KS, Weber CR, Bers DM. Cardiac Na+-Ca2+ exchanger: dynamics of Ca2+-dependent activation and deactivation in intact myocytes. J Physiol 2013; 591:2067-86. [PMID: 23401616 PMCID: PMC3634520 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.252080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchange (NCX) activity is regulated by [Ca(2+)]i. The physiological role and dynamics of this process in intact cardiomyocytes are largely unknown. We examined NCX Ca(2+) activation in intact rabbit and mouse cardiomyocytes at 37°C. Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function was blocked, and cells were bathed in 2 mm Ca(2+). We probed Ca(2+) activation without voltage clamp by applying Na(+)-free (0 Na(+)) solution for 5 s bouts, repeated each 10 s, which should evoke [Ca(2+)]i transients due to Ca(2+) influx via NCX. In rested rabbit myocytes, Ca(2+) influx was undetectable even after 0 Na(+) applications were repeated for 2-5 min or more, suggesting that NCX was inactive. After external electric field stimulation pulses were applied, to admit Ca(2+) via L-type Ca(2+) channels, 0 Na(+) bouts activated Ca(2+) influx efficaciously, indicating that NCX had become active. Calcium activation increased with more field pulses, reaching a maximum typically after 15-20 pulses (1 Hz). At rest, NCX deactivated with a time constant typically of 20-40 s. An increase in [Na(+)]i, either in rabbit cardiomyocytes as a result of inhibition of Na(+)-K(+) pumping, or in mouse cardiomyocytes where normal [Na(+)]i is higher vs. rabbit, sensitized NCX to self-activation by 0 Na(+) bouts. In experiments with the SR functional but initially empty, the activation time course was slowed. It is possible that the SR initially accumulated Ca(2+) that would otherwise cause activation. We modelled Ca(2+) activation as a fourth-order highly co-operative process ([Ca]i required for half-activation K0.5act = 375 nm), with dynamics severalfold slower than the cardiac cycle. We incorporated this NCX model into an established ventricular myocyte model, which allowed us to predict responses to twitch stimulation in physiological conditions with the SR intact. Model NCX fractional activation increased from 0.1 to 1.0 as the frequency was increased from 0.2 to 2 Hz. By adjusting Ca(2+) activation on a multibeat time scale, NCX might better maintain a stable long-term Ca(2+) balance while contributing to the ability of myocytes to produce Ca(2+) transients over a wide range of intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth S Ginsburg
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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10
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Poláková E, Sobie EA. Alterations in T-tubule and dyad structure in heart disease: challenges and opportunities for computational analyses. Cardiovasc Res 2013; 98:233-9. [PMID: 23396602 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvt026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Compelling recent experimental results make clear that sub-cellular structures are altered in ventricular myocytes during the development of heart failure, in both human samples and diverse experimental models. These alterations can include, but are not limited to, changes in the clusters of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-release channels, ryanodine receptors, and changes in the average distance between the cell membrane and ryanodine receptor clusters. In this review, we discuss the potential consequences of these structural alterations on the triggering of SR Ca(2+) release during excitation-contraction coupling. In particular, we describe how mathematical models of local SR Ca(2+) release can be used to predict functional changes resulting from diverse modifications that occur in disease states. We review recent studies that have used simulations to understand the consequences of sub-cellular structural changes, and we discuss modifications that will allow for future modelling studies to address unresolved questions. We conclude with a discussion of improvements in both experimental and mathematical modelling techniques that will be required to provide a stronger quantitative understanding of the functional consequences of changes in sub-cellular structure in heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Poláková
- Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1215, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Roberts BN, Yang PC, Behrens SB, Moreno JD, Clancy CE. Computational approaches to understand cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2012; 303:H766-83. [PMID: 22886409 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.01081.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac rhythms arise from electrical activity generated by precisely timed opening and closing of ion channels in individual cardiac myocytes. These impulses spread throughout the cardiac muscle to manifest as electrical waves in the whole heart. Regularity of electrical waves is critically important since they signal the heart muscle to contract, driving the primary function of the heart to act as a pump and deliver blood to the brain and vital organs. When electrical activity goes awry during a cardiac arrhythmia, the pump does not function, the brain does not receive oxygenated blood, and death ensues. For more than 50 years, mathematically based models of cardiac electrical activity have been used to improve understanding of basic mechanisms of normal and abnormal cardiac electrical function. Computer-based modeling approaches to understand cardiac activity are uniquely helpful because they allow for distillation of complex emergent behaviors into the key contributing components underlying them. Here we review the latest advances and novel concepts in the field as they relate to understanding the complex interplay between electrical, mechanical, structural, and genetic mechanisms during arrhythmia development at the level of ion channels, cells, and tissues. We also discuss the latest computational approaches to guiding arrhythmia therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron N Roberts
- Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medical College/The Rockefeller University/Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
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12
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Ferrer T, Arín RM, Casis E, Torres-Jacome J, Sanchez-Chapula JA, Casis O. Mechanisms responsible for the altered cardiac repolarization dispersion in experimental hypothyroidism. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2012; 204:502-12. [PMID: 21933354 DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2011.02364.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To identify the causes for the inhomogeneity of ventricular repolarization and increased QT dispersion in hypothyroid mice. METHODS We studied the effects of 5-propyl-2-thiouracil-induced hypothyroidism on the ECG, action potential (AP) and current density of the repolarizing potassium currents I(to,fast), I(to,slow), I(K,slow) and I(ss) in enzymatically isolated myocytes from three different regions of mouse heart: right ventricle (RV), epicardium of the left ventricle (Epi-LV) and interventricular septum. K(+) currents were recorded with the patch-clamp technique. Membranes from isolated ventricular myocytes were extracted by centrifugation. Kv4.2, Kv4.3, KChIP and Na/Ca exchanger proteins were visualized by Western blot. RESULTS The frequency or conduction velocity was not changed by hypothyroidism, but QTc was prolonged. Neither resting membrane potential nor AP amplitude was modified. The action potential duration (APD)(90) increased in the RV and Epi-LV, but not in the septum. Hypothyroid status has no effect either on I(to,slow), I(k,slow) or I(ss) in any of the regions analysed. However, I(to,fast) was significantly reduced in the Epi-LV and in the RV, whereas it was not altered in cells from the septum. Western blot analysis reveals a reduction in Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 protein levels in both the Epi-LV and the RV and an increase in Na/Ca exchanger. CONCLUSION From these results we suggest that the regional differences in APD lengthening, and thus in repolarization inhomogeneity, induced by experimental hypothyroidism are at least partially explained by the uneven decrease in I(to,fast) and the differences in the relative contribution of the depolarization-activated outward currents to the repolarization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ferrer
- Unidad de Investigacion "Carlos Mendez" del Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Universidad de Colima, Mexico
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13
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Asghari P, Scriven DRL, Hoskins J, Fameli N, van Breemen C, Moore EDW. The structure and functioning of the couplon in the mammalian cardiomyocyte. PROTOPLASMA 2012; 249 Suppl 1:S31-S38. [PMID: 22057630 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-011-0347-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Accepted: 10/18/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The couplons of the cardiomyocyte form nanospaces within the cell that place the L-type calcium channel (Ca(v)1.2), situated on the plasmalemma, in opposition to the type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2), situated on the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These two molecules, which form the basis of excitation-contraction coupling, are separated by a very limited space, which allows a few Ca(2+) ions passing through Ca(v)1.2 to activate the RyR2 at concentration levels that would be deleterious to the whole cell. The limited space also allows Ca(2+) inactivation of Ca(v)1.2. We have found that not all couplons are the same and that their properties are likely determined by their molecular partners which, in turn, determine their excitability. In particular, there are a class of couplons that lie outside the RyR2-Ca(v)1.2 dyad; in this case, the RyR2 is close to caveolin-3 rather than Ca(v)1.2. These extra-dyadic couplons are probably controlled by the multitude of molecules associated with caveolin-3 and may modulate contractile force under situations such as stress. It has long been assumed that like the skeletal muscle, the RyR2 in the couplon are arranged in a structured array with the RyR2 interacting with each other via domain 6 of the RyR2 molecule. This arrangement was thought to provide local control of RyR2 excitability. Using 3D electron tomography of the couplon, we show that the RyR2 in the couplon do not form an ordered pattern, but are scattered throughout it. Relatively few are in a checkerboard pattern--many RyR2 sit edge-to-edge, a configuration which might preclude their controlling each other's excitability. The discovery of this structure makes many models of cardiac couplon function moot and is a current avenue of further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Asghari
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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14
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Xu L, Chen J, Li XY, Ren S, Huang CX, Wu G, Li XY, Jiang XJ. Analysis of Na(+)/Ca (2+) exchanger (NCX) function and current in murine cardiac myocytes during heart failure. Mol Biol Rep 2011; 39:3847-52. [PMID: 21750914 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-011-1163-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2011] [Accepted: 06/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) plays important roles in cardiac electrical activity and calcium homeostasis. NCX current (I(NCX)) shows transmural gradient across left ventricle in many species. Previous studies demonstrated that NCX expression was increased and transmural gradient of I(NCX) was disrupted in failing heart, but the mechanisms underlying I(NCX) remodeling still remain unknown. In present study, we used patch clamp technique to record I(NCX) from subepicardial (EPI) myocytes and subendocardial (ENDO) myocytes isolated from sham operation (SO) mice and heart failure (HF) mice. Our results showed that I(NCX) was higher in normal EPI cells compared with that in ENDO, whatever for forward mode or reverse mode. In HF group, I(NCX) was significantly up-regulated, but EPI-ENDO difference was disrupted because of a more increase of I(NCX) in ENDO myocytes. In order to explore the molecular mechanism underlying remodeling of I(NCX) in failing heart, we detected the protein expression of NCX1 and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) by Western blot. We found that CaMKII activity was dramatically enhanced and parallel with the expression of NCX1 in failing heart. Our study demonstrated that transmural gradient of I(NCX) existed in murine left ventricle, and increased activity of CaMKII should account for I(NCX) remodeling in failing heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, People's Republic of China.
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15
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Cannell MB, Kong CHT. Local control in cardiac E-C coupling. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2011; 52:298-303. [PMID: 21586292 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2011.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2011] [Revised: 04/12/2011] [Accepted: 04/29/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The development of local control theories in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling solved a major problem in the calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) hypothesis. Local control explained how regeneration, inherent in the CICR mechanism, might be limited spatially to enable graded Ca release (and force production). The key lies in the stochastic recruitment of individual calcium release units (couplons or CRUs) where adjacent CRUs are partially uncoupled by the distance between them. In the CRU, individual groups of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release channels (RyRs) are very close to the surface membrane where calcium influx, controlled by membrane depolarization, leads to high local Ca levels that enable a high speed response from RyRs that have a very low probability to opening at resting Ca levels. However, calcium diffusion from an activated CRU results in adjacent CRUs being exposed to much lower levels of Ca and probability of activation. This effectively uncouples the CRUs and limits overall regenerative gain to enable stability without compromising sensitivity. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how the CRU terminates its release of calcium on the physiological timescale, and possible mechanisms (and problems) are briefly reviewed. We suggest that modulation in RyR gating may serve to control average SR Ca levels to regulate other metabolic functions of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum beyond regulating contractility. This article is part of a special issue entitled "Local Signaling in Myocytes."
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Affiliation(s)
- M B Cannell
- School of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
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16
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Schulson MN, Scriven DRL, Fletcher P, Moore EDW. Couplons in rat atria form distinct subgroups defined by their molecular partners. J Cell Sci 2011; 124:1167-74. [PMID: 21385843 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.080929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Standard local control theory, which describes Ca(2+) release during excitation-contraction coupling (ECC), assumes that all ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) complexes are equivalent. Findings from our laboratory have called this assumption into question. Specifically, we have shown that the RyR2 complexes in ventricular myocytes are different, depending on their location within the cell. This has led us to hypothesize that similar differences occur within the rat atrial cell. To test this hypothesis, we have triple-labelled enzymatically isolated fixed myocytes to examine the distribution and colocalization of RyR2, calsequestrin (Casq), voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (Ca(v)1.2), the sodium-calcium exchanger (Ncx) and caveolin-3 (Cav3). A number of different surface RyR2 populations were identified, and one of these groups, in which RyR2, Ca(v)1.2 and Ncx colocalized, might provide the structural basis for 'eager' sites of Ca(2+) release in atria. A small percentage of the dyads containing RyR2 and Ca(v)1.2 were colocalized with Cav3, and therefore could be influenced by the signalling molecules it anchors. The majority of the RyR2 clusters were tightly linked to Ca(v)1.2, and, whereas some were coupled to both Ca 1.2 and Ncx, none were with Ncx alone. This suggests that Ca(v)1.2-mediated Ca(2+) -induced Ca(2+) release is the primary method of ECC. The two molecules studied that were found in the interior of atrial cells, RyR2 and Casq, showed significantly less colocalization and a reduced nearest-neighbour distance in the interior, compared with the surface of the cell. These differences might result in a higher excitability for RyR2 in the interior of the cells, facilitating the spread of excitation from the periphery to the centre. We also present morphometric data for all of the molecules studied, as well as for those colocalizations found to be significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith N Schulson
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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17
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Koivumäki JT, Korhonen T, Tavi P. Impact of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release on calcium dynamics and action potential morphology in human atrial myocytes: a computational study. PLoS Comput Biol 2011; 7:e1001067. [PMID: 21298076 PMCID: PMC3029229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological studies of the human heart face the fundamental challenge that experimental data can be acquired only from patients with underlying heart disease. Regarding human atria, there exist sizable gaps in the understanding of the functional role of cellular Ca²+ dynamics, which differ crucially from that of ventricular cells, in the modulation of excitation-contraction coupling. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to develop a mathematical model of the human atrial myocyte that, in addition to the sarcolemmal (SL) ion currents, accounts for the heterogeneity of intracellular Ca²+ dynamics emerging from a structurally detailed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Based on the simulation results, our model convincingly reproduces the principal characteristics of Ca²+ dynamics: 1) the biphasic increment during the upstroke of the Ca²+ transient resulting from the delay between the peripheral and central SR Ca²+ release, and 2) the relative contribution of SL Ca²+ current and SR Ca²+ release to the Ca²+ transient. In line with experimental findings, the model also replicates the strong impact of intracellular Ca²+ dynamics on the shape of the action potential. The simulation results suggest that the peripheral SR Ca²+ release sites define the interface between Ca²+ and AP, whereas the central release sites are important for the fire-diffuse-fire propagation of Ca²+ diffusion. Furthermore, our analysis predicts that the modulation of the action potential duration due to increasing heart rate is largely mediated by changes in the intracellular Na+ concentration. Finally, the results indicate that the SR Ca²+ release is a strong modulator of AP duration and, consequently, myocyte refractoriness/excitability. We conclude that the developed model is robust and reproduces many fundamental aspects of the tight coupling between SL ion currents and intracellular Ca²+ signaling. Thus, the model provides a useful framework for future studies of excitation-contraction coupling in human atrial myocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jussi T. Koivumäki
- Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Topi Korhonen
- Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pasi Tavi
- Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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18
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Cheng Y, Yu Z, Hoshijima M, Holst MJ, McCulloch AD, McCammon JA, Michailova AP. Numerical analysis of Ca2+ signaling in rat ventricular myocytes with realistic transverse-axial tubular geometry and inhibited sarcoplasmic reticulum. PLoS Comput Biol 2010; 6:e1000972. [PMID: 21060856 PMCID: PMC2965743 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2009] [Accepted: 09/23/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The t-tubules of mammalian ventricular myocytes are invaginations of the cell membrane that occur at each Z-line. These invaginations branch within the cell to form a complex network that allows rapid propagation of the electrical signal, and hence synchronous rise of intracellular calcium (Ca2+). To investigate how the t-tubule microanatomy and the distribution of membrane Ca2+ flux affect cardiac excitation-contraction coupling we developed a 3-D continuum model of Ca2+ signaling, buffering and diffusion in rat ventricular myocytes. The transverse-axial t-tubule geometry was derived from light microscopy structural data. To solve the nonlinear reaction-diffusion system we extended SMOL software tool (http://mccammon.ucsd.edu/smol/). The analysis suggests that the quantitative understanding of the Ca2+ signaling requires more accurate knowledge of the t-tubule ultra-structure and Ca2+ flux distribution along the sarcolemma. The results reveal the important role for mobile and stationary Ca2+ buffers, including the Ca2+ indicator dye. In agreement with experiment, in the presence of fluorescence dye and inhibited sarcoplasmic reticulum, the lack of detectible differences in the depolarization-evoked Ca2+ transients was found when the Ca2+ flux was heterogeneously distributed along the sarcolemma. In the absence of fluorescence dye, strongly non-uniform Ca2+ signals are predicted. Even at modest elevation of Ca2+, reached during Ca2+ influx, large and steep Ca2+ gradients are found in the narrow sub-sarcolemmal space. The model predicts that the branched t-tubule structure and changes in the normal Ca2+ flux density along the cell membrane support initiation and propagation of Ca2+ waves in rat myocytes. In cardiac muscle cells, calcium (Ca2+) is best known for its role in contraction activation. A remarkable amount of quantitative data on cardiac cell structure, ion-transporting protein distributions and intracellular Ca2+ dynamics has been accumulated. Various alterations in the protein distributions or cell ultra-structure are now recognized to be the primary mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction in a diverse range of common pathologies including cardiac arrhythmias and hypertrophy. Using a 3-D computational model, incorporating more realistic transverse-axial t-tubule geometry and considering geometric irregularities and inhomogeneities in the distribution of ion-transporting proteins, we analyze several important spatial and temporal features of Ca2+ signaling in rat ventricular myocytes. This study demonstrates that the computational models could serve as powerful tools for prediction and analyses of how the Ca2+ dynamics and cardiac excitation-contraction coupling are regulated under normal conditions or certain pathologies. The use of computational and mathematical approaches will help also to better understand aspects of cell functions that are not currently amenable to experimental investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Cheng
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Zeyun Yu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Masahiko Hoshijima
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Holst
- Department of Mathematics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Andrew D. McCulloch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - J. Andrew McCammon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Anushka P. Michailova
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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19
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Chase A, Orchard CH. Ca efflux via the sarcolemmal Ca ATPase occurs only in the t-tubules of rat ventricular myocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2010; 50:187-93. [PMID: 20971118 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2010.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2010] [Revised: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The transverse (t-) tubule network is an important site for Ca influx and release during excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac ventricular myocytes; however, its role in Ca extrusion is less clear. The present study was designed to investigate the relative contributions of Ca extrusion pathways across the t-tubule and surface membranes. Ventricular myocytes were isolated from the hearts of adult male Wistar rats and detubulated using formamide. Intracellular Ca was monitored using fluo-3 and confocal microscopy. Caffeine (20 mmol/L) was used to induce SR Ca release; carboxyeosin (20 μmol/L) and nickel (10 mmol/L) were used to inhibit the sarcolemmal Ca ATPase and Na/Ca exchanger (NCX) respectively. Carboxyeosin decreased the rate constant of decay of the caffeine-induced Ca transient in control cells, but had no effect in detubulated cells, suggesting that Ca extrusion via the Ca ATPase occurs only across the t-tubule membrane. However nickel decreased the rate constant of the caffeine-induced Ca transient in control and detubulated cells, although its effect was greater in control cells, suggesting that Ca extrusion via NCX occurs across the surface and t-tubule membranes. The PKA inhibitor H-89 (10 μmol/L) was used to investigate the role of basal PKA activity in Ca extrusion; H-89 appeared to have no effect on Ca extrusion via the Ca ATPase, but reduced Ca extrusion via NCX at the t-tubules but not the surface membrane. Thus it appears that Ca extrusion via the sarcolemmal Ca ATPase occurs only at the t-tubules, and is not regulated by basal PKA activity, while Ca extrusion via NCX occurs across both the surface and t-tubule membranes, but predominantly across the t-tubule membrane due, in part, to localised stimulation of NCX by PKA at the t-tubules. This may be important in heart disease, in which changes in t-tubule structure and protein phosphorylation occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabelle Chase
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
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20
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Dong M, Niklewski PJ, Wang HS. Ionic mechanisms of cellular electrical and mechanical abnormalities in Brugada syndrome. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2010; 300:H279-87. [PMID: 20935153 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00079.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a right ventricular (RV) arrhythmia that is responsible for up to 12% of sudden cardiac deaths. The aims of our study were to determine the cellular mechanisms of the electrical abnormality in BrS and the potential basis of the RV contractile abnormality observed in the syndrome. Tetrodotoxin was used to reduce cardiac Na(+) current (I(Na)) to mimic a BrS-like setting in canine ventricular myocytes. Moderate reduction (<50%) of I(Na) with tetrodotoxin resulted in all-or-none repolarization in a fraction of RV epicardial myocytes. Dynamic clamp and modeling show that reduction of I(Na) shifts the action potential (AP) duration-transient outward current (I(to)) density curve to the left and has a biphasic effect on AP duration. In the presence of a large I(to), I(Na) reduction either prolongs or collapses the AP, depending on the exact density of I(to). These repolarization changes reduce Ca(2+) influx and sarcoplasmic reticulum load, resulting in marked attenuation of myocyte contraction and Ca(2+) transient in RV epicardial myocytes. We conclude that I(Na) reduction alters repolarization by reducing the threshold for I(to)-induced all-or-none repolarization. These cellular electrical changes suppress myocyte excitation-contraction coupling and contraction and may be a contributing factor to the contractile abnormality of the RV wall in BrS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Dong
- Department of Pharmacology and Cell Biophysics, 2Neuroscience Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0575, USA
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21
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Giladi M, Boyman L, Mikhasenko H, Hiller R, Khananshvili D. Essential role of the CBD1-CBD2 linker in slow dissociation of Ca2+ from the regulatory two-domain tandem of NCX1. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:28117-25. [PMID: 20587421 PMCID: PMC2934676 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.127001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2010] [Revised: 06/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In NCX proteins CBD1 and CBD2 domains are connected through a short linker (3 or 4 amino acids) forming a regulatory tandem (CBD12). Only three of the six CBD12 Ca(2+)-binding sites contribute to NCX regulation. Two of them are located on CBD1 (K(d) = approximately 0.2 microM), and one is on CBD2 (K(d) = approximately 5 microM). Here we analyze how the intrinsic properties of individual regulatory sites are affected by linker-dependent interactions in CBD12 (AD splice variant). The three sites of CBD12 and CBD1 + CBD2 have comparable K(d) values but differ dramatically in their Ca(2+) dissociation kinetics. CBD12 exhibits multiphasic kinetics for the dissociation of three Ca(2+) ions (k(r) = 280 s(-1), k(f) = 7 s(-1), and k(s) = 0.4 s(-1)), whereas the dissociation of two Ca(2+) ions from CBD1 (k(f) = 16 s(-1)) and one Ca(2+) ion from CBD2 (k(r) = 125 s(-1)) is monophasic. Insertion of seven alanines into the linker (CBD12-7Ala) abolishes slow dissociation of Ca(2+), whereas the kinetic and equilibrium properties of three Ca(2+) sites of CBD12-7Ala and CBD1 + CBD2 are similar. Therefore, the linker-dependent interactions in CBD12 decelerate the Ca(2+) on/off kinetics at a specific CBD1 site by 50-80-fold, thereby representing Ca(2+) "occlusion" at CBD12. Notably, the kinetic and equilibrium properties of the remaining two sites of CBD12 are "linker-independent," so their intrinsic properties are preserved in CBD12. In conclusion, the dynamic properties of three sites are specifically modified, conserved, diversified, and integrated by the linker in CBD12, thereby generating a wide range dynamic sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Giladi
- From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Liron Boyman
- From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Helen Mikhasenko
- From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Reuben Hiller
- From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Daniel Khananshvili
- From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel
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Szebenyi SA, Laskowski AI, Medler KF. Sodium/calcium exchangers selectively regulate calcium signaling in mouse taste receptor cells. J Neurophysiol 2010; 104:529-38. [PMID: 20463203 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00118.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste cells use multiple signaling mechanisms to generate appropriate cellular responses to discrete taste stimuli. Some taste stimuli activate G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that cause calcium release from intracellular stores while other stimuli depolarize taste cells to cause calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). While the signaling mechanisms that initiate calcium signals have been described in taste cells, the calcium clearance mechanisms (CCMs) that contribute to the termination of these signals have not been identified. In this study, we used calcium imaging to define the role of sodium-calcium exchangers (NCXs) in the termination of evoked calcium responses. We found that NCXs regulate the calcium signals that rely on calcium influx at the plasma membrane but do not significantly contribute to the calcium signals that depend on calcium release from internal stores. Our data indicate that this selective regulation of calcium signals by NCXs is due primarily to their location in the cell rather than to the differences in cytosolic calcium loads. This is the first report to define the physiological role for any of the CCMs utilized by taste cells to regulate their evoked calcium responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Szebenyi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA
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23
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Jayasinghe I, Cannell MB, Soeller C. Organization of ryanodine receptors, transverse tubules, and sodium-calcium exchanger in rat myocytes. Biophys J 2009; 97:2664-73. [PMID: 19917219 PMCID: PMC2776253 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2009.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2009] [Revised: 08/12/2009] [Accepted: 08/13/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Confocal and total internal reflection fluorescence imaging was used to examine the distribution of caveolin-3, sodium-calcium exchange (NCX) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in rat ventricular myocytes. Transverse and longitudinal optical sectioning shows that NCX is distributed widely along the transverse and longitudinal tubular system (t-system). The NCX labeling consisted of both punctate and distributed components, which partially colocalize with RyRs (27%). Surface membrane labeling showed a similar pattern but the fraction of RyR clusters containing NCX label was decreased and no nonpunctate labeling was observed. Sixteen percent of RyRs were not colocalized with the t-system and 1.6% of RyRs were found on longitudinal elements of the t-system. The surface distribution of RyR labeling was not generally consistent with circular patches of RyRs. This suggests that previous estimates for the number of RyRs in a junction (based on circular close-packed arrays) need to be revised. The observed distribution of caveolin-3 labeling was consistent with its exclusion from RyR clusters. Distance maps for all colocalization pairs were calculated to give the distance between centroids of punctate labeling and edges for distributed components. The possible roles for punctate NCX labeling are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzy Jayasinghe
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mark B. Cannell
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christian Soeller
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Boyman L, Mikhasenko H, Hiller R, Khananshvili D. Kinetic and Equilibrium Properties of Regulatory Calcium Sensors of NCX1 Protein. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:6185-93. [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m809012200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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25
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Farkas AS, Makra P, Csík N, Orosz S, Shattock MJ, Fülöp F, Forster T, Csanády M, Papp JG, Varró A, Farkas A. The role of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, I(Na) and I(CaL) in the genesis of dofetilide-induced torsades de pointes in isolated, AV-blocked rabbit hearts. Br J Pharmacol 2009; 156:920-32. [PMID: 19222480 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2008.00096.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) may contribute to triggered activity and transmural dispersion of repolarization, which are substrates of torsades de pointes (TdP) type arrhythmias. This study examined the effects of selective inhibition of the NCX by SEA0400 on the occurrence of dofetilide-induced TdP. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Effects of SEA0400 (1 micromol x L(-1)) on dofetilide-induced TdP was studied in isolated, Langendorff-perfused, atrioventricular (AV)-blocked rabbit hearts. To verify the relevance of the model, lidocaine (30 micromol x L(-1)) and verapamil (750 nmol x L(-1)) were also tested against dofetilide-induced TdP. KEY RESULTS Acute AV block caused a chaotic idioventricular rhythm and strikingly increased beat-to-beat variability of the RR and QT intervals. SEA0400 exaggerated the dofetilide-induced increase in the heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) and did not reduce the incidence of dofetilide-induced TdP [100% in the SEA0400 + dofetilide group vs. 75% in the dofetilide (100 nmol x L(-1)) control]. In the second set of experiments, verapamil further increased the dofetilide-induced QTc prolongation and neither verapamil nor lidocaine reduced the dofetilide-induced increase in the beat-to-beat variability of the QT interval. However, lidocaine decreased and verapamil prevented the development of dofetilide-induced TdP as compared with the dofetilide control (TdP incidence: 13%, 0% and 88% respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Na+/Ca2+ exchanger does not contribute to dofetilide-induced TdP, whereas Na+ and Ca2+ channel activity is involved in TdP genesis in isolated, AV-blocked rabbit hearts. Neither QTc prolongation nor an increase in the beat-to-beat variability of the QT interval is a sufficient prerequisite of TdP genesis in rabbit hearts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila S Farkas
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
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Noble D. Computational models of the heart and their use in assessing the actions of drugs. J Pharmacol Sci 2008; 107:107-17. [PMID: 18566519 DOI: 10.1254/jphs.cr0070042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of cardiac cells are sufficiently well developed to answer questions concerning the actions of drugs on repolarization and the initiation of arrhythmias. These models can be used to characterize drug-receptor action profiles that would be expected to avoid arrhythmia and so help to identify drugs that may be safer. Several examples of such action profiles are presented here, including a recently-developed blocker of persistent sodium current, ranolazine. The models have also been incorporated into tissue and organ models that enable arrhythmia to be modelled also at these levels. Work at these levels can reproduce both re-entrant arrhythmia and fibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Noble
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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