IMP production by ATP-depleted adult rat heart cells. Effects of glycolysis and alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation

Inhibition of AMP deaminase as therapeutic target in cardiovascular pathology

AMP deaminase (AMPD; EC 3.5.4.6) catalyzes hydrolysis of the amino group from the adenine ring of AMP resulting in production of inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) and ammonia. This reaction helps to maintain healthy cellular energetics by removing excess AMP that accumulates in energy depleted cells. Furthermore, AMPD permits the synthesis of guanine nucleotides from the larger adenylate pool. This enzyme competes with cytosolic 5'-nucleotidases (c5NT) for AMP. Adenosine, a product of c5NT is a vasodilator, antagonizes inotropic effects of catecholamines and exerts anti-platelet, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. The ratio of AMPD/c5NT defines the amount of adenosine produced in adenine nucleotide catabolic pathway. Inhibition of AMPD could alter this ratio resulting in increased adenosine production. Besides the potential effect on adenosine production, elevation of AMP due to inhibition of AMPD could also lead to activation of AMP regulated protein kinase (AMPK) with myriad of downstream events including enhanced energetic metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis and cytoprotection. While the benefits of these processes are well appreciated in cells such as skeletal or cardiac myocytes its role in protection of endothelium could be even more important. Therapeutic use of AMPD inhibition has been limited due to difficulties with obtaining compounds with adequate characteristics. However, endothelium seems to be the easiest target as effective inhibition of AMPD could be achieved at much lower concentration than in the other types of cells. New generation of AMPD inhibitors has recently been established and its testing in context of endothelial and organ protection could provide important basic knowledge and potential therapeutic tools.

Isolation and regulation of piglet cardiac AMP deaminase

The properties of piglet cardiac AMP deaminase were determined and its regulation by pH, phosphate, nucleotides and phosphorylation is described. AMP deaminase purified from the ventricles of newborn piglet hearts displayed hyperbolic kinetics with a Km of 2 mM for 5'-AMP. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 7.0 and was strongly inhibited by inorganic phosphate. ATP decreased the Km of the native enzyme 3-fold, but did not significantly block the inhibitory effects of phosphate. Kinetic parameters were not significantly altered in the presence of adenosine, cyclic AMP and NAD+, whereas, the Km was decreased by 50% in the presence of NADH. Piglet cardiac AMP deaminase was phosphorylated by protein kinase C, resulting in a 2-fold increase in Vmax with no change in Km. However, incubation with cAMP-dependent protein kinase did not affect enzyme kinetics. The 80-85 kD protein subunit of piglet cardiac AMP deaminase immunoreacted with antisera raised against human erythrocyte AMP deaminase, rabbit heart AMP deaminase and human recombinant AMP deaminase 3 (isoform E). These results are discussed in relation to in situ AMP deaminase activity in neonatal piglet heart myocytes.

Atenolol depresses post-ischaemic recovery in the isolated rat heart

Metabolic events during ischaemia are probably important in determining post-ischaemic myocardial recovery. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the beta-blocker atenolol and the high energy demand in an ischaemia-reperfusion model free of neurohormonal and vascular factors. We exposed Langendorff-perfused isolated rat hearts to low-flow ischaemia (30 min) and reflow (20 min). Three groups of hearts were used: control hearts (n =11), hearts that were perfused with 2.5 micrograms l-1atenolol (n =9), and hearts electrically paced during ischaemia to distinguish the effect of heart rate from that of the drug (n =9). The hearts were freeze-clamped at the end of reflow to determine high-energy phosphates and their metabolites. During ischaemia, the pressure-rate product was 2.3+/-0.2, 5.2+/-1.1, and 3.3+/-0.3 mmHg 10(3)min in the control, atenolol and paced hearts, respectively. In addition, the ATP turnover rate, calculated from venous (lactate), oxygen uptake and flow, was higher in atenolol (11.2+/-1.7 micromol min-1) and paced (8.1+/-0.8 micromol min-1) hearts than in control (6.2+/-0.8 micromol min-1). At the end of reflow, the pressurexrate product recovered 75.1+/-6.4% of baseline in control vs 54.1+/-9.1 and 48.8+/-4.4% in atenolol and paced hearts (P<0.05). In addition, the tissue content of ATP was higher in the control hearts (15.8+/-1. 0 micromol g(dw)(-1)) than in atenolol (10.5+/-2.6 micromol g(dw)(-1)) and paced (10.9+/-1.3 micromol g(dw)(-1)) hearts. Thus, by suppressing the protective effects of down-regulation, both atenolol and pacing apparently depress myocardial recovery in this model.

AMP deaminase in piglet cardiac myocytes: effect on nucleotide metabolism during ischemia

The purpose of this study was to examine in situ regulation of AMP deaminase in newborn piglet cardiac myocytes and to determine its role in nucleotide metabolism during ischemia. When a rapid deenergization paradigm was used to assay AMP deaminase, enzyme activity depended on the hormonal and metabolic status of cells just before deenergization. Inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) formation was increased 150% in deenergized myocytes pretreated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; EC50 = 4.7 x 10(-8) M). This effect was 90% blocked with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor staurosporine. In addition, the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol stimulated AMP deaminase activity (EC50 = 1.5 x 10(-8) M), and IMP formation was directly correlated to intracellular cAMP levels (r2 = 0.9). Furthermore, adenosine increased IMP formation, whereas nonrespiring, glycolyzing piglet myocytes had reduced AMP deaminase activity. Pretreatment of perfused piglet hearts with adenosine, but not PMA, before exposure to global ischemia resulted in enhanced conversion of AMP to IMP during the ischemic period. Similar results were obtained in piglet myocytes preincubated with adenosine or PMA before exposure to simulated ischemia. These results may be relevant to the preconditioning phenomenon.

Biochemical consequences of electrical pacing in ischemic-reperfused isolated rat hearts

It is still unclear if performance recovery in postischemic hearts is related to their tissue level of high-energy phosphates before reflow. To test the existence of this link, we monitored performance, metabolism and histological damage in isolated, crystalloid-perfused rat hearts during 20 min of low-flow ischemia (90% coronary flow reduction) and reflow. To prevent interference from different ischemia times and perfusing media compositions, the ischemic ATP level was varied by changing energy demand (electrical pacing at 330 min(-1)). Under full coronary flow conditions, work output, as well as ATP and phosphocreatine contents were the same in control, spontaneously contracting (n = 23) and paced (n = 21) hearts. During low-flow ischemia, the higher work output (p < 0.0001) in paced hearts decreased their tissue content of ATP, phosphocreatine and total adenylates and purines (p < 0.05), as opposed to maintained values in control hearts. During reflow, the recovery of mechanical performance and O2 uptake was 94 +/- 5% and 110 +/- 9% (p = NS vs. baseline) in controls, vs. 71 +/- 5% and 74 +/- 6% in paced hearts (p < 0.004 vs. baseline). The levels of ATP and total adenylates and purines remained constant in control, but were markedly depressed (p < 0.05 vs. baseline) in paced hearts. Phosphocreatine+creatine was the same in both groups. These data, together with the observed lack of creatine kinase leakage and of structural damage, indicate that myocardial recovery during reflow reflects the tissue level of ATP, phosphocreatine and total adenylates and purines during ischemia, regardless of physical cell damage.

Metabolic compartmentalization in neonatal swine myocytes

The transport of metabolites across the mitochondrial membrane is regulated by specific exchange and shuttle systems that are often dependent on the mitochondrial membrane potential. Thus, metabolite concentrations in the cytosol and mitochondrial compartments are largely determined by the energy state of the cardiac muscle cell. The purpose of this study was to investigate metabolic compartmentalization in ventricular myocytes isolated from newborn (< 24 h) swine hearts. Furthermore, the effect of respiratory inhibition on these distribution patterns was examined. Freshly isolated cells contained 33 nmol of ATP and 37 nmol of total adenine nucleotides (AN) per mg of myocyte protein. Rapid digitonin fractionation indicated that 95% of ATP and 86% of AN were cytosolic, whereas > 50% of the pyridine nucleotides were mitochondrial. With 11 mM added glucose, myocytes treated with the respiratory inhibitor, rotenone, maintained ATP at 88% of that of aerobic myocytes, but phosphocreatine declined by 50% over 30 min. Rotenone treatment caused the mitochondrial NAD/NADH ratio to decline from 1.2 to 0.06, whereas the cytosolic pyridine nucleotides remained > 90% oxidized. Total adenine and pyridine nucleotide content and their compartmentalization were unaffected by respiratory inhibition. Comparisons of metabolite content and respiratory activity between isolated piglet mitochondria and the mitochondrial compartment of piglet myocytes indicated that mitochondria account for approximately 30% of total myocyte protein. A similar value (29%) was obtained for the aqueous volume fraction of the in situ mitochondrial matrix using the 4000 Mr 14C-labeled polyethylene glycol-impermeable 3H2O spaces of intact and lysed myocytes. These results are comparable to literature values for myocardium from other species and age groups.

Cultured AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS-KS) cells demonstrate impaired bioenergetic adaptation to oxidant challenge: implication for oxidant stress in AIDS-KS pathogenesis

Despite its recognition as the most prevalent HIV associated cancer, speculation still abounds regarding the pathogenesis of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS-KS). However, it has been established that both cytokines, e.g. IL-6, and HIV-associated products, e.g., Tat, are integral in AIDS-KS cellular proliferation. Further, both experimental and clinical evidence is accumulating to link reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) with both cytokine induction (primarily via nuclear factor-kappa B[NF-kappa B] dependent routes) as well as the subsequent cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) stimulation of HIV replication. Features of AIDS-KS patients, such as retention of phagocytes, presence of sustained immunostimulation, and a frequent history of KS lesions arising at traumatized sites, make oxidant stress a viable clinical factor in AIDS-KS development. Time course nucleotide profile analyses show that AIDS-KS cells have an inherent, statistically significant, biochemical deficit, even prior to oxidant stress, due to 1) a more glycolytic bioenergetic profile, resulting in lower levels of high energy phosphates (impairing capacity for glutathione [GSH] synthesis and DNA repair); 2) lower levels of NADPH (compromising the activities of GSSG reductase and peroxidase function of catalase); and 3) reduced levels of GSH (impeding both GSH peroxidase and GSH-S-transferases). Following exposure to physiologically relevant levels of H2O2, only the human microvascular endothelial cells (a putative AIDS-KS progenitor cell) responded with bioenergetic adaptations that reflected co-ordination of energy generating and cytoprotective pathways, e.g., retention of the cellular energy charge, increased NAD+, and an accentuation of the ATP, NADPH, and total adenine nucleotide differences relative to AIDS-KS cells. Also, some of the AIDS-KS strains retained intracellular GSSG subsequent to oxidant challenge, inviting the formation of deleterious protein mixed disulfides. While the results of our study address some AIDS-KS issues, they also raise an etiological question, i.e., Does the inability to tolerate oxidant stress arise in conjunction with AIDS-KS neoplastic development, or is it pre-existing in the population at risk? Regardless, use of antioxidant therapy (low risk/ potentially high benefit) in both the "at risk" population as well as in those individuals with active disease may prove a useful preventative and/or treatment modality.

Cultured AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma cells retain a proliferative bioenergetic profile but demonstrate reduced cytoprotective capabilities

Features of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS-KS), such as the multifocal presentation at mucosal and epidermal sites subjected to trauma, suggest that AIDS-KS is initially a reactive hyperplasia that subsequently progresses to a neoplasia. It is recognized that there is an association between sustained inflammatory states and the subsequent development of neoplasia (e.g., ulcerative colitis/colonic adenocarcinoma). Furthermore, patients who develop AIDS-KS experience both a constant immune stimulation due to sustained high levels of virus-induced cytokines and, because of a sparing effect on their phagocytic cells, retention of the phagocytic inflammatory response. A component of phagocytic activation is the initiation of the oxidative burst, resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be mutagenic to host cells if released beyond the phagolysosome and not inactivated. Our results demonstrate that cultured AIDS-KS cells possess decreased cytoprotective capabilities. Relative to either dermal fibroblasts, or human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs), AIDS-KS cells contained significantly lower levels of glutathione, a tripeptide integral in both cytoprotection and maintenance of cellular thiol status. While HMECs increased catalase activity during culture in the cytokine-rich KS milieu (control medium supplemented with conditioned medium from MOT, an HTLV II-infected cell line), AIDS-KS cells demonstrated reduced catalase function under these conditions. Furthermore, HMEC cultures showed an inherent biochemical responsiveness, by increasing catalase activity following exposure to exogenous H2O2. In contrast, the catalase activity of AIDS-KS cells decreased following H2O2 challenge. Our results show that an inherent deficiency in cellular cytoprotection is present in AIDS-KS cells and suggest that oxidant stress may function in the development and progression of AIDS-KS.

Adenosine-sensitive alpha 1-adrenoceptor effects on reperfused ischaemic hearts: comparison with phorbol ester

1. We have examined the effects of the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists, phenylephrine or methoxamine, on contractility in rat and rabbit isolated hearts as well as their effects on postischaemic ventricular recovery. We compared these effects to those of 12-phorbol 13-myristate acetate (PMA), a direct activator of protein kinase C (PKC). 2. The positive inotropic effect of alpha 1-receptor agonists was significantly attenuated in the presence of the Na/H exchange inhibitor, methylisobutyl amiloride (MIA, 1 microM), whereas the positive inotropic effect of PMA was unaffected. 3. Reperfusion of rat hearts subjected to either 30 or 60 min of zero-flow ischaemia, resulted in recovery of contractility to 91 +/- 2% and 57 +/- 7% of the preischaemic values, respectively which was unaffected by phenylephrine. In contrast, PMA at a concentration (10 pM) devoid of direct depressant effects, significantly decreased recovery following 60 min of ischaemia to 31 +/- 4% of pre-ischaemic value (P < 0.05 from control); an effect which was completely prevented by the PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide. A similar inhibitory effect of PMA and lack of effect of phenylephrine were seen in reperfused rabbit hearts. 4. As alpha 1-receptor activation has been shown previously to stimulate cardiac adenosine production, we assessed whether blockade of adenosine A1 receptors with the specific antagonist, 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX, 0.5 microM) would unmask the actions of phenylephrine in hearts subjected to 30 min ischaemia and reperfusion. In the presence of DPCPX, phenylephrine reduced recovery to 44 +/- 9% compared to 82 +/- 10% recovery in the absence of phenylephrine (P < 0.05). Identical results were observed in rabbit hearts treated with DPCPX in which recovery was reduced from 57.1 +/- 11.2% to 17.8 +/- 6.8% by phenylephrine (P < 0.05). Another A1 receptor antagonist, (+/-)-N6-endonorbornan-2-yl-9-methyladenine (N-0861, 0.5 microM) produced virtually identical results to those observed with DPCPX. 5. MIA failed to modulate the inhibition of postischaemic recovery by phenylephrine. Bisindolylmaleimide, on the other hand, partially prevented the effects of phenylephrine on postischaemic contractile dysfunction. The inhibitory effect of either PMA or phenylephrine on postischaemic recovery of both rat and rabbit hearts was generally dissociated from alterations in energy metabolism, although in the case of rat hearts, inhibition by phenylephrine was associated with diminished high energy phosphate content. 6. Our results demonstrate that both alpha 1-receptor activation as well as direct activation of PKC with phorbol ester can attenuate post-ischaemic ventricular recovery. Moreover, our results strongly suggest that endogenous adenosine protects the heart against the deleterious effects of alpha 1-receptor activation during ischaemia and reperfusion.

Acidosis during ischemia promotes adenosine triphosphate resynthesis in postischemic rat heart. In vivo regulation of 5'-nucleotidase

Capacity for ATP resynthesis during recovery from ischemia or hypoxia is limited to the size of the adenine nucleotide pool, which is determined in part by the activity of cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT): AMP-->adenosine plus inorganic phosphate (Pi). To define in vivo regulation of 5'-NT, we used the tools of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), spectroscopy and chemical assay to measure the substrates (AMP), products (Pi, adenosine, and its catabolites), and inhibitors (Pi and H+) of 5'-NT in isolated perfused rat hearts exposed to hypoxia (where pH remains near 7) and no flow, global ischemia (where pH falls to 6.1). We estimated 5'-NT reaction velocity, assessed the relative contributions of Pi and H+ to enzyme inhibition, and defined the consequences of changes in 5'-NT activity on ATP resynthesis after hypoxia and ischemia. We conclude that (a) 5'-NT is activated during hypoxia and early ischemia but is inhibited during prolonged ischemia, (b) H+ (pH < 6.2) is a potent inhibitor of 5'-NT, and (c) differences in AMP accumulation are sufficient to explain the differences in the capacity for net ATP resynthesis in ischemic and hypoxic tissue. These observations have implications for our understanding of heterogeneity of ischemic injury and myocardial protection during ischemia.

Modulation of human microvascular endothelial cell bioenergetic status and glutathione levels during proliferative and differentiated growth

During angiogenesis, formerly differentiated human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) return to a proliferative growth state. Many fundamental questions regarding HMEC function, such as how HMECs adapt to changes in bioenergetic requirements upon return to proliferative growth, remained unanswered. In this study, we evaluated whether modifications in HMEC bioenergetic profiles and glutathione (GSH) levels accompanied the cellular transition between differentiated and proliferative growth. To provide insight into the continuum of cellular adaptations that occur during this transition, we used a method recently developed in our laboratory that induces a state of morphological and functional predifferentiation in HMECs. Cellular morphology, in conjunction with flow cytometric DNA analyses and HMEC functional assays (the directed migration and intercellular association involved in microtubule formation) were employed to validate the HMEC culture state of growth. Analysis of the HPLC nucleotide profiles disclosed several findings common to all culture growth states. These uniform findings, e.g., cellular energy charges > 0.90, and highly reduced redox states, revealed that cultured HMECs maintain high rates of oxidative metabolism. However, there were also significant, culture growth state related differences in the nucleotide profiles. Proliferative HMECs were shown to possess significantly higher (relative to both large vessel endothelial cells, and differentiated HMECs) levels of GSH and specific nucleotides which were related with a return to the active cell cycle-ATP, GTP, UTP, and CTP, and NADPH. Further, the nucleotide profiles and GSH levels of the predifferentiated HMECs were determined to be intermediate between levels obtained for the proliferative and differentiated HMECs. The results of this study demonstrate that the capacity to modulate their cellular bioenergetic status during growth state transitions is one of the adaptations that enable HMECs to retain a growth state reciprocity. In addition, our findings also show that HMECs, especially during the proliferative growth state, are biochemically distinct from endothelial cells harvested from large vessels, and therefore suggest that HMECs are the cells of choice to employ when studying diseases that affect the human microvasculature.

NADH fluorescence of isolated ventricular myocytes: effects of pacing, myoglobin, and oxygen supply

Endogenous fluorescence was used to measure the extent of reduction of mitochondrial NAD in individual, isolated rat cardiac myocytes. NAD reduction was determined from emitted fluorescence at 415 and 470 nm during brief epi-illumination at 365 nm. NAD reduction of resting myocytes, superfused with medium equilibrated with 95% O2/5% CO2, was 27 +/- 3% (SE) (n = 78), comparable to that in beating whole heart. Increasing intracellular Ca2+ did not significantly change NAD reduction. NAD reduction decreased reversibly to 11 +/- 1% (n = 78) in contracting myocytes electrically paced at 5 Hz for 10 min. Oxygen uptake was stimulated fivefold. There was minimal change in sarcoplasmic pH measured by fluorescence of carboxy-seminaphthorhodafluor-1. However, NAD reduction increased reversibly in response to electrically paced contractions when: (a) myoglobin was inactivated with sodium nitrite (37 +/- 7%; n = 48); or (b) cells were more densely layered and gassed with 20% O2/5% CO2 (48 +/- 3%; n = 30). We conclude that (a) the ratio NADH/NAD is decreased in well-oxygenated cells with increased work; (b) steady-state NAD reduction is increased with increased work when oxygen delivery is limited; and (c) functional myoglobin ensures an oxygen supply to the mitochondria of working cells.

Modulation of mammalian cardiac AMP deaminase by protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation

Using AMP deaminase (AMP aminohydrolase; EC 3.5.4.6) purified from rabbit left-ventricular heart tissue, we report direct investigation of the potential for cardiac AMP deaminase activity to be regulated by kinase-mediated phosphorylation. Rabbit heart AMP deaminase served as a substrate for Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C; PKC) exclusively; no other mammalian protein kinase phosphorylated the enzyme. PKC-dependent AMP deaminase phosphorylation was rapid, linear with respect to time and the concentrations of PKC and AMP deaminase in the reaction, and inhibitable by staurosporine. Upon phosphorylation, the apparent Km of cardiac AMP deaminase decreased from 5.6 mM to 1.2 mM, without effect on the Vmax. Whether phosphorylated or not, rabbit heart AMP deaminase was inhibited by 1.0 mM GTP, which decreased the Vmax. by approximately 50% in each case. PKC-dependent phosphorylation of cardiac AMP deaminase did not alter the enzyme's allosterism toward millimolar ATP or ADP: both nucleotides at 1.0 mM concentration decreased the apparent Km to approximately 0.5 mM. Treatment of cardiac phospho-AMP deaminase with either the protein phosphatase calcineurin or alkaline phosphatase generated a dephosphorylated form which displayed molecular and kinetic properties identical with those of the originally isolated enzyme. These data raise the possibility that a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism may regulate flux through AMP deaminase in the heart under pathological conditions, such as myocardial ischaemia, characterized by PKC activation and adenylate depletion.

Phorbol esters and cyclic AMP activate AMP deaminase in adult rat cardiac myocytes

Using rapid deenergization as a probe for adenylate deaminase activity in intact adult rat cardiac myocytes, we have previously established that IMP formation is enhanced by alpha-adrenergic agonists. In the present study, the effect of adrenergic agents on adenylate deaminase was further characterized. Phenylephrine (PE)3 increased IMP production in a dose-dependent fashion with an EC50 of 8 x 10(-7) M. The response to PE was reversed within 10 min by the alpha 1-antagonist, prazosin. Likewise, adenylate deaminase was also activated in ventricular myocytes challenged with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, EC50 = 5 nM); cardiac cells presented with 100 nM PMA increased IMP production from 4.4 +/- 0.5 (control) to 15.7 +/- 0.9 nmol/mg protein when subsequently deenergized. The effects of PMA and PE were attenuated 85 +/- 5% and 96 +/- 4%, respectively, by pretreatment of cells with 150 nM staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C. Furthermore, incubation of cardiac cells with 1 microM PMA for 24 h blunted the response to both PMA and phenylephrine 85-90%. Elevating cyclic AMP (cAMP) content to greater than 15 pmol/mg by treatment with forskolin or isoproterenol plus isobutylmethylxanthine also resulted in enhanced adenylate deaminase activity, but this stimulatory effect was not abolished by 24 h incubation with 5 microM PMA. Forskolin and PMA-induced increases in IMP production appeared to be additive. However, 0.5 microM isoproterenol inhibited the cellular response to phenylephrine by about 30% but did not affect PMA-stimulated adenylate deaminase activity. We conclude that both cAMP and protein kinase C stimulate adenylate deaminase, perhaps through selective activation of different isoforms. However, cAMP also exerts partial inhibition on alpha-adrenoreceptor-mediated increases in IMP production.

Adenine nucleotide degradation in cultured chick heart muscle cells

Cultured chick heart muscle cells degrade ATP during metabolic inhibition via ADP to AMP. Whether AMP is primarily deaminated to IMP or dephosphorylated to adenosine depends on the 'metabolic block' (glycolysis vs. oxidative phosphorylation). Inhibition of glycolysis (deoxyglucose) results in an inosine/adenosine ratio greater than 1 in the supernatant, whereas the nucleoside ratio is less than or equal to 1 during inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation (hypoxia, rotenone). EHNA, a blocker of adenosine deaminase, has little effect on inosine release during metabolic inhibition, consistent with the reported low activity of adenosine deaminase in cardiac muscle cells. The amount of adenosine and inosine released can be largely attenuated by two nucleoside carrier inhibitors, nitrobenzyl-thioinosine and dipyridamole, which suggests that nucleosides are produced intracellularly and subsequently released. These results indicate that the amount of inosine or adenosine released from the cardiomyocyte during impaired energy metabolism (e.g. ischemia) can be controlled by the metabolic state of the cell.

Hyperthyroid adult rat cardiomyocytes. I. Nucleotide content, beta- and alpha-adrenoreceptors, and cAMP production

Ventricular myocytes isolated from the hypertrophied hearts of thyrotoxic adult rats have an increase in mean protein content per myocyte (6.3 +/- 0.2 vs. 4.4 +/- 0.2 ng) compared with euthyroid cells. Viability and adenine nucleotide profiles are similar in both populations, but NAD content of the hyperthyroid myocytes is depressed (4.9 +/- 0.2 vs. 5.5 +/- 0.2 nmol/mg for controls) and UTP is higher (1.2 +/- 0.09 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.04 nmol/mg). Binding of (-)-[125I]iodocyanopindolol to intact hyperthyroid myocytes is increased by 42% compared with controls, with no change in the dissociation constant (Kd). This elevation in beta-receptor number is correlated to enhanced beta-agonist-induced adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) for the euthyroid isoproterenol dose-response curve is 2.14 x 10(-7) M but is decreased to 2.51 x 10(-8) M in hyperthyroid cardiac cells. Basal adenylate cyclase activity is apparently not affected by thyroid hormones, since basal cAMP levels for both groups are identical (5 pmol/mg) and both rise roughly twofold in the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. Forskolin-induced cAMP production and cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity are similar as well. In contrast to beta-adrenergic response, there are no significant differences in alpha 1-antagonist [3H]prazosin binding parameters between hyperthyroid and euthyroid cardiomyocytes.