Effects of alfentanil on isolated cardiac tissues of the rabbit

Evidence for MOR on cell membrane, sarcoplasmatic reticulum and mitochondria in left ventricular myocardium in rats

Cardiac function is one important determinant to maintain tissue oxygenation and is thus highly regulated. In this context, it is interesting that centrally mediated opioidergic influence on cardiac function has long been known. Only recently, KOR and DOR have been found to be expressed in healthy left ventricular myocardium in rats and colocalized with parts of the excitation-contraction-coupling system. However, several comments in literature exist doubting the existence of MOR in cardiac tissue. We, therefore, aimed to detect MOR in rat left ventricular cardiomyocytes, and to evaluate whether MOR and POMC are regulated during heart failure. After IRB approval, heart failure was induced using a modified infrarenal aortocaval fistula (ACF) in male Wistar rats. All rats of the control and ACF group were characterized by their morphometrics and hemodynamics and the existence of MOR and POMC was investigated by means of radioligand binding, double immunofluorescence confocal analysis, RT-PCR and Western blot. Membrane MOR selective binding sites were detected in the left ventricular myocardium, however, they were lower in abundance than KOR- and DOR-specific binding sites and B max of MOR could not be determined. In left ventricular cardiomyocytes, MOR colocalized with parts of the excitation-coupling mechanism, e.g., Cav1.2 of the cell membrane and invaginated T-tubules as well as the ryanodine receptor of the sarcoplasmatic reticulum. More importantly, MOR strongly colocalized with mitochondria of left ventricular cardiomyocytes. Volume overload was not associated with an altered expression of MOR and POMC on both mRNA and protein level. These findings provide evidence for the existence of MOR on the cell membrane, sarcoplasmatic reticulum and mitochondria in left ventricular cardiomyocytes in rats. However, heart failure does not result in an altered expression of the cardiac MOR-opioid system. Thus, MOR agonist treatment-commonly used in the clinical setting-might directly affect cardiac function, which needs to be evaluated in greater detail in the near future.

Effects of remifentanil on the contractility of failing human heart muscle

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the direct effects of remifentanil on inotropy of human myocardial tissue removed from failing explanted hearts of cardiac transplant recipients.

DESIGN

In vitro, prospective study with repeated measures.

SETTING

Research laboratory in a tertiary referral center.

INTERVENTIONS

The authors studied the effects of remifentanil on isometric myocardial contractile parameters in failing atrial and ventricular myocardial muscles. The authors also used 1 micromol/L of isoproterenol to test adrenergic responsiveness of failing myocardial tissues in the presence of supratherapeutic remifentanil concentrations.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Muscles were studied at 37 degrees C and 1 Hz, with concentrations of remifentanil covering a wide range of therapeutic as well as supratherapeutic concentrations (ie, between 0.001 and 100 microg/mL). After the dose-response curve was obtained, the author measured the inotropic response to 1 micromol/L of isoproterenol in the presence of the cumulative dose of remifentanil. Over the wide range of concentrations, remifentanil had no significant effect on contractile function. In the presence of supratherapeutic concentration of remifentanil, isoproterenol produced a 97% +/- 58% increase in developed tension in failing atrial muscles and a 91% +/- 40% increase in failing ventricular muscles, which did not significantly differ from control muscles.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors showed that remifentanil had no significant negative inotropic effects in failing human heart muscle and that myocardial contractility remained fully responsive to beta-adrenergic stimulation at all remifentanil concentrations studied.

The effects of alfentanil on cytosolic Ca(2+) and contraction in rat ventricular myocytes

Previous investigations of the effects of potent opioid analgesics on the heart have concentrated on effects on contraction magnitude and time course, but little is known about their effects on cytosolic Ca(2+) regulation in cardiac tissue. In this study, we sought to assess the effects of alfentanil on contractility and the cytosolic Ca(2+) transient in ventricular myocytes isolated from the rat ventricle by enzymatic dispersion. Cells were loaded with fura-2 and electrically stimulated at 1 Hz, and Ca(2+) transients and contractions were recorded optically at 30 degrees C. Alfentanil 10(-8) and 10(-7) M had no effect on the magnitude or time course of contraction or the cytosolic Ca(2+) transient. In contrast, 10(-6) M alfentanil induced a significant (P < 0.001) positive inotropic effect, increasing the mean (+/-SEM) unloaded shortening from 7.3 +/- 1.3 microm to 8.7 +/- 1.4 microm (an increase of 20%), with no change in the cytosolic Ca(2+) transient. Myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity was significantly (P = 0.027) increased by 10(-6) M alfentanil but unaffected at 10(-7) M alfentanil. These data show that 10(-6) M alfentanil, a concentration close to the maximum clinical free plasma concentration, induced a positive inotropic effect due to sensitization of the myofilaments to Ca(2+) rather than to modified cytosolic Ca(2+) regulation.

IMPLICATIONS

Alfentanil, at concentrations achieved in clinical practice, increased contraction in ventricular cells by a mechanism involving an increase in the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to Ca(2+).

The in vitro effects of remifentanil, sufentanil, fentanyl, and alfentanil on isolated human right atria

Because some clinical studies have suggested that opioids used in anesthesia may have different deleterious hemodynamic effects, we compared the direct myocardial effects of cumulative concentrations of remifentanil, sufentanil, fentanyl, and alfentanil on inotropic and lusitropic variables of isolated human myocardium in vitro. Human right atrial trabeculae, obtained from patients scheduled for coronary bypass surgery or aortic valve replacement, were suspended vertically in an oxygenated (95% oxygen/5% CO(2)) Tyrode's modified solution ([Ca(2+)](o) = 2.0 mM, 37 degrees C, pH 7.40, stimulation frequency 1 Hz). The effects of cumulative concentrations (10(-11), 10(-10), 10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7), and 10(-6) M) of remifentanil (n = 8), sufentanil (n = 8), fentanyl (n = 8), and alfentanil (n = 8) on inotropic and lusitropic variables of isometric twitches were measured. Remifentanil, sufentanil, and fentanyl did not modify active isometric force and peak of the positive force derivative as compared with the Control group. Alfentanil induced a dose-dependent decrease in active isometric force and peak of the positive force derivative. This effect was abolished in the presence of [Ca(2+)](o) = 4.0 mM. None of these opioids altered lusitropic variables.

Validation of a variable direction hysteresis minimization pharmacodynamic approach: cardiovascular effects of alfentanil

An important goal in therapeutics is the quantitative prediction of drug effects. Although several comprehensive pharmacodynamic models have been proposed, relatively few of these have attempted to assess objectively the application of the models to predict pharmacologic responses. A variable-direction hysteresis minimization approach was proposed recently that allowed the pharmacodynamics of drugs to be modeled using information about drug input. The application and validation of this approach are demonstrated using the pharmacodynamic effect of alfentanil, a short-acting narcotic analgesic agent, in New Zealand White rabbits. A parameter is proposed to assess the ability of the pharmacodynamic model to predict responses.