Regulation of cardiac cellular bioenergetics: mechanisms and consequences

A simulation study on the role of mitochondria-sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ interaction in cardiomyocyte energetics during exercise

Previous studies demonstrated that the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter MCU and the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger NCLX exist in proximity to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ryanodine receptor RyR and the Ca2+ pump SERCA, respectively, creating a mitochondria-SR Ca2+ interaction. However, the physiological relevance of the mitochondria-SR Ca2+ interaction has remained unsolved. Furthermore, although mitochondrial Ca2+ has been proposed to be an important factor regulating mitochondrial energy metabolism, by activating NADH-producing dehydrogenases, the contribution of the Ca2+-dependent regulatory mechanisms to cellular functions under physiological conditions has been controversial. In this study, we constructed a new integrated model of human ventricular myocyte with excitation-contraction-energetics coupling and investigated systematically the contribution of mitochondria-SR Ca2+ interaction, especially focusing on cardiac energetics during dynamic workload transitions in exercise. Simulation analyses revealed that the spatial coupling of mitochondria and SR, particularly via mitochondrial Ca2+ uniport activity-RyR, was the primary determinant of mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration, and that the Ca2+-dependent regulatory mechanism facilitated mitochondrial NADH recovery during exercise and contributed to the stability of NADH in the workload transition by about 40%, while oxygen consumption rate and cytoplasmic ATP level were not influenced. We concluded that the mitochondria-SR Ca2+ interaction, created via the uneven distribution of Ca2+ handling proteins, optimizes the contribution of the mitochondrial Ca2+-dependent regulatory mechanism to stabilizing NADH during exercise. KEY POINTS: The mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter protein MCU and the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger protein NCLX are reported to exist in proximity to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ryanodine receptor RyR and the Ca2+ pump SERCA, respectively, creating a mitochondria-SR Ca2+ interaction in cardiomyocytes. Mitochondrial Ca2+ (Ca2+ mit) has been proposed to be an important factor regulating mitochondrial energy metabolism, by activating NADH-producing dehydrogenases. Here we constructed an integrated model of a human ventricular myocyte with excitation-contraction-energetics coupling and investigated the role of the mitochondria-SR Ca2+ interaction in cardiac energetics during exercise. Simulation analyses revealed that the spatial coupling particularly via mitochondrial Ca2+ uniport activity-RyR is the primary determinant of Ca2+ mit concentration, and that the activation of NADH-producing dehydrogenases by Ca2+ mit contributes to NADH stability during exercise. The mitochondria-SR Ca2+ interaction optimizes the contribution of Ca2+ mit to the activation of NADH-producing dehydrogenases.

Identification and characterisation of functional Kir6.1-containing ATP-sensitive potassium channels in the cardiac ventricular sarcolemmal membrane

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The canonical Kir6.2/SUR2A ventricular KATP channel is highly ATP-sensitive and remains closed under normal physiological conditions. These channels activate only when prolonged metabolic compromise causes significant ATP depletion and then shortens the action potential to reduce contractile activity. Pharmacological activation of KATP channels is cardioprotective, but physiologically, it is difficult to understand how these channels protect the heart if they only open under extreme metabolic stress. The presence of a second KATP channel population could help explain this. Here, we characterise the biophysical and pharmacological behaviours of a constitutively active Kir6.1-containing KATP channel in ventricular cardiomyocytes.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Patch-clamp recordings from rat ventricular myocytes in combination with well-defined pharmacological modulators was used to characterise these newly identified K+ channels. Action potential recording, calcium (Fluo-4) fluorescence measurements and video edge detection of contractile function were used to assess functional consequences of channel modulation.

KEY RESULTS

Our data show a ventricular K+ conductance whose biophysical characteristics and response to pharmacological modulation were consistent with Kir6.1-containing channels. These Kir6.1-containing channels lack the ATP-sensitivity of the canonical channels and are constitutively active.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

We conclude there are two functionally distinct populations of ventricular KATP channels: constitutively active Kir6.1-containing channels that play an important role in fine-tuning the action potential and Kir6.2/SUR2A channels that activate with prolonged ischaemia to impart late-stage protection against catastrophic ATP depletion. Further research is required to determine whether Kir6.1 is an overlooked target in Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) cardiac safety screens.

Kinetic Mathematical Modeling of Oxidative Phosphorylation in Cardiomyocyte Mitochondria

Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is an oxygen-dependent process that consumes catabolized nutrients to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to drive energy-dependent biological processes such as excitation-contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes. In addition to in vivo and in vitro experiments, in silico models are valuable for investigating the underlying mechanisms of OXPHOS and predicting its consequences in both physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we compare several prominent kinetic models of OXPHOS in cardiomyocytes. We examine how their mathematical expressions were derived, how their parameters were obtained, the conditions of their experimental counterparts, and the predictions they generated. We aim to explore the general landscape of energy production mechanisms in cardiomyocytes for future in silico models.

The Cell Physiome: What Do We Need in a Computational Physiology Framework for Predicting Single-Cell Biology?

Modern biology and biomedicine are undergoing a big data explosion, needing advanced computational algorithms to extract mechanistic insights on the physiological state of living cells. We present the motivation for the Cell Physiome project: a framework and approach for creating, sharing, and using biophysics-based computational models of single-cell physiology. Using examples in calcium signaling, bioenergetics, and endosomal trafficking, we highlight the need for spatially detailed, biophysics-based computational models to uncover new mechanisms underlying cell biology. We review progress and challenges to date toward creating cell physiome models. We then introduce bond graphs as an efficient way to create cell physiome models that integrate chemical, mechanical, electromagnetic, and thermal processes while maintaining mass and energy balance. Bond graphs enhance modularization and reusability of computational models of cells at scale. We conclude with a look forward at steps that will help fully realize this exciting new field of mechanistic biomedical data science. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Data Science, Volume 5 is August 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Analysing and simulating energy-based models in biology using BondGraphTools

Like all physical systems, biological systems are constrained by the laws of physics. However, mathematical models of biochemistry frequently neglect the conservation of energy, leading to unrealistic behaviour. Energy-based models that are consistent with conservation of mass, charge and energy have the potential to aid the understanding of complex interactions between biological components, and are becoming easier to develop with recent advances in experimental measurements and databases. In this paper, we motivate the use of bond graphs (a modelling tool from engineering) for energy-based modelling and introduce, BondGraphTools, a Python library for constructing and analysing bond graph models. We use examples from biochemistry to illustrate how BondGraphTools can be used to automate model construction in systems biology while maintaining consistency with the laws of physics.

Mitochondria Isolated from Hearts Subjected to Ischemia/Reperfusion Benefit from Adenine Nucleotide Translocase 1 Overexpression

Reperfusion is the only feasible therapy following myocardial infarction, but reperfusion has been shown to damage mitochondrial function and disrupt energy production in the heart. Adenine nucleotide translocase 1 (ANT1) facilitates the transfer of ADP/ATP across the inner mitochondrial membrane; therefore, we tested whether ANT1 exerts protective effects on mitochondrial function during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The hearts of wild-type (WT) and transgenic ANT1-overexpressing (ANT1-TG) rats were exposed to I/R injury using the standard Langendorff technique, after which mitochondrial function, hemodynamic parameters, infarct size, and components of the contractile apparatus were determined. ANT1-TG hearts expressed higher ANT protein levels, with reduced levels of oxidative 4-hydroxynonenal ANT modifications following I/R. ANT1-TG mitochondria isolated from I/R hearts displayed stable calcium retention capacity (CRC) and improved membrane potential stability compared with WT mitochondria. Mitochondria isolated from ANT1-TG hearts experienced less restricted oxygen consumption than WT mitochondria after I/R. Left ventricular diastolic pressure (Pdia) decreased in ANT1-TG hearts compared with WT hearts following I/R. Preserved diastolic function was accompanied by a decrease in the phospho-lamban (PLB)/sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a) ratio in ANT1-TG hearts compared with that in WT hearts. In addition, the phosphorylated (P)-PLB/PLB ratio increased in ANT1-TG hearts after I/R but not in WT hearts, which indicated more effective calcium uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum in ANT1-TG hearts. In conclusion, ANT1-TG rat hearts coped more efficiently with I/R than WT rat hearts, which was reflected by preserved mitochondrial energy balance, diastolic function, and calcium dynamics after reperfusion.

QuinoMit Q10-Fluid attenuates hydrogen peroxide-induced irregular beating in mouse pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

BACKGROUND

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a crucial component of the mitochondrial structure which is involved in producing more than 90% of cellular ATP. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of QuinoMit Q10-Fluid against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced arrhythmias on cardiomyocytes (CMs).

METHODS

Undifferentiated stem cell-derived CMs were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of QuinoMit Q10-Fluid. To investigate if CoQ10 has anti-apoptotic activity, CMs were exposed to H₂O₂ for up to 100 h with or without CoQ10. The expression levels of cardiac reference genes were determined by RT-PCR. The structural and functional properties of CMs were examined by immunofluorescence and the xCELLigence system. Caspase 3/7 assay was also performed for cell apoptosis study.

RESULTS

The study showed that QuinoMit Q10-Fluid inhibits the proliferation of pluripotent stem cells at high concentrations and had less effect on cardiomyogenesis. However, the beating rate of clusters containing CMs generated under QuinoMit Q10-Fluid (1:100) was significantly increased. This increase was accompanied by the up-regulated expression level of some important cardiac markers during differentiation. Treatment of CMs with H₂O₂ notably induced irregular beating and decreased the amplitude of the beating signal of CMs, concomitantly with increased caspase-3/7 activity. However, CMs pretreated with QuinoMit exhibited a protective effect against H₂O₂-induced arrhythmia.

CONCLUSION

Our results reveal that QuinoMit Q10-Fluid attenuates H₂O₂-induced irregular beating in mouse pluripotent stem cell-derived CMs, at least partly by reducing the generation of ROS, suggesting a protective effect against CM dysfunctions.

Impaired Myocardial Energetics Causes Mechanical Dysfunction in Decompensated Failing Hearts

Cardiac mechanical function is supported by ATP hydrolysis, which provides the chemical-free energy to drive the molecular processes underlying cardiac pumping. Physiological rates of myocardial ATP consumption require the heart to resynthesize its entire ATP pool several times per minute. In the failing heart, cardiomyocyte metabolic dysfunction leads to a reduction in the capacity for ATP synthesis and associated free energy to drive cellular processes. Yet it remains unclear if and how metabolic/energetic dysfunction that occurs during heart failure affects mechanical function of the heart. We hypothesize that changes in phosphate metabolite concentrations (ATP, ADP, inorganic phosphate) that are associated with decompensation and failure have direct roles in impeding contractile function of the myocardium in heart failure, contributing to the whole-body phenotype. To test this hypothesis, a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) rat model of pressure overload, hypertrophy, and decompensation was used to assess relationships between metrics of whole-organ pump function and myocardial energetic state. A multiscale computational model of cardiac mechanoenergetic coupling was used to identify and quantify the contribution of metabolic dysfunction to observed mechanical dysfunction. Results show an overall reduction in capacity for oxidative ATP synthesis fueled by either fatty acid or carbohydrate substrates as well as a reduction in total levels of adenine nucleotides and creatine in myocardium from TAC animals compared to sham-operated controls. Changes in phosphate metabolite levels in the TAC rats are correlated with impaired mechanical function, consistent with the overall hypothesis. Furthermore, computational analysis of myocardial metabolism and contractile dynamics predicts that increased levels of inorganic phosphate in TAC compared to control animals kinetically impair the myosin ATPase crossbridge cycle in decompensated hypertrophy/heart failure.

Quantifying the effect of dobutamine stress on myocardial Pi and pH in healthy volunteers: A 31 P MRS study at 7T

Purpose

Phosphorus spectroscopy (³¹P‐MRS) is a proven method to probe cardiac energetics. Studies typically report the phosphocreatine (PCr) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio. We focus on another ³¹P signal: inorganic phosphate (Pi), whose chemical shift allows computation of myocardial pH, with Pi/PCr providing additional insight into cardiac energetics. Pi is often obscured by signals from blood 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate (2,3‐DPG). We introduce a method to quantify Pi in 14 min without hindrance from 2,3‐DPG.

Methods

Using a ³¹P stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) sequence at 7 Tesla that inherently suppresses signal from 2,3‐DPG, the Pi peak was cleanly resolved. Resting state UTE‐chemical shift imaging (PCr/ATP) and STEAM ³¹P‐MRS (Pi/PCr, pH) were undertaken in 23 healthy controls; pH and Pi/PCr were subsequently recorded during dobutamine infusion.

Results

We achieved a clean Pi signal both at rest and stress with good 2,3‐DPG suppression. Repeatability coefficient (8 subjects) for Pi/PCr was 0.036 and 0.12 for pH. We report myocardial Pi/PCr and pH at rest and during catecholamine stress in healthy controls. Pi/PCr was maintained during stress (0.098 ± 0.031 [rest] vs. 0.098 ± 0.031 [stress] P = .95); similarly, pH did not change (7.09 ± 0.07 [rest] vs. 7.08 ± 0.11 [stress] P = .81). Feasibility for patient studies was subsequently successfully demonstrated in a patient with cardiomyopathy.

Conclusion

We introduced a method that can resolve Pi using 7 Tesla STEAM ³¹P‐MRS. We demonstrate the stability of Pi/PCr and myocardial pH in volunteers at rest and during catecholamine stress. This protocol is feasible in patients and potentially of use for studying pathological myocardial energetics.

A thermodynamic framework for modelling membrane transporters

Membrane transporters contribute to the regulation of the internal environment of cells by translocating substrates across cell membranes. Like all physical systems, the behaviour of membrane transporters is constrained by the laws of thermodynamics. However, many mathematical models of transporters, especially those incorporated into whole-cell models, are not thermodynamically consistent, leading to unrealistic behaviour. In this paper we use a physics-based modelling framework, in which the transfer of energy is explicitly accounted for, to develop thermodynamically consistent models of transporters. We then apply this methodology to model two specific transporters: the cardiac sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA) and the cardiac Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase.

Bond graph modelling of the cardiac action potential: implications for drift and non-unique steady states

Mathematical models of cardiac action potentials have become increasingly important in the study of heart disease and pharmacology, but concerns linger over their robustness during long periods of simulation, in particular due to issues such as model drift and non-unique steady states. Previous studies have linked these to violation of conservation laws, but only explored those issues with respect to charge conservation in specific models. Here, we propose a general and systematic method of identifying conservation laws hidden in models of cardiac electrophysiology by using bond graphs, and develop a bond graph model of the cardiac action potential to study long-term behaviour. Bond graphs provide an explicit energy-based framework for modelling physical systems, which makes them well suited for examining conservation within electrophysiological models. We find that the charge conservation laws derived in previous studies are examples of the more general concept of a 'conserved moiety'. Conserved moieties explain model drift and non-unique steady states, generalizing the results from previous studies. The bond graph approach provides a rigorous method to check for drift and non-unique steady states in a wide range of cardiac action potential models, and can be extended to examine behaviours of other excitable systems.

Bond graph modelling of chemoelectrical energy transduction

Energy‐based bond graph modelling of biomolecular systems is extended to include chemoelectrical transduction thus enabling integrated thermodynamically compliant modelling of chemoelectrical systems in general and excitable membranes in particular. Our general approach is illustrated by recreating a well‐known model of an excitable membrane. This model is used to investigate the energy consumed during a membrane action potential thus contributing to the current debate on the trade‐off between the speed of an action potential event and energy consumption. The influx of Na+ is often taken as a proxy for energy consumption; in contrast, this study presents an energy‐based model of action potentials. As the energy‐based approach avoids the assumptions underlying the proxy approach it can be directly used to compute energy consumption in both healthy and diseased neurons. These results are illustrated by comparing the energy consumption of healthy and degenerative retinal ganglion cells using both simulated and in vitro data.

Energy-based analysis of biomolecular pathways

Decomposition of biomolecular reaction networks into pathways is a powerful approach to the analysis of metabolic and signalling networks. Current approaches based on analysis of the stoichiometric matrix reveal information about steady-state mass flows (reaction rates) through the network. In this work, we show how pathway analysis of biomolecular networks can be extended using an energy-based approach to provide information about energy flows through the network. This energy-based approach is developed using the engineering-inspired bond graph methodology to represent biomolecular reaction networks. The approach is introduced using glycolysis as an exemplar; and is then applied to analyse the efficiency of free energy transduction in a biomolecular cycle model of a transporter protein [sodium-glucose transport protein 1 (SGLT1)]. The overall aim of our work is to present a framework for modelling and analysis of biomolecular reactions and processes which considers energy flows and losses as well as mass transport.

Feedback Regulation and Time Hierarchy of Oxidative Phosphorylation in Cardiac Mitochondria

To determine how oxidative ATP synthesis is regulated in the heart, the responses of cardiac mitochondria oxidizing pyruvate to alterations in [ATP], [ADP], and inorganic phosphate ([Pi]) were characterized over a range of steady-state levels of extramitochondrial [ATP], [ADP], and [Pi]. Evolution of the steady states of the measured variables with the flux of respiration shows that: (1) a higher phosphorylation potential is achieved by mitochondria at higher [Pi] for a given flux of respiration; (2) the time hierarchy of oxidative phosphorylation is given by phosphorylation subsystem, electron transport chain, and substrate dehydrogenation subsystems listed in increasing order of their response times; (3) the matrix ATP hydrolysis mass action ratio [ADP] × [Pi]/[ATP] provides feedback to the substrate dehydrogenation flux over the entire range of respiratory flux examined in this study; and finally, (4) contrary to previous models of regulation of oxidative phosphorylation, [Pi] does not modulate the activity of complex III.

Gastrodin Pretreatment Impact on Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Transport ATPase (SERCA) and Calcium Phosphate (PLB) Expression in Rats with Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion

Background

Calcium overload, inflammation, and apoptosis play important roles in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Gastrodin pretreatment can alleviate MIRI. This study observed sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium transport ATPase (Ca²⁺-ATPase, SERCA) and calcium phosphate (PLB) protein expression in the ventricular remodeling process after myocardial infarction to explore the effect of gastrodin pretreatment on MIRI.

Material/Methods

Healthy 7-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group (A), a model group (B), and gastrodin pretreatment groups C, D, and E (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively) with 20 in each group. Anterior descending coronary artery ligation method was used to establish a rat MIRI model with 30-min ischemia and 120-min reperfusion. Cardiac electrophysiological activity was recorded. Serum IL-6 and IL10 levels were determined by ELISA. SERCA activity was tested by colorimetric phosphorus method. SERCA, PLB, and pSer-PLB protein expression were detected by Western blot.

Results

Compared with the sham group, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were elevated, SERCA2a expression was downregulated, and PLB protein was elevated in the model group (P<0.05). pSer16-PLB showed no significant difference among groups, and the ratio of pSer16-PLB/PLB obviously decreased (P<0.05). IL-6 level gradually declined and IL-10 increased in the gastrodin group following concentration elevation. SERCA 2a expression rose in the gastrodin group in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Elevated PLB protein expression showed no significant difference, while pSer16-PLB protein increased (P<0.05), leading to elevated pSer16 PLB/PLB ratio (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Gastrodin pretreatment alleviates MIRI and inflammation injury by regulating SERCA and PLB expression to decrease calcium overload.