Myosin in autoinhibited off state(s), stabilized by mavacamten, can be recruited in response to inotropic interventions

Mavacamten is a FDA-approved small-molecule therapeutic designed to regulate cardiac function at the sarcomere level by selectively but reversibly inhibiting the enzymatic activity of myosin. It shifts myosin toward ordered off states close to the thick filament backbone. It remains elusive whether these myosin heads in the off state(s) can be recruited in response to physiological stimuli when required to boost cardiac output. We show that cardiac myosins stabilized in these off state(s) by mavacamten are recruitable by 1) Ca2+, 2) increased chronotropy [heart rate (HR)], 3) stretch, and 4) β-adrenergic (β-AR) stimulation, all known physiological inotropic interventions. At the molecular level, we show that Ca2+ increases myosin ATPase activity by shifting mavacamten-stabilized myosin heads from the inactive super-relaxed state to the active disordered relaxed state. At the myofilament level, both Ca2+ and passive lengthening can shift mavacamten-ordered off myosin heads from positions close to the thick filament backbone to disordered on states closer to the thin filaments. In isolated rat cardiomyocytes, increased stimulation rates enhanced shortening fraction in mavacamten-treated cells. This observation was confirmed in vivo in telemetered rats, where left-ventricular dP/dtmax, an index of inotropy, increased with HR in mavacamten-treated animals. Finally, we show that β-AR stimulation in vivo increases left-ventricular function and stroke volume in the setting of mavacamten. Our data demonstrate that the mavacamten-promoted off states of myosin in the thick filament are at least partially activable, thus preserving cardiac reserve mechanisms.

Myosin in autoinhibited off state(s), stabilized by mavacamten, can be recruited via inotropic effectors

Mavacamten is a novel, FDA-approved, small molecule therapeutic designed to regulate cardiac function by selectively but reversibly inhibiting the enzymatic activity of myosin. It shifts myosin towards ordered off states close to the thick filament backbone. It remains unresolved whether mavacamten permanently sequesters these myosin heads in the off state(s) or whether these heads can be recruited in response to physiological stimuli when required to boost cardiac output. We show that cardiac myosins stabilized in these off state(s) by mavacamten are recruitable by Ca2+, increased heart rate, stretch, and β-adrenergic (β-AR) stimulation, all known physiological inotropic effectors. At the molecular level, we show that, in presence of mavacamten, Ca2+ increases myosin ATPase activity by shifting myosin heads from the reserve super-relaxed (SRX) state to the active disordered relaxed (DRX) state. At the myofilament level, both Ca2+ and passive lengthening can shift ordered off myosin heads from positions close to the thick filament backbone to disordered on states closer to the thin filaments in the presence of mavacamten. In isolated rat cardiomyocytes, increased stimulation rates enhanced shortening fraction in mavacamten-treated cells. This observation was confirmed in vivo in telemetered rats, where left-ventricular dP/dtmax, an index of inotropy, increased with heart rate in mavacamten treated animals. Finally, we show that β-AR stimulation in vivo increases left-ventricular function and stroke volume in the setting of mavacamten. Our data demonstrate that the mavacamten-promoted off states of myosin in the thick filament are activable, at least partially, thus leading to preservation of cardiac reserve mechanisms.

P6341Impact of left-ventricular hemodynamics on treadmill exercise intolerance in conscious rats: pilot evaluation in animals with diastolic dysfunction

Introduction

Exercise intolerance is a clinical hallmark of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and/or impaired diastolic function. Elevated LV filling pressures, particularly in response to acute exercise bouts, are thought to play a role limiting exercise capacity in ventricles with abnormal relaxation/compliance. However, it is experimentally difficult to obtain in vivo hemodynamic measures necessary for the evaluation of centrally mediated dysfunction. Leveraging radio-telemetry, we evaluated central hemodynamic parameters as mediators of exercise intolerance in obese ZSF1 rats with diabetes, hypertension, and diastolic dysfunction.

Methods

Both ZSF1 (637+12g, n=8) and age-matched (28 weeks) healthy control (CTRL, 543+14g, n=4, P<0.05) rats were instrumented for telemetric left-ventricular pressure (LVP) recordings. Following surgical recovery rats were familiarized to treadmill running and subsequently challenged with an exercise protocol aimed at increasing heart rate by 200 beats/min (5° incline, 15 m/min, increased by 3 m/min every 2-min) until volitional exhaustion. LV pressures were collected continuously during cage resting, treadmill resting, and post-exercise until heart rate returned to baseline. Additionally, resting echocardiographic and blood glucose measures were collected.

Results

At rest, ZSF1 rats had preserved ejection fraction (73+6 vs 79+9%), elevated (P<0.05) blood glucose (237+83 vs 94+23 mg/dL), end-systolic (147+18 vs 103+13 mmHg), and end-diastolic pressures (16+3 vs 9+3 mmHg), with preserved indexed end-diastolic volumes (670+95 vs 741+89 μL/kg), suggesting impaired diastolic compliance. ZSF1 rats terminated exercise prematurely (8:26+1:20 vs 10:27+1:18 min, P<0.05), indicating a limitation in exercise capacity. This early volitional exhaustion was noted while end-diastolic pressures were not further increased (17+7 mmHg), suggesting that other pathological derangement may play a role modulating exercise capacity. For instance, ZSF1 rats tended to have a blunted increase in the systolic index dP/dt40 (+2589+1450 vs +3938+749 mmHg/s, P<0.1) despite achieving comparable increases in HR (193+34 vs 196+38 bpm) with exercise.

Conclusion

This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility for evaluation of left-ventricular hemodynamics during exercise in rodents with diastolic dysfunction, establishing a platform to evaluate both the mechanisms of exercise intolerance as well as potential therapeutic approaches to rescue exercise capacity.

Acknowledgement/Funding

MyoKardia