Contractile performance of adult ventricular rat cardiomyocytes is not directly jeopardized by NO/cGMP-dependent induction of pro-apoptotic pathways

Tastan, Hakan; Abdallah, Yaser; Euler, Gerhild; Piper, Hans Michael; Schlüter, Klaus-Dieter (2007). Contractile performance of adult ventricular rat cardiomyocytes is not directly jeopardized by NO/cGMP-dependent induction of pro-apoptotic pathways. Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 42(2), pp. 411-21. Oxford: Elsevier 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2006.10.012

Full text not available from this repository.

The activation of NO/cGMP pathways can induce pro-apoptotic pathways in cardiomyocytes although only a small number of cardiomyocytes fulfill the criteria of apoptosis. The same pathways reduce the contractile performance of cardiomyocytes. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that exposure of cells to NO/cGMP for 24 h decrease their contractile performance due to an activation of pro-apoptotic pathways. Experiments were performed on freshly isolated and cultured adult ventricular rat cardiomyocytes. Cells were incubated with 8-bromo-cyclo-GMP (100 nmol/L-1 micromol/L), the NO donor SNAP (1 nmol/L-100 micromol/L), or the guanylyl cyclase activator YC-1 (3 micromol/L). Cell shortening, contraction and relaxation velocities, and diastolic cell lengths were determined at beating frequencies of 0.5, 1, and 2 Hz 24 h later. The activation of pro-apoptotic pathways was determined by staining of cardiomyocytes with an antibody directed against active caspase-3 and quantification of the number of apoptotic cells (annexin staining). Caspase-3 activation and an increase in the number of apoptotic cells was observed, but only at the highest concentrations tested (8-bromo-cyclo-GMP: 1-10 mmol/L; SNAP: 1-100 micromol/L). At these concentrations, none of the drugs decreased the mean cell shortening of cardiomyocytes. However, at concentrations lower than those required for induction of apoptotic cell death, the diastolic cell lengths and sarcomere lengths increased but cell shortening decreased. In conclusion, low concentrations of either NO or cGMP cause a desensitization of myofibrils, as indicated by elongated cell shapes, increased sarcomere lengths and reduced load-free cell shortening. High concentrations of NO/cGMP induce caspase-3 activation and increase the number of cells fulfilling the criteria of apoptotic cell death but did not impair cell function. Therefore, induction of apoptotic cell death per se seems not to contribute to the loss of contractile efficiency on the cellular level.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Head Organs and Neurology (DKNS) > Clinic of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery
UniBE Contributor:	Tastan, Hakan
ISSN:	0022-2828
ISBN:	17157310
Publisher:	Elsevier
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 14:56
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:17
Publisher DOI:	10.1016/j.yjmcc.2006.10.012
PubMed ID:	17157310
Web of Science ID:	000244442200018
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/23761 (FactScience: 44293)