Ischemic preconditioning (IP) protects the heart against subsequent prolonged ischemia. Whether the β-adrenoceptor/adenylate cyclase pathway contributes to this cardioprotection is not yet fully known. Using enzyme catalytic cytochemistry we studied the adenylate cyclase activity and its distribution in the preconditioned rat heart. Adenylate cyclase activity was examined in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts subjected to the following conditions: control perfusion; 30 min regional ischemia; 5 min occlusion and 10 min reperfusion (IP); IP followed by ischemia. Ischemia-induced arrhythmias and the effect of ischemic preconditioning on the incidence of arrhythmias were analyzed. At the end of experiment the heart was shortly prefixed with glutaraldehyde. Tissue samples from the left ventricle were incubated in a medium containing the specific substate AMP-PNP for adenylate cyclase and then routinely processed for electron microscopy. Adenylate cyclase activity was cytochemically demonstrated in the sarcolemma and the junctional sarcoplasmic reliculum (JSR) in control hearts, while it was absent after test ischemia. The highest activity of the precipitate was observed after ischemic preconditioning. In the preconditioned hearts followed by test ischemia, adenylate cyclase activity in the precipitate was preserved in sarcolemma and even more in JSR. Protective effect of ischemic preconditioning was manifested by the suppression of severe arrhythmias. These rresults indicate the involvement of the adenylate cyclase system in mechanisms underlying ischemic preconditioning., Ľ. Okruhlicová, T. Ravingerová, D. Pancza, N. Tribulová, J. Styk, R. Štetka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Altered Ca2+ handling may be responsible for the development of cardiac contractile dysfunctions with advanced age. In the present study, we investigated the roles of oxidative damage to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and expression of Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA 2a) and phospholamban in age-associated dysfunction of cardiac SR. SR vesicles were prepared from hearts of 2-, 6-, 15-, and 26-month-old Wistar rats. Although activity of Ca2+-ATPase decreased with advancing age, no differences in relative amounts of SERCA 2a and phospholamban protein were observed. On the other hand, significant accumulation of protein oxidative damage occurred with aging. The results of this study suggest that agerelated alteration in Ca2+-ATPase activity in the rat heart is not a consequence of decreased protein levels of SERCA 2a and phospholamban, but could arise from oxidative modifications of SR proteins. Cellular oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species could contribute to age-related alternations in myocardial relaxation., E. Babušíková ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The oxidative stress hypothesis of aging suggests that accumulation of oxidative damage is a key factor of the alterations in physiological function during aging. We studied age-related sensitivity to oxidative modifications of proteins and lipids of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) isolated from 6-, 15- and 26-month-old rats. Oxidative stress was generated in vitro by exposing SR vesicles to 0.1 mmol/l FeSO4/EDTA + 1 mmol/l H2O2 at 37 °C for 60 min. In all groups, oxidative stress was associated with decreased membrane surface hydrophobicity, as detected by 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate as a probe. Structural changes in SR membranes were accompanied by degradation of tryptophan and significant accumulation of protein dityrosines, protein conjugates with lipid peroxidation products, conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. The sensitivity to oxidative damage was most pronounced in SR of 26-month-old rat. Our results indicate that aging and oxidative stress are associated with accumulation of oxidatively damaged proteins and lipids and these changes could contribute to cardiovascular injury., E. Babušíková, M. Jeseňák, D. Dobrota, N. Tribulová, P. Kaplán., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Exercise training-induced cardiac hypertrophy occurs following a program of aerobic endurance exercise training and it is considered as a physiologically beneficial adaptation. To investigate the underlying biology of physiological hypertrophy, we rely on robust experimental models of exercise training in laboratory animals that mimic the training response in humans. A number of experimental strategies have been established, such as treadmill and voluntary wheel running and swim training models that all associate with cardiac growth. These approaches have been applied to numerous animal models with various backgrounds. However, important differences exist between these experimental approaches, which may affect the interpretation of the results. Here, we review the various approaches that have been used to experimentally study exercise training-induced cardiac hypertrophy; including the advantages and disadvantages of the various models., Y. Wang, U. Wisloff, O. J. Kemi., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Phenylcyclohexylglycoloylester of hydroxyethyldimethylhydrazonium (compound VGFB-3113) has been shown earlier to have a strong antimuscarinic effect on smooth muscle. Its affinity to muscarinic binding sites in homogenates of rat heart ventricles (M2 subtype), submandibular salivary gland (M3 subtype) and brain cortex (predominantly Ml subtype) has now been investigated in radioligand displacement experiments using (3H)quinuclidinyl benzilate ((3H)QNB) as a relatively non-specific muscarinic ligand. VGFB-3113 inhibited the binding of (3H)QNB with pKj values of 8.17, 8.73, and 8.52 in the heart, salivary gland, and brain cortex, respectively. It is concluded that the compound has a high affinity for muscarinic binding sites without strong preference for any of the Ml-M3 subtypes.
More than four decades passed since sigma receptors were first
mentioned. Since then, existence of at least two receptor
subtypes and their tissue distributions have been proposed.
Nowadays, it is clear, that sigma receptors are unique ubiquitous
proteins with pluripotent function, which can interact with so
many different classes of proteins. As the endoplasmic resident
proteins, they work as molecular chaperones - accompany
various proteins during their folding, ensure trafficking of the
maturated proteins between cellular organelles and regulate their
functions. In the heart, sigma receptor type 1 is more dominant.
Cardiac sigma 1 receptors regulate response to endoplasmic
reticulum stress, modulates calcium signaling in cardiomyocyte
and can affect function of voltage-gated ion channels. They
contributed in pathophysiology of cardiac hypertrophy, heart
failure and many other cardiovascular disorders. Therefore,
sigma receptors are potential novel targets for specific treatment
of cardiovascular diseases.
Quercetin, a polyphenolic compound present in various types of food, has been shown to exert beneficial effects in different cardiac as well as non-cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) models in adult animals. However, there is no evidence about the effects of quercetin on I/R injury in non-mature animals, despite the fact that efficiency of some interventions against I/R is agedependent. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of chronic quercetin treatment on I/R injury in juvenile and adult rat hearts. Juvenile (4-week-old) as well as adult (12-week-old) rats were treated with quercetin (20 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks, hearts were excised and exposed to 25-min global ischemia followed by 40-min reperfusion. Functional parameters of hearts and occurrence of reperfusion arrhythmias were registered to assess the cardiac function. Our results have shown that quercetin improved post-ischemic recovery of LVDP, as well as recovery of markers of contraction and relaxation, +(dP/dt)max and -(dP/dt)max, respectively, in juvenile hearts, but not in adult hearts. Quercetin had no impact on incidence as well as duration of reperfusion arrhythmias in animals of both ages. We conclude that the age of rats plays an important role in heart response to quercetin treatment in the particular dose and duration of the treatment. Therefore, the age of the treated subjects should be taken into consideration when choosing the dose of quercetin and duration of its application in prevention and/or treatment of cardiovascular diseases., M. Bartekova, J. Radosinska, D. Pancza, M. Barancik, T. Ravingerova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Gasotransmitters represent a subfamily of the endogenous gaseous signaling molecules that include nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide
(CO), and hydrogen sulphide (H2S). These particular gases share many common features in their production and function, but they fulfill their physiological tasks in unique ways that differ from those of classical signaling molecules found in tissues and organs. These gasotransmitters may antagonize or potentiate each other’s cellular effects at the level of their production, their downstream molecular targets and their direct
interactions. All three gasotransmitters induce vasodilatation, inhibit apoptosis directly or by increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic genes, and activate antioxidants while inhibiting inflammatory actions. NO and CO may concomitantly participate in vasorelaxation, anti-inflammation and angiogenesis. NO and H2S collaborate in the regulation of vascular tone. Finally, H2S may upregulate the heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide
(HO/CO) pathway during hypoxic conditions. All three gasotransmitters are produced by specific enzymes in different cell types that include cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. As translational research on gasotransmitters has exploded over the past years, drugs that alter the production/levels of the gasotransmitters themselves or
modulate their signaling pathways are now being developed. This review is focused on the cardiovascular effects of NO, CO, and H2S. Moreover, their donors as drug targeting the cardiovascular system are briefly described.
Postnatal heart development is characterized by critical periods of heart remodeling. In order to characterize the changes in the lipophilic fraction induced by free radicals, fatty acids and t heir oxidized products, lipofuscin -like pigments (LFP), were investigated. Fatty acids were analyz ed by gas chromatography and LFP were studied by fluorescence techniques. A fluorophore characterized by spectral methods was further resolved by HPLC. Major changes in the composition of fatty acids occurred immediately after birth and then during maturation. Fluorescence of LFP changed markedly on postnatal days 1, 4, 8, and 14, and differed from the adult animals. LFP comprise several fluorophores that were present since fetal state till adulthood. No new major fluorophores were formed during development, just the abundances of individual fluorophores have been modulated which produced changes in the shape of the spectral arrays. HPLC resolved the fluorophore with excitation maximum at 360 nm and emission maximum at 410 nm. New chromatographically distinct species appeared immediately on postnatal day 1, and then on days 30 and 60. Consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids immediately after birth and subseque nt formation of LFP suggests that oxidative stress is involved in normal heart development., J. Wilhelm, J. Ivica, Z. Veselská, J. Uhlík, L. Vajner., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of this study was to measure expression levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) (miRNA-1, -15b and -21) in the rat myocardium after a single dose of ionizing radiation (6-7 Gy/min, total 25 Gy). The rats were treated with selected drugs (Atorvastatin, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), Tadalafil, Enbrel) for six weeks after irradiation. MiRNAs levels were measured by RT-qPCR. Irradiation down-regulated miRNA-1 in irradiated hearts. In Tadalafil- and Atorvastatin-treated groups, miRNA-1 expression levels were further decreased compared with irradiated controls. However, Enbrel increased miRNA-1 level in irradiated hearts similarly to that in non-irradiated untreated group. Increase of miRNA-15b is pro-apoptotic in relationship with ischemia. Irradiation caused down-regulation of miRNA-15b. Administration of ASA in the irradiated group resulted in the increase of miRNA-15b expression compared to non-treated controls without irradiation. After Enbrel administration, miRNA-15b levels were overexpressed compared to non-treated normal group. MiRNA-21 belongs to the most markedly up-regulated miRNAs in response to cardiogenic stress. MiRNA-21 was increased nearly 2-fold compared to non-treated hearts whereas Tadalafil reduced miRNA-21 levels (about 40 %). Our study suggests that Enbrel and Tadalafil changed miRNAs expression values of the irradiated rats to the values of nonirradiated controls, thus they might be helpful in mitigation of radiation-induced toxicity., B. Kura, C. Yin, K. Frimmel, J. Krizak, L. Okruhlicova, R. C. Kukreja, J. Slezak., and Obsahuje bibliografii