Related Articles

Objective

To improve myocardial flow during reperfusion after acute myocardial infarction and to elucidate the molecular and cellular basis that impedes it. According to the AHA/ACC recommendation, an ideal reperfusion treatment in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) should not only focus on restoring flow in the occluded artery, but should aim to reduce microvascular damage to improve blood flow in the infarcted myocardium.

Methods

Transgenic mouse hearts expressing the δPKC (protein kinase C) inhibitor, δV1-1, in their myocytes only were treated with or without the δPKC inhibitor after ischemia in an ex vivo AMI model. δV1-1 or vehicle was also delivered at reperfusion in an in vivo porcine model of AMI. Microvascular dysfunction was assessed by physiological and histological measurements.

Results

δPKC inhibition in the endothelial cells improved myocardial perfusion in the transgenic mice. In the porcine in vivo AMI model, coronary flow reserve (CFR), which is impaired for 6 days following infarction, was improved immediately following a one-minute treatment at the end of the ischemic period with the δPKC-selective inhibitor, δV1-1 (∼250 ng/Kg), and was completely corrected by 24 hrs. Myocardial contrast echocardiography, electron microscopy studies, and TUNEL staining demonstrated δPKC-mediated microvascular damage. δPKC-induced preconditioning, which also reduces infarct size by >60%, did not improve microvascular function.

Conclusions

These data suggest that δPKC activation in the microvasculature impairs blood flow in the infarcted tissue after restoring flow in the occluded artery and that AMI patients with no-reflow may therefore benefit from treatment with a δPKC inhibitor given in conjunction with removal of the coronary occlusion.

The cellular response to excessive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress includes the activation of signaling pathways, which lead to apoptotic cell death. Here we show that treatment of cultured cardiac myocytes with tunicamycin, an agent that induces ER stress, causes the rapid translocation of δPKC to the ER. We further demonstrate that inhibition of δPKC using the δPKC-specific antagonist peptide, δV1-1, reduces tunicamycin-induced apoptotic cell death, and inhibits expression of specific ER stress response markers such as CHOP, GRP78 and phosphorylation of JNK. The physiological importance of δPKC in this event is further supported by our findings that the ER stress response is also induced in hearts subjected to ischemia and reperfusion injury and that this response also involves δPKC translocation to the ER. We found that the levels of the ER chaperone, GRP78, the spliced XBP-1 and the phosphorylation of JNK are all increased following ischemia and reperfusion and that δPKC inhibition by δV1-1 blocks these events. Therefore, ischemia-reperfusion injury induces ER stress in the myocardium in a mechanism that requires δPKC activity. Taken together, our data show for the first time that δPKC activation plays a critical role in the ER stress-mediated response and the resultant cell death.

Cerebral ischemia causes blood flow derangements characterized by hyperemia (increased cerebral blood flow, CBF) and subsequent hypoperfusion (decreased CBF). We previously demonstrated that protein kinase C delta (δPKC) plays an important role in hippocampal neuronal death after ischemia. However, whether part of this protection is due to the role of δPKC on CBF following cerebral ischemia remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that δPKC exacerbates hyperemia and subsequent hypoperfusion resulting in CBF derangements following ischemia. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats pretreated with a δPKC specific inhibitor (δV1-1, 0.5 mg/kg) exhibited attenuation of hyperemia and latent hypoperfusion characterized by vasoconstriction followed by vasodilation of microvessels after 2-vessel occlusion plus hypotension measured by 2-photon microscopy. In an asphyxial cardiac arrest model (ACA), SD rats treated with δV1-1 (pre- and post-ischemia) exhibited improved perfusion after 24 hrs and less hippocampal CA1 neuronal death 7 days after ACA. These results suggest possible therapeutic potential of δPKC in modulating CBF and neuronal damage after cerebral ischemia.

Background

The release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria following cerebral ischemia is a key event leading to cell death. The goal of the present study was to determine the mechanisms involved in post-ischemic activation of protein kinase c delta (δPKC) that lead to cytochrome c release.

Methods/Findings

We used a rat model of cardiac arrest as an in vivo model, and an in vitro analog, oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) in rat hippocampal synaptosomes. Cardiac arrest triggered translocation of δPKC to the mitochondrial fraction at 1 h reperfusion. In synaptosomes, the peptide inhibitor of δPKC blocked OGD-induced translocation to the mitochondria. We tested two potential pathways by which δPKC activation could lead to cytochrome c release: phosphorylation of phospholipid scramblase-3 (PLSCR3) and/or protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Cardiac arrest increased levels of phosphorlyated PLSCR3; however, inhibition of δPKC translocation failed to affect the OGD-induced increase in PLSCR3 in synaptosomal mitochondria suggesting the post-ischemic phosphorylation of PLSCR3 is not mediated by δPKC. Inhibition of either δPKC or PP2A decreased cytochrome c release from synaptosomal mitochondria. Cardiac arrest results in the dephosphorylation of Bad and Bax, both downstream targets of PP2A promoting apoptosis. Inhibition of δPKC or PP2A prevented OGD-induced Bad, but not Bax, dephosphorylation. To complement these studies, we used proteomics to identify novel mitochondrial substrates of δPKC.

Conclusions

We conclude that δPKC initiates cytochrome c release via phosphorylation of PP2A and subsequent dephosphorylation of Bad and identified δPKC, PP2A and additional mitochondrial proteins as potential therapeutic targets for ischemic neuroprotection.

Aims

The response of the myocardium to an ischaemic insult is regulated by two highly homologous protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes, δ and εPKC. Here, we determined the spatial and temporal relationships between these two isozymes in the context of ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) and ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) to better understand their roles in cardioprotection.

Methods and results

Using an ex vivo rat model of myocardial infarction, we found that short bouts of ischaemia and reperfusion prior to the prolonged ischaemic event (IPC) diminished δPKC translocation by 3.8-fold and increased εPKC accumulation at mitochondria by 16-fold during reperfusion. In addition, total cellular levels of δPKC decreased by 60 ± 2.7% in response to IPC, whereas the levels of εPKC did not significantly change. Prolonged ischaemia induced a 48 ± 11% decline in the ATP-dependent proteasomal activity and increased the accumulation of misfolded proteins during reperfusion by 192 ± 32%; both of these events were completely prevented by IPC. Pharmacological inhibition of the proteasome or selective inhibition of εPKC during IPC restored δPKC levels at the mitochondria while decreasing εPKC levels, resulting in a loss of IPC-induced protection from I/R. Importantly, increased myocardial injury was the result, in part, of restoring a δPKC-mediated I/R pro-apoptotic phenotype by decreasing pro-survival signalling and increasing cytochrome c release into the cytosol.

Conclusion

Taken together, our findings indicate that IPC prevents I/R injury at reperfusion by protecting ATP-dependent 26S proteasomal function. This decreases the accumulation of the pro-apoptotic kinase, δPKC, at cardiac mitochondria, resulting in the accumulation of the pro-survival kinase, εPKC.

Two pathways that have been shown to mediate cerebral ischemic damage are the MEK/ERK cascade and the pro-apoptotic δPKC pathway. We investigated the relationship between these pathways in a rat model of focal ischemia by observing and modifying the activation state of each pathway. The ERK1/2 inhibitor, U0126, injected at ischemia onset, attenuated the increase in phosphorylated ERK1/2 (P-ERK1/2) after reperfusion. The δPKC inhibitor, δV1-1, delivered at reperfusion, did not significantly change P-ERK1/2 levels. In contrast, the δPKC activator, ψδRACK, injected at reperfusion, reduced ERK1/2 phosphorylation measured 4 h after reperfusion. Additionally, U0126 pretreatment at ischemia onset reduced infarct size compared with vehicle, but U0126 injected at the onset of reperfusion had no protection. Finally, combination of U0126 injection at ischemia onset plus δV1-1 injection at reperfusion further reduced infarct size, while combination of U0126 delivered at ischemia onset with ψδRACK injected at reperfusion increased infarct size compared with U0126 alone. In conclusion, we find that inhibiting both the MEK/ERK and the δPKC pathways offers greater protection than either alone, indicating they likely act independently.

Endothelial injury may contribute to the augmented coronary vascular tone seen in myocardial ischemia by impairing endothelial production or release of vasodilators. In vitro reactivity of arterial rings was studied after 60 min of coronary occlusion and 60 min of reperfusion in anesthetized dogs. Ischemia without reperfusion blunted contractile reactivity to potassium chloride (KCl), whereas ischemia plus reperfusion augmented contractile responses to both KCl and ergonovine. The response to acetylcholine, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, was abolished in reperfused arteries, whereas the response to nitroprusside, an endothelium-independent vasodilator, was intact. Verapamil pretreatment restored KCl contractile responses to normal in reperfused coronary rings and partially restored endothelium-dependent relaxation. Electron microscopy revealed a nondenuding epicardial coronary endothelial injury in reperfused arteries. These data support the hypothesis that reperfusion of ischemic myocardium augments reactivity to vasoconstrictor agents by causing endothelial cell damage, excessive calcium influx, and loss of modulating vasodilator function.

Images

We investigated the functional roles of ceramide, an intracellular lipid mediator, in cell signaling pathways by monitoring the intracellular movement of protein kinase C (PKC) subtypes fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) in HeLa living cells. C2-ceramide but not C2-dihydroceramide induced translocation of δPKC-GFP to the Golgi complex, while αPKC- and ζPKC-GFP did not respond to ceramide. The Golgi-associated δPKC-GFP induced by ceramide was further translocated to the plasma membrane by phorbol ester treatment. Ceramide itself accumulated to the Golgi complex where δPKC was translocated by ceramide. Gamma interferon also induced the δPKC-specific translocation from the cytoplasm to the Golgi complex via the activation of Janus kinase and Mg2+-dependent neutral sphingomyelinase. Photobleaching studies showed that ceramide does not evoke tight binding of δPKC-GFP to the Golgi complex but induces the continuous association and dissociation of δPKC with the Golgi complex. Ceramide inhibited the kinase activity of δPKC-GFP in the presence of phosphatidylserine and diolein in vitro, while the kinase activity of δPKC-GFP immunoprecipitated from ceramide-treated cells was increased. The immunoprecipitated δPKC-GFP was tyrosine phosphorylated after ceramide treatment. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor abolished the ceramide-induced activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of δPKC-GFP. These results suggested that gamma interferon stimulation followed by ceramide generation through Mg2+-dependent sphingomyelinase induced δPKC-specific translocation to the Golgi complex and that translocation results in δPKC activation through tyrosine phosphorylation of the enzyme.

We studied the effects of MAbR15.7, an antibody directed against the common beta-chain (CD-18) of a family of neutrophil adherence glycoproteins, on endothelial dysfunction and myocardial injury in a model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion in cats. Pentobarbital-anesthetized cats were subjected to 1.5 h occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and 4.5 h of reperfusion. MI + R resulted in severe myocardial injury and endothelial dysfunction, including significant elevation of plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, marked myocardial necrosis, high cardiac myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in ischemic cardiac tissue, and loss of response of LAD coronary rings to the endothelium-dependent vasodilators, acetylcholine (ACh) and A-23187. In contrast, MAbR15.7-treated cats exhibited a lower plasma CK activity at every time point observed after 2 h, a reduced area of cardiac necrosis (2 +/- 1 vs. 30.8 +/- 2.5% of area-at-risk, P less than 0.001), lower MPO activity in the ischemic region (P less than 0.01), and significantly preserved vasorelaxant responses of LAD coronary rings to endothelium-dependent vasodilators, ACh (P less than 0.001), and A-23187 (P less than 0.001). These results indicate that myocardial ischemia and reperfusion induces significant myocardial injury and endothelial dysfunction in the cat involving a CD18-dependent neutrophil adherence mechanism. Inhibition of neutrophil adherence to the endothelium exerts significant protective effects in this model of reperfusion injury.

The cardioprotective effects of moderate alcohol consumption have been well documented in animal models and in humans. Protection afforded against ischemia and reperfusion injury (I/R) proceeds through an ischemic preconditioning-like mechanism involving the activation of epsilon protein kinase C (εPKC) and is dependent on the time and duration of ethanol treatment. However, the substrates of εPKC and the molecular mechanisms by which the enzyme protects the heart from oxidative damage induced by I/R are not fully described. Using an open-chest model of acute myocardial infarction in vivo, we find that intraperitoneal injection of ethanol (0.5 g/kg) 60 minutes prior to (but not 15 minutes prior to) a 30-minute transient ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery reduced I/R-mediated injury by 57% (measured as a decrease of creatine phosphokinase release into the blood). Only under cardioprotective conditions, ethanol treatment resulted in the translocation of εPKC to cardiac mitochondria, where the enzyme bound aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2). ALDH2 is an intra-mitochondrial enzyme involved in the detoxification of toxic aldehydes such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) and 4-HNE mediates oxidative damage, at least in part, by covalently modifying and inactivating proteins (by forming 4-HNE adducts). In hearts subjected to I/R after ethanol treatment, the levels of 4-HNE protein adducts were lower and JNK1/2 and ERK1/2 activities were diminished relative to the hearts from rats subjected to I/R in the absence of ethanol. Together, this work provides an insight into the mitochondrial-dependent basis of ethanol-induced and εPKC-mediated protection from cardiac ischemia, in vivo.

Background:

Accumulating evidence suggests that the ubiquitous anion nitrite (NO2−) is a physiological signaling molecule, with roles in intravascular endocrine nitric oxide (NO) transport, hypoxic vasodilation, signaling, and cytoprotection. Thus, nitrite could enhance the efficacy of reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction. The specific aims of this study were: 1) to assess the efficacy of nitrite in reducing necrosis and apoptosis in canine myocardial infarction and 2) to determine the relative role of nitrite vs chemical intermediates, such as S-nitrosothiols.

Methods and Results:

We evaluated infarct size, microvascular perfusion, and left ventricular function by histopathology, microspheres, and magnetic resonance imaging in 27 canines subjected to 120 minutes of coronary artery occlusion. This was a blinded, prospective study comparing a saline control group (n = 9) with intravenous nitrite during the last 60 minutes of ischemia (n = 9), and during the last 5 minutes of ischemia (n = 9). In saline treated control animals, 70±10% of the area at risk was infarcted compared with 23±5% in animals treated with a 60-minute nitrite infusion. Remarkably, a nitrite infusion in the last 5-minutes of ischemia also limited the extent of infarction (36±8% of area at risk). Nitrite improved microvascular perfusion, reduced apoptosis, and improved contractile function. S-nitrosothiol and iron-nitrosyl-protein adducts did not accumulate in the 5-minute nitrite infusion, suggesting that nitrite is the bioactive intravascular NO-species accounting for cardioprotection.

Conclusions:

Nitrite has significant potential as adjunctive therapy to enhance the efficacy of reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction.

Although epicardial blood flow can be restored by an early intervention in most cases, a lack of adequate reperfusion at the microvascular level is often a limiting prognostic factor of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Our group has recently found that paracrine factors secreted from apoptotic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (APOSEC) attenuate the extent of myocardial injury. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of APOSEC on microvascular obstruction (MVO) in a porcine AMI model. A single dose of APOSEC was intravenously injected in a closed chest reperfused infarction model. MVO was determined by magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac catheterization. Role of platelet function and vasodilation were monitored by means of ELISA, flow cytometry, aggregometry, western blot and myographic experiments in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of AMI with APOSEC resulted in a significant reduction of MVO. Platelet activation markers were reduced in plasma samples obtained during AMI, suggesting an anti-aggregatory capacity of APOSEC. This finding was confirmed by in vitro tests showing that activation and aggregation of both porcine and human platelets were significantly impaired by co-incubation with APOSEC, paralleled by vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP)-mediated inhibition of platelets. In addition, APOSEC evidenced a significant vasodilatory capacity on coronary arteries via p-eNOS and iNOS activation. Our data give first evidence that APOSEC reduces the extent of MVO during AMI, and suggest that modulation of platelet activation and vasodilation in the initial phase after myocardial infarction contributes to the improved long-term outcome in APOSEC treated animals.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00395-012-0292-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

We have previously speculated that the abrupt conversion from chronic stable angina to unstable angina and the subsequent progression to acute myocardial infarction may result from myocardial ischemia caused by progressive platelet aggregation and dynamic coronary vasoconstriction. In turn, platelet aggregation and dynamic vasoconstriction probably result from the local accumulation of thromboxane A2 and serotonin at sites of coronary artery stenosis and endothelial injury; they may also result from relative decreases in the local concentrations of endothelium-derived vasodilators and inhibitors of platelet aggregation, such as endothelium-derived relaxing factors and prostacyclin. Because of severe reductions in coronary blood flow caused by these mechanisms, platelet aggregation may increase, and an occlusive thrombus—composed of platelets, leukocytes, and red blood cells in a fibrin mesh—may develop. When coronary arteries are occluded or narrowed by these mechanisms for a sufficient time, the result may be myocardial necrosis, electrical instability, or sudden death. With respect to the process of coronary artery thrombosis and vasoconstriction, we believe that unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction are 2 elements in a continuum. When platelet aggregation or dynamic vasoconstriction at sites of endothelial injury and coronary stenosis is brief, unstable angina or non-Q-wave infarction may occur. When coronary obstruction by these mechanisms is prolonged for several hours, however, Q-wave myocardial infarction results. Future clinical studies should provide further insights into these and additional mediators and mechanisms that may effect the abrupt transition from chronic to acute coronary disease syndromes in human beings. (Texas Heart Institute Journal 1990; 17:157-64)

Images

Background

Despite the clear advantages of reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction, part of the myocardium is injured during reperfusion by reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species activate apoptosis signal–regulating kinase-1, a key mediator in cell death. We hypothesized that inhibition of apoptosis signal–regulating kinase-1 at the time of reperfusion would protect the heart from ischemia–reperfusion injury.

Methods and Results

Male CD1 mice underwent transient coronary artery ligation (30 minutes) followed by reperfusion or underwent sham surgery (n=10 to 12 per group). A selective small-molecule inhibitor of apoptosis signal–regulating kinase-1 (GS-459679) was given immediately after reperfusion (10 or 30 mg/kg IP). Infarct size was measured early (at 24 hours, in a subgroup of mice) by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and late (at 7 days) by Masson's trichrome staining for fibrosis. Apoptosis was assessed by measurement of caspase-3 activity and by determination of DNA fragmentation in cardiomyocytes bordering the infarct. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed before surgery and then at 24 hours and 7 days later. Treatment with GS-459679 at reperfusion led to a significant dose-related reduction in infarct size (31% for 10 mg/kg [P<0.001 versus vehicle] and 60% for 30 mg/kg [P<0.001 versus vehicle]), inhibition of apoptotic cell death, and preservation of left ventricular dimension and systolic function at both 24 hours and 7 days.

Conclusions

Inhibition of apoptosis signal–regulating kinase-1 at the time of reperfusion limits infarct size and preserves left ventricular function in a model of acute myocardial infarction in the mouse.

Investigations from basic biology suggest that activation of the Rho/Rho kinase pathway reduces the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) and thereby promotes atherosclerosis and its clinical complications. Yet, little information is available about the relationship of the Rho/Rho kinase pathway to NO bioavailability in humans with atherosclerosis. Accordingly, we determined whether inhibition of Rho kinase augments NO bioavailability and improves endothelial function in human subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD). Thirteen CAD subjects and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were randomly assigned to receive the Rho kinase inhibitor, fasudil, or placebo for 1 month each in a double-blind crossover trial. Flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent and nitroglycerin-induced, endothelium-independent vasodilation were assessed by brachial artery ultrasonography. Rho kinase activity was measured in peripheral leukocytes. Fasudil increased endothelium-dependent vasodilation in CAD subjects from 9.4±1.9% to 13.4±1.9% (P=0.001) but not in healthy controls (from 11.3±1.4% to 7.7±1.1%; P=0.07). Endothelium-independent vasodilation was not affected by fasudil in either CAD or healthy subjects. Fasudil reduced Rho kinase activity by 59±18% in CAD subjects (P=0.001) but not in healthy subjects (by 3±6%; P=0.60). The change in endothelium-dependent vasodilation achieved with fasudil relative to placebo was inversely proportional to Rho kinase inhibition (ie, greater Rho kinase inhibition was associated with larger improvement in endothelium-dependent vasodilation) (r=−0.48; P=0.01). These findings suggest that Rho/Rho kinase activation promotes endothelial dysfunction in humans with atherosclerosis. Inhibition of the Rho/Rho kinase pathway should provide a useful strategy to restore NO bioavailability in humans with atherosclerosis.

Protein kinase C (PKC) family members have been implicated in numerous cellular processes. However, identifying the substrates of each PKC isozyme remains a challenge. Here, we describe a method using two dimensional (2-D) isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis to identify substrates of delta PKC (δPKC) in MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. We show that M2 pyruvate kinase is a substrate of δPKC, and further characterize the interaction between M2 pyruvate kinase and δPKC in MCF-7 cells by immunoprecipitation. δPKC activation in vitro or in cells did not appear to alter the enzyme activity or polymerization of M2 pyruvate kinase.

Clinical administration of bone marrow-derived stem cells in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) leads to improved left ventricular ejection fraction. Thymosin beta-4 (TB4) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are linked to adult epicardial progenitor cell mobilization and neovascularization and is cardioprotective after myocardial ischemia. This study investigated the time course of TB4 and VEGF during AMI, cardiac arrest, and resuscitation. Fifteen anesthetized and instrumented domestic swine underwent balloon occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. During occlusion, venous blood samples were collected from the right atrium at 5-min intervals until 15 min after the onset of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Plasma levels of TB4, VEGF, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9, selected as a marker for remodeling and repair) were measured by ELISA. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to model the time-dependent change in plasma concentration. All variables were natural log transformed, except TB4 values, to normalize distributions. Fifteen animals successfully underwent balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery and samples were collected from these subjects. The average onset of spontaneous ventricular fibrillation was 28 min. TB4, VEGF, and MMP-9 demonstrated a statistically significant, time-dependent increase in concentration during ischemia. Following arrest and throughout the first 15 min of resuscitation, MMP-9 had an unchanged rate of rise when compared with the prearrest, ischemic period, with VEGF showing a deceleration in its time-dependent concentration trajectory and TB4 demonstrating an acceleration. Endogenous TB4 and VEGF increase shortly after the onset of AMI and increase through cardiac arrest and resuscitation in parallel to remodeling proteases. These markers continue to rise during successful resuscitation and may represent an endogenous mechanism to recruit undifferentiated stem cells to areas of myocardial injury.

Rationale

Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) and calpain cysteine proteases are highly expressed in myocardium. Ischemia produces calcium overload that activates calpains and conventional PKCs. However, calpains can proteolytically process PKCs, and the potential in vivo consequences of this interaction are unknown.

Objective

Determine the biochemical and pathophysiological consequences of calpain-mediated cardiac PKCα proteolysis.

Methods and Results

Isolated mouse hearts subjected to global ischemia-reperfusion demonstrated cleavage of PKCα. Calpain 1 overexpression was not sufficient to produce PKCα cleavage in normal hearts, but ischemia-induced myocardial PKCα cleavage and myocardial injury were greatly increased by cardiac-specific expression of calpain 1. In contrast, calpain 1 gene ablation or inhibition with calpastatin prevented ischemia-reperfusion induced PKCα cleavage; infarct size was decreased and ventricular function enhanced in infarcted calpain 1 knockout hearts. To determine consequences of PKCα fragmentation on myocardial protein phosphorylation, transgenic mice were created conditionally expressing full length PKCα or its N-terminal and C-terminal calpain 1 cleavage fragments. Two-dimensional mapping of ventricular protein extracts showed a distinct PKCα phosphorylation profile that was exaggerated and distorted in hearts expressing the PKCα C-terminal fragment. MALDI mass spectroscopy revealed hyper-phosphorylation of MyBP-C and phosphorylation of atypical substrates by the PKCα C-terminal fragment. Expression of parent PKCα produced a mild cardiomyopathy, whereas myocardial expression of the C-terminal PKCα fragment induced a disproportionately severe, rapidly lethal cardiomyopathy.

Conclusions

Proteolytic processing of PKCα by calcium-activated calpain activates pathological cardiac signaling through generation of an unregulated and/or mistargeted kinase. Production of the PKCα C-terminal fragment in ischemic hearts occurs via a receptor-independent mechanism.

Both protein kinase C (PKC) activation and Hsp70 expression have been shown to be key components for exercise-mediated myocardial protection during ischemia–reperfusion injury. Given that Hsp70 has been shown to undergo inducible phosphorylation in striated muscle and liver, we hypothesized that PKC may regulate myocardial Hsp70 function and subsequent exercise-conferred cardioprotection through this phosphorylation. Hence, acute exercise of male Sprague–Dawley rats (30 m/min for 60 min at 2% grade) was employed to assess the role of PKC and its selected isoforms in phosphorylation of Hsp70 and protection of the myocardium during ischemia–reperfusion injury. It was observed that administration of the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine chloride (5 mg/kg) suppressed the activation of three exercise-induced PKC isoforms (PKCα, PKCδ, and PKCɛ) and attenuated the exercise-mediated reduction of myocardial infarct size during ischemia–reperfusion injury. While this study also demonstrated that exercise led to an alteration in the phosphorylation status of Hsp70, this posttranslational modification appeared to be dissociated from PKC activation, as exercise-induced phosphorylation of Hsp70 was unchanged following inhibition of PKC. Taken together, these results indicate that selected isoforms of PKC play an important role in exercise-mediated protection of the myocardium during ischemia–reperfusion injury. However, exercise-induced phosphorylation of Hsp70 does not appear to be a mechanism by which PKC induces this cardioprotective effect.

Endothelium-derived vasodilators, i.e., nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin (PGI2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), play important roles in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation and cardiovascular disease, has been shown to inhibit NO-mediated vasodilation. The goal of this study was to determine whether CRP also affects endothelial arachidonic acid (AA)-prostanoid pathways for vasomotor regulation. Porcine coronary arterioles were isolated and pressurized for vasomotor study, as well as for molecular and biochemical analysis. AA elicited endothelium-dependent vasodilation and PGI2 release. PGI2 synthase (PGI2-S) inhibitor trans-2-phenyl cyclopropylamine blocked vasodilation to AA but not to serotonin (endothelium-dependent NO-mediated vasodilator). Intraluminal administration of a pathophysiological level of CRP (7 μg/mL, 60 minutes) attenuated vasodilations to serotonin and AA but not to nitroprusside, exogenous PGI2, or hydrogen peroxide (endothelium-dependent PGE2 activator). CRP also reduced basal NO production, caused tyrosine nitration of endothelial PGI2-S, and inhibited AA-stimulated PGI2 release from arterioles. Peroxynitrite scavenger urate failed to restore serotonin dilation, but preserved AA-stimulated PGI2 release/dilation and prevented PGI2-S nitration. NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME and superoxide scavenger TEMPOL also protected AA-induced vasodilation. Collectively, our results suggest that CRP stimulates superoxide production and the subsequent formation of peroxynitrite from basal released NO compromises PGI2 synthesis, and thus endothelium-dependent PGI2-mediated dilation, by inhibiting PGI2-S activity through tyrosine nitration. By impairing PGI2-S function, and thus PGI2 release, CRP could promote endothelial dysfunction and participate in the development of coronary artery disease.

Background

We investigated the efficacy of novel thrombin-fragment TP508 on ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury using a porcine model of type I diabetes.

Methods and Results

Alloxan-induced diabetic male Yucatan swine underwent 60 minutes of mid-left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion, followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion. 50 minutes into ischemia, animals received either placebo (DM, n=8) or TP508 as a bolus of 1 mg/kg followed by infusion at 2.5 mg/kg/h (DMT, n=8). Hemodynamic parameters and myocardial function were monitored. Monastryl blue/triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining was used to assess sizes of the areas at risk (AAR) and infarction. Coronary microvascular reactivity was measured, and expression of cell survival and proapoptotic proteins quantified. Preoperative serum glucose values were similar between groups (309 ± 57 mg/dL in DM vs. 318 ± 67 in DMT, p=0.92). Infarct size was smaller in the TP508 treated group (5.3 ± 1.9% in DMT vs. 19.4 ± 5.6% in DM, p=0.03). There was no statistically significant difference in global or regional left ventricular function between groups. Endothelium-dependent microvessel relaxation was moderately improved in the DMT group (p=0.09), while endothelium-independent relaxation was similar between groups. The expression of cell survival proteins Akt, phospho-p38, and mTOR was higher in the AAR of DMT animals compared to DM animals (p<0.05), and expression of proapoptotic GSK3β and caspase-3 was lower in the DMT group (p<0.05).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that, in type I diabetic swine, TP508 reduces infarct size after IR. Thus TP508 may offer a novel approach in cardioprotection from IR injury in diabetic patients.

Acute myocardial infarction and its sequelae are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Nitroglycerin remains a first-line treatment for angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction. Nitroglycerin achieves its benefit by giving rise to nitric oxide, which causes vasodilation and increases blood flow to the myocardium. However, continuous delivery of nitroglycerin results in tolerance, limiting the use of this drug. Nitroglycerin tolerance is due, at least in part, to inactivation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), an enzyme that converts nitroglycerin to the vasodilator, nitric oxide. We have recently found that, in addition to nitroglycerin’s effect on the vasculature, sustained treatment with nitroglycerin negatively affects cardiomyocyte viability following ischemia, thus resulting in increased infarct size in a myocardial infarction model in animals. Co-administration of Alda-1, an activator of ALDH2, with nitroglycerin improves metabolism of reactive aldehyde adducts and prevents the nitroglycerin-induced increase in cardiac dysfunction following myocardial infarction. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms associated with the benefits and risks of nitroglycerin administration in myocardial infarction. (167 of 200).

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains the leading cause of death in developed countries. Although reperfusion of coronary arteries reduces mortality, it is associated with tissue injury. Endothelial P-selectin–mediated infiltration of neutrophils plays a key role in reperfusion injury. However, the mechanism of the P-selectin induction is not known. Here we show that infarct size after ischemia/reperfusion was significantly smaller in mice lacking guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A), a natriuretic peptide receptor. The decrease was accompanied by decreases in neutrophil infiltration in coronary endothelial P-selectin expression. Pretreatment with HS-142-1, a GC-A antagonist, also decreased infarct size and P-selectin induction in wild-type mice. In cultured endothelial cells, activation of GC-A augmented H2O2-induced P-selectin expression. Furthermore, ischemia/reperfusion–induced activation of NF-κB, a transcription factor that is known to promote P-selectin expression, is suppressed in GC-A–deficient mice. These results suggest that inhibition of GC-A alleviates ischemia/reperfusion injury through suppression of NF-κB–mediated P-selectin induction. This novel, GC-A–mediated mechanism of ischemia/reperfusion injury may provide the basis for applying GC-A blockade in the clinical treatment of reperfusion injury.

A series of brief ischemia/reperfusion cycles (termed ischemic preconditioning, IPC) limits myocardial injury produced by a subsequent prolonged period of coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion. Over the last 2 decades our understanding of IPC’s mechanism has increased exponentially. Hearts exposed to IPC have a better metabolic and ionic status during prolonged ischemia compared to naïve hearts. However, this difference is not thought to be the main mechanism by which IPC protects against infarction. Signaling pathways that are activated by IPC distinguish IPC hearts from naïve hearts. During the trigger phase of IPC, adenosine, bradykinin and opioid receptors are occupied. Although these three receptors trigger signaling through divergent pathways, the signaling converges on protein kinase C. We have proposed that at the end of the index ischemia the activated PKC sensitizes the low-affinity A2b adenosine receptor (A2bAR) through phosphorylation of either the receptor or its coupling proteins so that A2bAR can be activated by endogenous adenosine released by the previously ischemic cardiomyocytes. The sensitized A2bAR would then be responsible for activation of the survival kinases including PI3 kinase, Akt and ERK which then act to inhibit lethal mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation which normally uncouples mitochondria and destroys many myocytes in the first minutes of reperfusion. Herein we review the evidence for the above mechanisms and their functional details.

The recent use of vasodilators to improve ventricular function in acute myocardial infarction led us to investigate the effects of nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, and phentolamine on coronary collateral flow. Dogs were studied 2-4 wk after an ameroid constrictor was placed around the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Retrograde flow and peripheral coronary pressure were measured from a cannula inserted in the LAD distal to the ameroid. Systemic arterial pressure was held constant by an aortic cuff. When administered intracoronary (i.c.), nitroglycerin, 0.3-100 μg/min, or nitroprusside, 3-100 μg/min, produced quantitatively similar, dose-dependent increases in retrograde flow. Neither drug, i.c., changed peripheral coronary pressure. Nitroglycerin, 3-300 μg/min, intravenous (i.v.), produced dose-dependent increases in retrograde flow; nitroprusside, i.v., increased retrograde flow only in high doses (100-300 μg/min). Nitroglycerin and nitroprusside, i.v., produced similar increases in peripheral coronary pressure. Phentolamine, 1-300 μg/min, i.v., decreased retrograde flow, and did not change peripheral coronary pressure. Nitroprusside was considerably more potent than nitroglycerin in decreasing systemic arterial pressure and in reducing total coronary resistance. Thus, (a) although i.c. nitroglycerin and nitroprusside produce similar effects on collateral function, i.v. nitroglycerin is more effective than i.v. nitroprusside in augmenting collateral flow; (b) phentolamine has deleterious effects on collateral function; and (c) the relative vasodilator potencies of nitroglycerin and nitroprusside vary in different vascular beds; thus, for a given reduction in systemic arterial pressure, nitroprusside is less effective in increasing retrograde flow.