ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Abstract—Although stimulation of the &bgr;-adrenergic receptor increases levels of cAMP and activation of the cAMP response element (CRE) in cardiac myocytes, the role of the signaling mechanism regulated by cAMP in hypertrophy and apoptosis is not well understood. In this study we show that protein expression of inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), an endogenous inhibitor of CRE-mediated transcription, is induced by stimulation of isoproterenol (ISO), a &bgr;-adrenergic agonist with a peak at ≈12 hours and persisting for more than 24 hours in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. ICER is also upregulated by phenylephrine but not by endothelin-1. Continuous infusion of ISO also increased ICER in the rat heart in vivo. Overexpression of ICER significantly attenuated ISO- and phenylephrine-induced cardiac hypertrophy but did not inhibit endothelin-1–induced cardiac hypertrophy. Overexpression of ICER also stimulated cardiac myocyte apoptosis. Antisense inhibition of ICER significantly enhanced &bgr;-adrenergic hypertrophy, whereas it significantly inhibited &bgr;-adrenergic cardiac myocyte apoptosis, suggesting that endogenous ICER works as an important regulator of cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis. Inhibition of CRE-mediated transcription by dominant-negative CRE binding protein inhibited cardiac hypertrophy, whereas it stimulated cardiac myocyte apoptosis, thereby mimicking the effect of ICER. Both ISO and ICER reduced expression of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic molecule, whereas antisense ICER prevented ISO-induced downregulation of Bcl-2. These results suggest that ICER is upregulated by cardiac hypertrophic stimuli increasing CRE-mediated transcription in cardiac myocytes and acts as a negative regulator of hypertrophy and a positive mediator of apoptosis, in part through both inhibition of CRE-mediated transcription and downregulation of Bcl-2.

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Abstract—Rho-kinase, an effector of Rho GTPase, increases the contractility of vascular smooth muscle by phosphorylating myosin light chain (MLC) and by inactivating MLC phosphatase. A wide variety of extracellular stimuli activate RhoA via G protein–coupled receptors. In the present study, we demonstrate a novel cell-cell interaction–mediated Rho activation signaling pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Among many receptor tyrosine kinases, the Eph family receptors are unique in that they require cell-cell interaction to engage their ligands, ephrin. We found that a novel VSMC-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Rho (Vsm-RhoGEF/KIAA0915) was expressed specifically in VSMCs of several organs including the heart, aorta, liver, kidney, and spleen, as examined by the immunohistochemical analysis using a specific antibody against Vsm-RhoGEF. Based on the association of Vsm-RhoGEF with EphA4 in quiescent cells, we tested whether EphA4 and Vsm-RhoGEF were expressed in the same tissue and further studied the molecular mechanism of Vsm-RhoGEF regulation by EphA4. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that EphA4 and Vsm-RhoGEF expression overlapped in VSMCs. Additionally, tyrosine phosphorylation of Vsm-RhoGEF induced by EphA4 upon ephrin-A1 stimulation enhanced the Vsm-RhoGEF activity for RhoA. The requirement of Vsm-RhoGEF for ephrin-A1–induced assembly of actin stress fibers in VSMCs was shown by the overexpression of a dominant-negative form of VSM-RhoGEF and by the depletion of Vsm-RhoGEF using RNA interference. These results suggested that ephrin-A1–triggered EphA4-Vsm-RhoGEF-RhoA pathway is involved in the cell-cell interaction–mediated RhoA activation that regulates vascular smooth muscle contractility.

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Abstract—Human embryonic stem (hES) cells can differentiate in vitro, forming embryoid bodies (EBs) composed of derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers. Spontaneously contracting outgrowths from these EBs contain cardiomyocytes (CMs); however, the types of human CMs and their functional properties are unknown. This study characterizes the contractions and action potentials (APs) from beating EB outgrowths cultured for 40 to 95 days. Spontaneous and electrical field-stimulated contractions were measured with video edge-detection microscopy. &bgr;-Adrenergic stimulation with 1.0 &mgr;mol/L isoproterenol resulted in a significant increase in contraction magnitude. Intracellular electrical recordings using sharp KCl microelectrodes in beating EB outgrowths revealed three distinct classes of APs: nodal-like, embryonic atrial-like, and embryonic ventricular-like. The APs were described as embryonic based on the relatively depolarized resting membrane potential and slow AP upstroke. Repeated impalements of an individual beating outgrowth revealed a reproducible AP morphology recorded from different cells, suggesting that each outgrowth is composed of a predominant cell type. Complex functional properties typical of cardiac muscle were observed in the hES cell-derived CMs including rate adaptation of AP duration and provoked early and delayed afterdepolarizations. Repolarization of the AP showed a significant role forIKrbased on E-4031 induced prolongation of AP duration as anticipated for human CMs. In conclusion, hES cells can differentiate into multiple types of CMs displaying functional properties characteristic of embryonic human cardiac muscle. Thus, hES provide a renewable source of distinct types of human cardiac myocytes for basic research, pharmacological testing, and potentially therapeutic applications.

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Abstract—Free [Ca2+] inside the sarcoplasmic reticulum ([Ca2+]SR) is difficult to measure yet critically important in controlling many cellular systems. In cardiac myocytes, [Ca2+]SRregulates cardiac contractility. We directly measure [Ca2+]SRin intact cardiac myocytes dynamically and quantitatively during beats, with high spatial resolution. Diastolic [Ca2+]SR(1 to 1.5 mmol/L) is only partially depleted (24% to 63%) during contraction. There is little temporal delay in the decline in [Ca2+]SRat release junctions and between junctions, indicating rapid internal diffusion. The incomplete local Ca2+release shows that the inherently positive feedback of Ca2+-induced Ca2+release terminates, despite a large residual driving force. These findings place stringent novel constraints on how excitation-contraction coupling works in heart and also reveal a Ca2+store reserve that could in principle be a therapeutic target to enhance cardiac function in heart failure.

ISSN:0009-7330    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID