The role of alkaline protease in the development of cardiac lesions in myopathic hamsters: effect of verapamil treatment.
The role of alkaline protease in the development of myocardial lesions in myopathic hamsters was studied. There was abnormal elevation of alkaline protease in the myopathic heart at 1 month of age, preceding the development of cardiac lesions. In vivo treatments of verapamil were carried out in 1-month-old myopathic animals for 30 days. Results indicated that the drug treatment was effective in preventing the occurrence of the severe myocardial lesions found in the untreated animals at 2 months of age. Reduced lesion development was associated concomitantly with lowered levels of alkaline protease activity. Withdrawal of drug treatment caused the return of severe lesions and high levels of alkaline protease. The study of the alkaline protease activity in the skeletal muscle of the myopathic hamster also showed a parallel relationship between the enzyme levels and severity of lesions. The results are discussed in light of possible involvement of a serine protease and a Ca2+-activated protease in producing the cardiac lesions.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary; D006224:Cricetinae; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D014700:Verapamil / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014700:Verapamil; D010450:Endopeptidases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases