title: Mechanisms of the contractile effects of levosimendan in the mammalian heart.
abstract: In spontaneously beating guinea pig right atria, levosimendan (LS, or R-[[-(1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-4-methyl-6-oxo-3-pyridazinyl)- phenyl]-hydrazono]propanedinitrile) exerted a positive chronotropic effect starting at 0.1 microM. In electrically driven guinea pig left atria, LS (0.1-10 microM) increased force of contraction without changing time parameters of contraction. In electrically driven right papillary muscles, LS (0.1-10 microM) enhanced force of contraction without affecting time parameters of contraction. The maximal effect on force of contraction at 10 microM amounted to 130 +/- 8.6% of predrug value. The positive inotropic effect of LS in papillary muscles was greatly diminished by additionally applied carbachol. In [32P]-labeled guinea pig ventricular cardiomyocytes, LS increased the phosphorylation state of phospholamban, the inhibitory subunit of troponin and C-protein. The maximal effect at 1 microM amounted to 134 +/- 8.6%, 124 +/- 4.2% and 121 +/- 8% of control for phospholamben, the inhibitory subunit of troponin and C-protein, respectively. LS (1 microM) increased cAMP content from 6.3 +/- 0.3 to 8.1 +/- 0.3 pmol/mg protein in guinea pig ventricular cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, whole-cell patch-clamp studies were performed in guinea pig ventricular cardiomyocytes. In this setup, 10 microM LS increased the amplitude of L-type Ca++ current to 402 +/- 86% of predrug value.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bokník
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaspareit
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vahlensieck
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077464:Simendan
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006835:Hydrazones; D011506:Proteins; D011724:Pyridazines; D000077464:Simendan; D002217:Carbachol; D002118:Calcium