title: Polyamines decrease Ca(2+) sensitivity of tension and increase rates of activation in skinned cardiac myocytes.
abstract: Owing in part to their interactions with membrane proteins, polyamines (e.g., spermine, spermidine, and putrescine) have been identified as potential modulators of membrane excitability and Ca(2+) homeostasis in cardiac myocytes. To investigate whether polyamines also affect cardiac myofilament proteins, we assessed the effects of polyamines on contractility using rat myocytes and trabeculae that had been permeabilized with Triton X-100. Spermine, spermidine, and putrescine reversibly increased the [Ca(2+)] required for half-maximal tension (i.e., right-shifted tension pCa curves), with the following order of efficacy: spermine (+4) > spermidine (+3) > putrescine (+2). However, synthetic analogs that differed from spermine in charge distribution were not as effective as spermine in altering isometric tension. None of the polyamines had a significant effect on maximal tension, except at high concentrations. After flash photolysis of DM-Nitrophen (a caged Ca(2+) chelator), spermine accelerated the rate of tension development at low and intermediate but not high [Ca(2+)]. These results indicate that polyamines, especially spermine, interact with myofilament proteins to reduce apparent Ca(2+) binding affinity and speed cross-bridge cycling kinetics at submaximal [Ca(2+)].
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. spharris@facstaff.wisc.edu
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Marton
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013095:Spermidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013096:Spermine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C082768:BE 4-4-4-4; D013096:Spermine; C052614:N(1), N(12)-diethylspermine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium; D013095:Spermidine; D011700:Putrescine