title: Gender influences on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-handling in failing human myocardium.
abstract: Gender has recently been implicated as an important modulator of cardiovascular disease. However, it is not known how gender may specifically influence the Ca2+-handling deficits that characterize the depressed cardiac contractility of human heart failure. To elucidate the contributory role of gender to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ cycling alterations, the protein levels of SR Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), phospholamban, and calsequestrin, as well as the site-specific phospholamban phosphorylation status, were quantified in a mixed gender population of failing (n=14) and donor (n=15) myocardia. The apparent affinity (EC50) and the maximal velocity (Vmax) of SR Ca2+-uptake were also determined to lend functional significance to any observed protein alterations. Phospholamban and calsequestrin levels were not altered; however, SERCA protein levels were significantly reduced in failing hearts. Additionally, phospholamban phosphorylation (serine-16 and threonine-17 sites) and myocardial cAMP content were both attenuated. The alterations in SR protein levels were also accompanied by a decreased V(max)and an increased EC50 (diminished apparent affinity) of SR Ca2+-uptake for Ca2+ in failing myocardia. Myocardial protein levels and Ca2+ uptake parameters were then analyzed with respect to gender, which revealed that the decreases in phosphorylated serine-16 were specific to male failing hearts, reflecting increases in the EC50 values of SR Ca2+-uptake for Ca2+, compared to donor males. These findings suggest that although decreased SERCA protein and phospholamban phosphorylation levels contribute to depressed SR Ca2+-uptake and left ventricular function in heart failure, the specific subcellular alterations which underlie these effects may not be uniform with respect to gender.
authors: Department of Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0575, USA.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Dash
authors: K F
authors: KF
authors: Frank
authors: A N
authors: AN
authors: Carr
authors: C S
authors: CS
authors: Moravec
authors: E G
authors: EG
authors: Kranias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002155:Calsequestrin / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D000099211:Phospholamban
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D002155:Calsequestrin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000099211:Phospholamban