title: Calcium sparks in human ventricular cardiomyocytes from patients with terminal heart failure.
abstract: Cardiomyocytes from terminally failing hearts display significant abnormalities in e-c-coupling, contractility and intracellular Ca(2+) handling. This study is the first to demonstrate the influence of end-stage heart failure on specific properties of Ca(2+) sparks in human ventricular cardiomyocytes. We investigated the frequency and characteristics of spontaneously arising Ca(2+) sparks in single isolated human myocytes from terminally failing (HF) and non-failing (NF) control myocardium by using the Ca(2+) indicator Fluo-3. The Ca(2+) sparks were recorded by line-scan images along the longitudinal axis of the myocytes at a frequency of 250Hz. After loading the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) with Ca(2+) by repetitive field stimulation (10 pulses at 1Hz) the frequency of the Ca(2+) sparks immediately after stimulation (t = 0s) was reduced significantly in HF compared to NF (4.15 +/- 0.42 for NF vs. 2.81 +/- 0.20 for HF sparks s(-1), P = 0.05). This difference was present constantly in line-scan recordings up to 15s duration (t = 15s: 2.75 +/- 0.65 for NF vs. 1.36 +/- 0.34 for HF sparks s(-1), P = 0.05). The relative amplitude (F/F(0)) of Ca(2+) sparks was also significantly lower in HF cardiomyocytes (1.33 +/- 0.015 NF vs. 1.19 +/- 0.003 HF, t = 0s) and during subsequent recordings of 15s. Significant differences between HF and NF were also present in calculations of specific spark properties. The time to peak was estimated at 25.75 +/-0.88ms in HF and 18.68 +/- 0.45ms in NF cardiomyocytes (P = 0.05). Half-time of decay was 66.48 +/- 1.89ms (HF) vs. 44.15 +/- 1.65ms (NF, P < 0.05), and the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) was 3.99 +/- 0.06 microm (HF) vs. 3.5 +/- 0.07 microm (NF, P < 0.05). These data support the hypothesis that even in the absence of cardiac disease, Ca(2+) sparks from human cardiomyocytes differ from previous results of animal studies with respect to the time-to-peak, half-time of decay and FWHM. The role of elevated external Ca(2+) in HF was studied by recording Ca(2+) sparks in HF cardiomyocytes with 10mmol external Ca(2+) concentration. Under these conditions, the average spark amplitude was increased from 1.19 +/- 0.003 (F/F(0), 2mmol Ca(2+)) to 1.26 +/- 0.01 (F/F(0), 10mmol Ca(2+)). We conclude that human heart failure causes distinct changes in Ca(2+) spark frequency and characteristics comparable to results established in animal models of heart failure. A reduced Ca(2+) load of the SR alone is unlikely to account for the observed differences between HF and NF and additional alterations in intracellular Ca(2+) release mechanisms must be postulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine III, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. michael.lindner@uni-koeln.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hescheler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Böhle
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Beuckelmann
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium