title: Effect of endothelin antagonism on contractility, intracellular calcium regulation and calcium regulatory protein expression in right ventricular hypertrophy of the rat.
abstract: We have documented the effects of long-term endothelin receptor antagonism on intracellular Ca2+ regulation and Ca2+ regulatory protein expression in rat hearts with right ventricular hypertrophy without signs of heart failure. Rats were given either a single injection of monocrotaline (50 mg/kg, n=9) resulting in pulmonary hypertension-induced myocardial hypertrophy, or monocrotaline followed by daily administration of the endothelin subtype-A receptor antagonist 2-benzo(1,3)dioxol-5-yl-3-benzyl-4-(4-methoxy-phenyl-)-4-oxobut-2-enoate-Na (PD 155080, 50 mg/kg) over 9 weeks (n=8). Hearts from saline-injected rats served as controls (n=9). Monocrotaline-treated animals developed marked right-sided hypertrophy without fibrosis as evident from hydroxyproline measurements, systolic contractility was increased, fully compensating for the increased afterload, but diastolic function was impaired as evident from protracted relaxation and slowed diastolic intracellular Ca2+ handling (measured by aequorin bioluminescence). In hypertrophic hearts, quantitative immunoblotting analyses showed increased levels both of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and phosphorylated phospholamban, along with decreased levels of total phospholamban, which is in line with strengthened right ventricular systolic function. PD 155080 reversed abnormalities in Ca2+ handling, although SERCA and phospholamban protein levels were not altered (P=not significant versus monocrotaline group). Thus, endothelin-A receptor antagonism attenuates right ventricular remodeling and improves myocardial Ca2+ handling, but has no discernable effect on elevated expression of SERCA and phospholamban observed in hypertrophic hearts. These data indicate that the hypotensive action of PD 155080 is independent of its effects, if any, on SERCA and its regulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Karl-Franzens-University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stessel
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brunner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016232:Endothelins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005260:Female; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016686:Monocrotaline / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004149:Dioxoles; D016232:Endothelins; C093322:PD 155080; D016686:Monocrotaline; D002118:Calcium