title: Effects of chronic endothelin-1 stimulation on cardiac myocyte contractile function.
abstract: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has acute positive inotropic effects, but consequences of chronically increased ET-1 on contractile function of cardiac myocytes are largely unknown. In the present study, effects of long-term treatment with ET-1 (10 nM) for 5 days on both force development [force of contraction (FOC)] and kinetics of contraction were determined in heart tissue reconstituted from rat cardiac cells. Isometric force was measured in response to cumulative concentrations of Ca(2+) and isoprenaline. ET-1 augmented basal FOC by 64 +/- 11% (P < 0.05), which was associated with a significantly blunted contractile response to Ca(2+) and isoprenaline. Moreover, ET-1 significantly prolonged relaxation (62 +/- 3 vs. 53 +/- 2 ms). Selective ET(A) (BQ-123) and ET(B) receptor blockade (BQ-788) demonstrated that effects of ET-1 on contractile function were mediated through the ET(A) receptor subtype. Effects of ET-1 were prevented by cotreatment with either Ro31-8425, a PKC inhibitor, or dimethylamiloride, an inhibitor of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger. In contrast to long-term ET-1 treatment, no changes in contractile parameters were observed after ET-1 treatment for 3 h before force measurement. These data suggest that chronic ET-1 stimulation has dual effects on contractility: improvement of basal force but impairment of twitch kinetics and inotropic responsiveness to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation. The signaling pathways involved include ET(A) receptors, PKC, and the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger. The present in vitro findings raise the possibility that ET-1 may exert both adaptive and maladaptive effects in the failing myocardium in which local accumulation of ET-1 is present.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. Zolk@pharmakologie.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zolk
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Münzel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eschenhagen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D007700:Kinetics; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A / Q000187:drug effects; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B / Q000187:drug effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; D010649:Phenylalanine; D011493:Protein Kinase C