title: Stretch-activated channels in the heart: contributions to length-dependence and to cardiomyopathy.
abstract: The stretch-induced increase in force production of ventricular muscle is biphasic. An abrupt increase in force coincides with the stretch, which is then followed by a slower response that develops over minutes (the slow force response or SFR). The SFR is accompanied by a slow increase in the magnitude of the intracellular Ca2+ transient, but the stretch-dependent mechanisms that give rise to this remain controversial. We characterized the SFR using right ventricular trabeculae from mouse hearts. Application of three different blockers of stretch-activated non-selective cation channels (SAC NSC) reduced the magnitude of the SFR 60s after stretch (400 microM streptomycin: from 86+/-25% to 38+/-14%, P<0.01, n=9; 10 microM GdCl3: from 65+/-21%, to 12+/-7%, P<0.01, n=7; 10 microM GsMTx-4 from 122+/-40% to 15+/-8%, P<0.05, n=6). Streptomycin also decreased the increase in Ca2+ transient amplitude 60s after the stretch from 43.5+/-12.7% to 5.7+/-3.5% (P<0.05, n=4), and reduced the stretch-dependent increase in intracellular Ca2+ in quiescent muscles when stretched. The transient receptor potential, canonical channels TRPC1 and TRPC6 are mechano-sensitive, non-selective cation channels. They are expressed in mouse ventricular muscle, and could therefore be responsible for stretch-dependent influx of Na+ and/or Ca2+ during the SFR. Expression of TRPC1 was investigated in the mdx heart, a mouse model of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Resting Ca2+ was raised in isolated myocytes from old mdx animals, which was blocked by application of SAC blockers. Expression of TRPC1 was increased in the older mdx animals, which have developed a dilated cardiomyopathy, and might therefore contribute to the dilated cardiomyopathy.
authors: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. m.ward@auckland.ac.nz
authors: Marie-Louise
authors: ML
authors: Ward
authors: Iwan A
authors: IA
authors: Williams
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Chu
authors: Patricia J
authors: PJ
authors: Cooper
authors: Yue-Kun
authors: YK
authors: Ju
authors: David G
authors: DG
authors: Allen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; C411249:MTx4 protein, Grammostola spatulata; D010455:Peptides; D013111:Spider Venoms; D002118:Calcium; D013307:Streptomycin