SR-33805

SR33805, a potent Ca(2+) channel blocker, increases cardiac myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity in healthy rat cardiomyocytes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of SR33805 on contractile properties in ischaemic failing hearts after myocardial infarction (MI) in vivo and in vitro at the cellular level.

The effect of SR33805 (10 µM) was tested on the excitation-contraction coupling of cardiomyocytes isolated from rat with end-stage heart failure. Cell shortening and Ca(2+) transients were measured in intact cardiomyocytes, while contractile properties were determined in Triton X-100 permeabilized myocytes. Acute treatment with SR33805 restored the MI-altered cell shortening without affecting the Ca(2+) transient amplitude, suggesting an increase of myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity in MI myocytes. Indeed, a SR33805-induced sensitization of myofilament activation was found to be associated with a slight increase in myosin light chain-2 phosphorylation and a more significant decrease on troponin I (TnI) phosphorylation. Decreased TnI phosphorylation was related to inhibition of protein kinase A activity by SR33805. Finally, administration of a single intra-peritoneal bolus of SR33805 (20 mg/kg) improved end-systolic strain and fractional shortening of MI hearts.

The present study indicates that treatment with SR33805 improved contractility of ischaemic failing hearts after MI in the rat by selectively modulating the phosphorylation status of sarcomeric regulatory proteins, which then sensitized the myofilaments to Ca(2+). Our results gave a proof of concept that manipulation of the Ca(2+) sensitivity of sarcomeric regulatory proteins can be used to improve contractility of a failing heart.

A mechanism by which Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) is autophosphorylated by changes in extracellular calcium in the absence of detectable changes in cytoplasmic [Ca(2+)] has been identified. We find that when the external Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](O)) is lowered, Ca(2+) is released from intracellular stores to maintain a constant cytoplasmic Ca(2+) level, gradually depleting the endoplasmic Ca(2+) stores. Accompanying the store-depletion is a rapid decrease in CaMKII activity. Approximately 25% of the measured CaMKII autophosphorylation in DRG neurons in culture can be regulated by Ca(2+) flux from intracellular stores caused by manipulating [Ca(2+)](O), as shown by blocking refilling of store-operated Ca(2+)-channels with SK&F 96365, Ruthenium Red, and a partial block with Ni(2+). Blocking voltage-gated Ca(2+)-channels with either isradipine or SR 33805, had no effect on CaMKII autophosphorylation induced by restoring Ca(2+)(O) to normal after depleting the intracellular Ca(2+) stores. These results show that removal of Ca(2+)(O) has profound effects on intracellular Ca(2+) signaling and CaMKII autophosphorylation, in the absence of measurable changes in intracellular Ca(2+). These findings have wide-ranging significance, because [Ca(2+)](O) is manipulated in many experimental studies. Moreover, this explanation for the paradoxical changes in CaMKII phosphorylation in response to manipulating [Ca(2+)](O) provides a possible mechanism linking activity-dependent depletion of Ca(2+) from the synaptic cleft to a protein kinase regulating many neuronal properties.