The present study was performed to compare the effects of the new positive inotropic phosphodiesterase III inhibitors pimobendan, adibendan, and saterinone on the isometric force of contraction in electrically driven ventricular trabeculae carneae isolated from explanted failing (end-stage myocardial failure) with those from nonfailing (prospective organ donors) human hearts. In preparations from nonfailing hearts the phosphodiesterase inhibitors, as well as the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline, the cardiac glycoside dihydro-ouabain, and calcium, which were studied for comparison, revealed pronounced positive inotropic effects. The maximal effects of pimobendan, adibendan, and saterinone amounted to 56%, 36% and 45%, respectively, of the maximal effect of calcium. In contrast, in preparations from failing hearts the phosphodiesterase III inhibitors failed to significantly increase the force of contraction and the effect of isoprenaline was markedly reduced. The effects of dihydroouabain and calcium were almost unaltered. The diminished effects of isoprenaline were restored by the concomitant application of phosphodiesterase inhibitors. To elucidate the underlying mechanism of the lack of effect of the phosphodiesterase III inhibitors in the failing heart we also investigated the inhibitory effects of these compounds on the activities of the phosphodiesterase isoenzymes I-III separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography from both kinds of myocardial tissue. Furthermore, the effects of pimobendan and isoprenaline on the content of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (determined by radioimmunoassays) of intact contracting trabeculae were studied. The lack of effect of the phosphodiesterase inhibitors in failing human hearts could not be explained by an altered phosphodiesterase inhibition, since the properties of the phosphodiesterase isoenzymes I-III and also the inhibitory effects of the phosphodiesterase inhibitors on these isoenzymes did not differ between failing and nonfailing human myocardial tissue. Instead, it may be due to a diminished formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in failing hearts, presumably caused mainly by a defect in receptor-adenylate cyclase coupling at least in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Both the basal and the pimobendan-stimulated or isoprenaline-stimulated contents of cyclic adenosine monophosphate of intact contracting trabeculae from failing hearts were decreased compared with the levels in nonfailing hearts. However, under the combined action of isoprenaline and pimobendan the cyclic adenosine monophosphate level reached values as high as with each compound alone in nonfailing preparations, and in addition the positive inotropic effect of isoprenaline was restored. These findings may have important clinical implications. Along with the elevated levels of circulating catecholamines the positive inotropic effects of the phosphodiesterase inhibitors may be maintained in patients with heart failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Effects of a putative A2-adenosine receptor agonist 2-[(p-2-carboxyethyl)-phenethylamino]-5'-N-ethyl-carboxamide-adeno sine (CGS 21680C) on force of contraction, protein phosphorylation, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content, and the activity of phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoenzymes in guinea pig ventricular (GPV) preparations were studied. CGS 21680C (1-100 microM) did not affect force of contraction in isolated electrically driven papillary muscles and was ineffective in increasing phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLB) and the inhibitory subunit of troponin (TnI) in [32P]-labeled GPV cardiomyocytes. However, under the same conditions, CGS 21680C (10 microM) increased cAMP content from 4.3 +/- 0.2 to 13.0 +/- 0.6 pmol/mg protein, and this effect was completely abolished by A2-adenosine receptor antagonist 9-chloro-2-(2-furanyl)-5,6-dihydro-1,2,4-triazolo-(1,5-c)quinazolin++ +-5-imine (CGS 15943A). CGS 21680C (10 microM) inhibited PDE isoenzymes I, II, III, IV by 7.0, 8.3, 4.7, and 23.2%, respectively. Similarly, rolipram (100 microM), a selective PDE IV inhibitor, increased cAMP content from 4.4 +/- 0.3 to 7.2 +/- 0.3 pmol/mg protein without affecting the phosphorylation state of PLB and TnI. We conclude that CGS 21680C increases cAMP content in GPV cardiomyocytes by activation of adenylyl cyclase or in part by inhibition of PDE IV activity. The increase in cAMP content by CGS 21680C or rolipram is ineffective in increasing phosphorylation of PLB and TnI. These results support the concept of compartments for cAMP or protein kinase A or both in cardiomyocytes that are not coupled to phosphorylation and contractility.

The present study compared the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities in cardiomyocytes and ventricular cardiac tissue from guinea‐pigs. The aim of the study was to determine whether PDE activities in ventricular tissue accurately reflect the isoenzymes present in cardiomyocytes. In homogenates of cardiomyocytes and multicellular ventricular tissue, four distinct soluble PDE activities could be separated by DEAE‐sepharose chromatography. In multicellular cardiac tissue as well as in cardiomyocyte preparations, adenosine 3′:5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) PDE isoenzymes I‐IV were comparable in terms of substrate affinities, and inhibition or stimulation by guanosine 3′:5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP). However, in cardiomyocytes the Vmax values of PDE I‐IV were lower by a factor of about 2 to 7 and the basal activities were lower by a factor of about 3 to 5 as compared to multicellular cardiac tissue. To investigate whether the PDE I‐IV activities were similarly inhibited by PDE inhibitors in both preparations, we studied the effects of 3‐isobutyl‐1‐methylxanthine (IBMX), UD‐CG 212 Cl (2‐(4‐hydroxy‐phenyl)‐5‐(5‐methyl‐3‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐2H‐6‐pyridazinyl)benzimidazole HCl) and rolipram. UD‐CG 212 Cl was a selective PDE III inhibitor in cardiomyocytes (IC50 0.3 μmol l−1) and in ventricular tissue (IC50 value 0.1 μmol l−1). Rolipram selectively inhibited PDE IV in cardiomyocytes (IC50 1.4 μmol ml−1) and in ventricular tissue (IC50 1.1 μmol l−1) whereas IBMX was a nonselective PDE inhibitor in both preparations. It is concluded that the PDE isoenzymes I‐IV from multicellular ventricular tissue can be used as a representative system for investigating PDE inhibiting properties of PDE inhibitors in the myocardium since comparable PDE isoenzymes I‐IV exist in guinea‐pig ventricular cardiomyocytes and multicellular ventricular tissue.