The objective of this study was to determine whether a defect in mitochondrial respiratory function accompanies the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. The hypothesis tested in this study is that a decrease in Ca2+ uptake into mitochondria may prevent the stimulation of Ca(2+)-sensitive matrix dehydrogenases and the rate of ATP synthesis. Streptozotocin (55 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rats were used as a model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Hearts from 4-wk diabetic rats had basal heart rates and rates of contraction and relaxation similar to control. Isoproterenol caused a similar increase in the rate of contraction in diabetic and control hearts, whereas the peak rate of relaxation was reduced in diabetic hearts. Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was reduced in mitochondria from diabetic hearts after 2 wk of diabetes. Na(+)-induced Ca2+ release was unchanged. State 3 respiration rate was depressed in mitochondria from diabetic rats only when the respiration was supported by the substrate of a Ca(2+)-regulated matrix enzyme. The pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was reduced in diabetic mitochondria compared with that of control. It was concluded that mitochondria from diabetic hearts had a decreased capacity to upregulate ATP synthesis via stimulation of Ca(2+)-sensitive matrix dehydrogenases. The impairment in the augmentation of ATP synthesis rate accompanies a decreased rate of relaxation during increased work load.

SUMMARY1. Low concentrations of ouabain which produce a positive inotropic effect on rat ventricular muscle do not inhibit the isolated Na+-K+-ATPase enzyme from this tissue, suggesting that these low-concentration inotropic effects are not related to sodium pump inhibition (Erdmann, Philipp & Scholz, 1980; Adams, Schwartz, Grupp, Grupp, Lee, Wallick, Powell, Twist & Gathiram, 1982).2. We tested this hypothesis by continuously measuring intracellular Na+ activity with Na+-selective micro-electrodes and, separately, twitch tension of rat ventricular muscle during exposure to and wash-out of ouabain.3. Intracellular Na+ activity (a~8) and transmembrane potential of quiescent muscle cells averaged 8-5 + 2-6 mm (mean + S.D., n = 27) and -79-2 + 2-4 mV (n = 34) respectively. 4. Low concentrations of ouabain (0-1, 0-5 and 1-0 #tm) produced concentrationdependent increases in both a'a and twitch tension. At lower concentrations of ouabain (0'01 and 0-05 EM), no detectable changes in aka and twitch tension were observed.5. The data strongly indicate that in rat ventricular muscle sodium pump inhibition is present at low concentrations of ouabain which produce positive inotropy. This is consistent with previous results in canine and sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres.

In the present study, isolated dog and rat hearts were perfused in the Langendorff mode with Krebs bicarbonate buffer in the absence and presence of 10(-5) M oligomycin. The perfusion protocols employed allowed tissue pH to drop during subsequent ischemic incubations essentially as it would in blood-perfused hearts. Tissue pH, ATP, lactate, and mitochondrial respiratory function were measured during the course of subsequent zero-flow ischemic incubations. The adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activities attributable to both mitochondrial and nonmitochondrial ATPases in sonicated heart homogenates and the actomyosin ATPase in isolated cardiac myofibrils were measured in both species. Consistent with earlier results with a different model in which tissue pH was buffered during the ischemic incubations [W. Rouslin, J. L. Erickson, and R. J. Solaro. Am. J. Physiol. 250 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 19): H503-H508, 1986], the inhibition of the mitochondrial ATPase in situ by oligomycin markedly slowed both tissue ATP depletion and the loss of mitochondrial function during ischemia in the dog. However, oligomycin had only a very small and transient effect on ATP depletion and mitochondrial function in the rat. This was apparently so because of the fivefold higher rate of glycolytic ATP production as well as the nearly threefold higher total nonmitochondrial ATPase activity of ischemic rat compared with ischemic dog heart. These results suggest that although the inhibition of the mitochondrial ATPase makes a major contribution to ATP conservation in ischemic dog heart, it makes only a very small contribution in rat.

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RMI 12330A, a lactam‐imine, at concentrations of 10−4 m and higher, inhibited basal as well as isoprenaline and NaF‐stimulated adenylate cyclase activity of guinea‐pig heart homogenates. However, RMI 12330A was a more potent inhibitor of histamine‐stimulated adenylate cyclase (IC50 of 1.5 × 10−5 m). In the isolated work‐performing heart of the guinea‐pig, RMI 12330A (IC50 of 1.1 × 10−6 m) depressed all cardiac functions: pressures developed, dP/dt, contractile force, dF/dt, work performance and stroke work. Left atrial pressure rose and the positive inotropic response to increasing heart rate (staircase) became negative. Histamine, isoprenaline and ouabain no longer caused positive inotropic effects. Increasing the perfusate calcium concentration from 2.5 mm to 4.5 and 6.5 mm completely restored cardiac function after its depression by RMI 12330A. RMI 12330A uncoupled mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation; the classical uncoupler, dinitrophenol, had the same effects on cardiac dynamics as RMI 12330A. RMI in high doses inhibited hydrolytic activity of Na+, K+‐ATPase of crude and purified heart preparations (IC50 of 1.7 × 10−4 m) and inhibited ouabain binding to the same enzymes (IC50 of 1.5 × 10−4 m). A lactam‐imine analogue of RMI 12330A that had no effect on adenylate cyclase, was also without effect on any of the systems examined.

The ability of digitalis compounds to counteract calcium antagonist overdose was studied in anesthetized dogs (n = 6, 13.5 +/- 0.7 kg) and isolated trabeculae from human hearts (n = 7). Digitalis caused by increasing intracellular cytosolic Ca2+ concentration through Na+/Ca(2+)-exchange across the cell membrane, was postulated to overcome the detrimental effects of excessive slow calcium-channel blockade. In anesthetized dogs, an infusion of verapamil (40 mg/30 min, i.v.) decreased mean arterial pressure from 88 +/- 6 to 66 +/- 6 mm Hg (P < 0.05), reduced systemic vascular resistance (SVR) from 3838 +/- 916 to 2200 +/- 669 dyne.s/cm5 (P < 0.05), and induced total atrio-ventricular (A-V) block in three animals. Stroke volume (SV) remained unchanged. Administration (i.v.) of NaCl (0.9%, 200 ml) and calcium gluconate (100 mg)--to increase the availability of Na+ and Ca(2+)--together with atropine (0.2 mg)--to block the parasympathetic effects of digoxin on A-V conduction--increased left ventricular contractility (15%) but had no significant effects on blood pressure, SV, or A-V block. Digoxin (0.125 mg) returned sinus rhythm in all dogs and, by increasing SVR (P < 0.05) and left ventricular contractility (P < 0.05), returned arterial pressures to baseline. Because of increased afterload, SV decreased slightly (15%) despite increased cardiac contractility. In experiments with isolated trabeculae from diseased human hearts, TA 3090 (Clentiazem) depressed contractile force and ouabain, another glycoside, restored contractile force within 30 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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