Diabetic hearts exhibit decreased responsiveness to stimulation by ␤-adrenoreceptor (␤-AR) agonists. This decrease in activity may be due to changes in expression and/or signaling of ␤-AR. Recently we showed that right atrial strips from 14-week streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat hearts exhibit decreased responsiveness to ␤ 1 -AR agonist stimulation, but not to ␤ 2 -AR agonist. In the present study, we investigated the effects of long-term diabetes on the expression of cardiac ␤ 1 -, ␤ 2 -, and ␤ 3 -ARs and looked at whether these changes could be restored with insulin treatment. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), PAGE, and Western blot analysis, we found that ␤ 1 -AR mRNA and protein levels decreased by 34.9 ± 5.8 and 44.4 ± 5.8%, respectively, in 14 week-STZtreated diabetic rat hearts when compared with agematched controls. On the other hand, mRNA levels encoding ␤ 2 -and ␤ 3 -ARs increased by 72.5 ± 16.6 and 97.3 ± 26.1%, respectively. Although the latter translated into a proportional increase in ␤ 3 -AR protein levels (100.0 ± 17.0%), ␤ 2 -AR protein levels decreased to 82.6 ± 1.1% of control. Insulin treatment for 2 weeks, after 12 weeks of untreated diabetes, partially restored ␤ 1 -AR mRNA and protein levels to 60.1 ± 8.4 and 83.2 ± 5.0%, respectively, of control. Although insulin treatment minimally attenuated the rise in mRNA levels encoding ␤ 2 -and ␤ 3 -ARs, the steady-state levels of these proteins returned to near control values. These data suggest that the decreased responsiveness of diabetic hearts to stimulation of ␤-AR agonists may be due to a decrease in ␤ 1 -AR and an increase ␤ 3 -AR expression. Diabetes 50: [455][456][457][458][459][460][461] 2001

Prolongation of relaxation is a hallmark of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Most studies attribute this defect to decreases in sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca 2؉ -ATPase (SERCA2a) expression and SERCA2a-to-phospholamban (PLB) ratio. Since its turnover rate is slow, SERCA2a is susceptible to posttranslational modifications during diabetes. These modifications could in turn compromise conformational rearrangements needed to translocate calcium ions, also leading to a decrease in SERCA2a activity. In the present study one such modification was investigated, namely advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Hearts from 8-week streptozotocin-induced diabetic (8D) rats showed typical slowing in relaxation, confirming cardiomyopathy. Hearts from 8D animals also expressed lower levels of SERCA2a protein and higher levels of PLB. Analysis of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass data files from trypsin-digested SERCA2a revealed several cytosolic SERCA2a peptides from 8D modified by single noncrosslinking AGEs. Crosslinked AGEs were also found. Lysine residues within actuator and phosphorylation domains were cross-linked to arginine residues within the nucleotide binding domain via pentosidine AGEs. Two weeks of insulin-treatment initiated after 6 weeks of diabetes attenuated these changes. These data demonstrate for the first time that AGEs are formed on SERCA2a during diabetes, suggesting a novel mechanism by which cardiac relaxation can be slowed during diabetes. Diabetes 53: [463][464][465][466][467][468][469][470][471][472][473] 2004 R eductions in rate and force of cardiac contractions are root causes for the increased incidence of morbidity and mortality among diabetic patients (1-3). Studies show that this "diabetic cardiomyopathy" is independent of coronary vascular diseases and is brought about by shifts in metabolism, cellular biochemistry, and structure (4 -8). At the molecular level, decreases in chronotropy and inotropy result from alterations in expression and/or function of several sarcolemmal membrane receptors and associated signal transduction proteins as well as other key proteins involved in regulating/maintaining intracellular ionic homeostasis (9 -11). Of particular interest is a transport protein on the sarcoplasmic reticular membrane that plays an integral role in cardiac relaxation. This protein, referred to as sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca 2ϩ -ATPase (SERCA2a), is responsible for replenishing intracellular calcium stores following release and in so doing terminate contraction.SERCA2a is a member of a large family of P-type ATPase enzymes that utilizes the energy generated from hydrolysis of terminal phosphate bond of ATP to pump calcium against its electrochemical gradient (12,13). SERCA1a is the best studied of these single polypeptides. It consists of 10 transmembrane helixes (M1 through M10) and three cytoplasmic domains, referred to as A (actuator), N (nucleotide binding) and P (phosphorylation) domains (14). Translocation of calcium ions from the cytosol to the lumen of...

Obesity is associated with marked increases in plasma leptin concentration, and hyperleptinemia is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. As a result, the purpose of this investigation was to test the following hypotheses: 1) leptin receptors are expressed in coronary endothelial cells; and 2) hyperleptinemia induces coronary endothelial dysfunction. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the leptin receptor gene is expressed in canine coronary arteries and human coronary endothelium. Furthermore, immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the long-form leptin receptor protein (ObRb) is present in human coronary endothelium. The functional effects of leptin were determined using pressurized coronary arterioles (<130 microm) isolated from Wistar rats, Zucker rats, and mongrel dogs. Leptin induced pharmacological vasodilation that was abolished by denudation and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester and was absent in obese Zucker rats. Intracoronary leptin dose-response experiments were conducted in anesthetized dogs. Normal and obese concentrations of leptin (0.1-3.0 microg/min ic) did not significantly change coronary blood flow or myocardial oxygen consumption; however, obese concentrations of leptin significantly attenuated the dilation to graded intracoronary doses of acetylcholine (0.3-30.0 microg/min). Additional experiments were performed in canine coronary rings, and relaxation to acetylcholine (6.25 nmol/l-6.25 micromol/l) was significantly attenuated by obese concentrations of leptin (625 pmol/l) but not by physiological concentrations of leptin (250 pmol/l). The major findings of this investigation were as follows: 1) the ObRb is present in coronary arteries and coupled to pharmacological, nitric oxide-dependent vasodilation; and 2) hyperleptinemia produces significant coronary endothelial dysfunction.

Recent studies implicate channels of the transient receptor potential vanilloid family (e.g., TRPV1) in regulating vascular tone; however, little is known about these channels in the coronary circulation. Furthermore, it is unclear whether metabolic syndrome alters the function and/or expression of TRPV1. We tested the hypothesis that TRPV1 mediates coronary vasodilation through endothelium-dependent mechanisms that are impaired by the metabolic syndrome. Studies were conducted on coronary arteries from lean and obese male Ossabaw miniature swine. In lean pigs, capsaicin, a TRPV1 agonist, relaxed arteries in a dose-dependent manner (EC50 = 116 +/- 41 nM). Capsaicin-induced relaxation was blocked by the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine, endothelial denudation, inhibition of nitric oxide synthase, and K+ channel antagonists. Capsaicin-induced relaxation was impaired in rings from pigs with metabolic syndrome (91 +/- 4% vs. 51 +/- 10% relaxation at 100 microM). TRPV1 immunoreactivity was prominent in coronary endothelial cells. TRPV1 protein expression was decreased 40 +/- 11% in obese pigs. Capsaicin (100 microM) elicited divalent cation influx that was abolished in endothelial cells from obese pigs. These data indicate that TRPV1 channels are functionally expressed in the coronary circulation and mediate endothelium-dependent vasodilation through a mechanism involving nitric oxide and K+ channels. Impaired capsaicin-induced vasodilation in the metabolic syndrome is associated with decreased expression of TRPV1 and cation influx.

The role of large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK(Ca)) channels in regulation of coronary microvascular function is widely appreciated, but molecular and functional changes underlying the deleterious influence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) have not been determined. Male Ossabaw miniature swine consumed for 3-6 mo a normal diet (11% kcal from fat) or an excess-calorie atherogenic diet that induces MetS (45% kcal from fat, 2% cholesterol, 20% kcal from fructose). MetS significantly impaired coronary vasodilation to the BK(Ca) opener NS-1619 in vivo (30-100 microg) and reduced the contribution of these channels to adenosine-induced microvascular vasodilation in vitro (1-100 microM). MetS reduced whole cell penitrem A (1 microM)-sensitive K(+) current and NS-1619-activated (10 microM) current in isolated coronary vascular smooth muscle cells. MetS increased the concentration of free intracellular Ca(2+) and augmented coronary vasoconstriction to the L-type Ca(2+) channel agonist BAY K 8644 (10 pM-10 nM). BK(Ca) channel alpha and beta(1) protein expression was increased in coronary arteries from MetS swine. Coronary vascular dysfunction in MetS is related to impaired BK(Ca) channel function and is accompanied by significant increases in L-type Ca(2+) channel-mediated coronary vasoconstriction.