n the failing myocardium, calcium overload has been shown to play an important role in causing a dysfunction in the myocardium, 1 and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced from impaired mitochondria, which thus further impairs the cellular function. [2][3][4] Betaadrenergic receptor blockers have been shown to be effective for interrupting this malignant cycle of heart failure, thus attenuating both the calcium overload and the mitochondrial dysfunction. 5,6 However, a recent clinical study, COMET, suggested that carvedilol had a better effect on the survival rate in patients with chronic heart failure than metoprolol. 7 This study proposed that 2-adrenergic blocking, -adrenergic receptor blocking, and other antioxidant effects might play a role in this occurrence. However, the underlying mechanism has yet to be well clarified. We hypothesized that carvedilol directly modifies the mitochondrial function, whereas also inhibiting the mitochondrial ROS production, especially from complex I 8 by -, -adrenergic receptor-independent mechanisms. To test this hypothesis, we isolated the rat heart mitochondria and evaluated the direct effect of carvedilol and metoprolol on the mitochondrial function, regarding such factors as the oxygen consumption and ROS production during calcium overload.
Circulation Journal Vol.70, March 2006
Methods
AnimalsMale Sprague -Dawley rats (7-9 weeks old, 300-350 g) were anesthetized with the intra-peritoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg) and then the heart was excised and rinsed with an ice-cold buffer containing 300 mmol/L mannitol, 10 mmol/L HEPES, 0.2 mmol/L EDTA, and 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA). The pH was adjusted to 7.4 with KOH. The hearts were trimmed and homogenized with a motor-driven Teflon Potter homogenizer for 1 min in an ice-cold buffer.
Isolation of Heart MitochondriaMitochondria were then isolated by the centrifuge method, as previously described with slight modifications. 9,10 The heart homogenate was centrifuged at 700 G for 10 min at 4°C using the KUBOTA 3780 centrifuge. The supernatant was decanted and centrifuged at 5,000 G for 8 min, followed by 10,000 G for 5 min. The pellet was resuspended using a paint brush and then it was centrifuged at 2,500 G for 10 min, followed by 9,000 G for 10 min. EDTA was omitted from the final washing buffer. The mitochondrial protein concentration was determined by the Bradford method using BSA as a standard. The mitochondrial suspension (4 mg/ml) was kept on ice until the measurements were performed, which were carried out after a 20-min recovery. All experiments conformed to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals Background The COMET study suggested the better effect of carvedilol to metoprolol in treating heart failure. However, its underlying mechanisms of action remain unclear. As a result, evaluation of the distinct effects of both drugs on the mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during Ca 2+ overload was investigated.
Methods and ResultsThe mitochondrial...