H. D. Batink

The interaction between methylene blue and the cholinergic system.

1 The inhibitory effects of methylene blue (MB) on different types of cholinesterases and [3H]‐N‐methylscopolamine ([3H]‐NMS) binding to muscarinic receptors were studied. 2 Human plasma from young healthy male volunteers, purified human pseudocholinesterase and purified bovine true acetylcholinesterase were incubated with acetylcholine and increasing concentrations of MB (0.1–100 μmol l−1) in the presence of the pH‐indicator m‐nitrophenol for 30 min at 25°C. The amount of acetic acid produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of acetylcholine was determined photometrically. 3 Rat cardiac left ventricle homogenate was incubated with [3H]‐NMS and with increasing concentrations of MB (0.1 nmol l−1–100 μmol l−1) at 37°C for 20 min. The binding of [3H]‐NMS to the homogenate was quantified by a standard liquid scintillation technique. 4 MB inhibited the esterase activity of human plasma, human pseudocholinesterase and bovine acetylcholinesterase concentration‐dependently with IC50 values of 1.05±0.05 μmol l−1, 5.32±0.36 μmol l−1 and 0.42±0.09 μmol l−1, respectively. MB induced complete inhibition of the esterase activity of human plasma and human pseudocholinesterase, whereas bovine acetylcholinesterase was maximally inhibited by 73±3.3%. 5 MB was able to inhibit specific [3H]‐NMS binding to rat cardiac left ventricle homogenate completely with an IC50 value of 0.77±0.03 μmol l−1, which resulted in a Ki value for MB of 0.58±0.02 μmol l−1. 6 In conclusion, MB may be considered as a cholinesterase inhibitor with additional, relevant affinity for muscarinic binding sites at concentrations at which MB is used for investigations into the endothelial system. In our opinion these interactions between MB and the cholinergic system invalidate the use of MB as a tool for the investigation of the L‐arginine‐NO‐pathway, in particular when muscarinic receptor stimulation is involved.

Impaired inotropic response to alpha 1- but not to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation in isolated hearts from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

OBJECTIVES Hypertension in humans and experimental animals is known to be associated with an increase in left ventricular myocardial mass. The development of cardiac hypertrophy is not caused by increased blood pressure alone; the autonomic nervous system may also play an important role. DESIGN The functional responses to the beta-adrenoceptor agonists isoprenaline, dobutamine, salbutamol and terbutaline, and the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists methoxamine, cirazoline and phenylephrine were studied in isolated (Langendorff) hearts from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) controls. The results were compared with data from radioligand binding experiments. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the increase of left ventricular pressure induced by all beta-adrenoceptor agonists studied in SHR and WKY rat hearts. Although there was no significant difference in the response to phenylephrine, the inotropic responses to cirazoline and methoxamine proved to be significantly weaker in hearts from SHR than in those from WKY rats. Binding experiments with 3H-prazosin revealed no differences in density or affinity for cardiac tissues from SHR and WKY rats. CONCLUSIONS Long-standing hypertension leads to an impaired response of the isolated heart to alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation, without changes in alpha 1-receptor density or affinity. It seems likely that changes in postreceptor events are responsible for the impaired inotropic response to alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists in hearts from SHR.

Cardiac sympathetic neuronal function in left ventricular volume and pressure overload

OBJECTIVES In heart failure cardiac sympathetic neuronal function and activity appear to be altered. Although these changes are widely accepted, controversy exists concerning the neurohormonal changes occurring in pressure and volume overloaded hearts. The present study in rabbits was performed to assess the effects of mechanical overload on cardiac sympathetic neuronal function and beta-adrenoceptor density, in relation to left ventricular function. METHODS In nine rabbits the aortic valve was perforated to induce left ventricular volume overload. Pressure overload was induced by suprarenal banding of the aorta abdominalis (group 1). Five animals were sham operated (group 2). Subanalysis of group 1 was performed for non-failing (n = 5) and failing (n = 4) hearts. Heart failure was defined as any reduction in left ventricular fractional shortening 2 weeks after the second operation compared to baseline. RESULTS In animals with cardiac overload, left ventricular weight was higher compared with the control animals, 7.99 +/- 1.13 vs. 6.16 +/- 0.86 g (P < 0.02). Left ventricular end diastolic diameter increased from 1.35 +/- 0.16 to 1.57 +/- 0.15 cm (P < 0.005) after surgically induced overload. Left ventricular end systolic diameter and fractional shortening did not change significantly. Myocardial noradrenaline (NA) concentration and beta-adrenoceptor density were significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2, 1005 +/- 393 vs. 1643 +/- 109 ng/g (P < 0.02) and 167 +/- 36 vs. 224 +/- 36 fmol/mg protein (P < 0.03), respectively. Myocardial [123I]-MIBG uptake did not significantly differ between group 1 and 2, 2.1 +/- 0.58 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.44 (%ID/g x kg). A significant positive correlation between myocardial NA concentration and beta-adrenoceptor density was found (r = 0.66, P < 0.02). Myocardial NA concentration was inversely related to left ventricular weight (r =-0.75, P < 0.003). CONCLUSION The present data indicate that in a condition of cardiac volume and pressure overload, sympathetic activity is enhanced as shown by myocardial noradrenaline depletion and beta-adrenoceptor downregulation. In contrast, no cardiac neuronal dysfunction is observed, even in the stage of early heart failure.

Influence of ischaemia and reperfusion on cardiac signal transduction. G protein content, adenylyl cyclase activity, cyclic AMP content, and forskolin and dibutyryl cyclic AMP‐induced inotropy in the rat Langendorff heart

Summary— We investigated whether post‐receptor alterations contribute to the diminished β‐adrenergic inotropic effects in the rat Langendorff heart following ischaemia (I) and reperfusion (R). We quantitated immunodetectable Gs and Gi protein α‐subunit content, basal and stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity and cyclic AMP (cAMP) content in normoxic, ischaemic (30 min) and ischaemic reperfused (30 min) hearts. In addition, we measured the inotropic response of normoxic and reperfused Langendorff hearts to forskolin and dibutyryl cAMP (db‐cAMP). Immunodetectable Gs and Gi α‐subunits were unaltered by I or R. Basal adenylyl cyclase activity was decreased during I, but recovered during R. In membranes from normoxic hearts, isoprenaline, GTP, Gpp(NH)p, NaF, forskolin or Mn2+ enhanced adenylyl cyclase activity. This increase in activity was diminished in ischaemic hearts, but could be restored by R. cAMP content decreased time‐dependently during I and did not recover by R, indicating ATP depletion. Forskolin and db‐cAMP induced an inotropic response in normoxic hearts, which was virtually abolished after I and R. We conclude that adenylyl cyclase responsiveness is impaired during I. Since adenylyl cyclase responsiveness recovers during R, whereas inotropic responses to forskolin and db‐cAMP are virtually absent in reperfused hearts, an additional mechanism downstream of cAMP formation appears to be defective during R, which prevents recovery of inotropic responses to hormonal stimulation.

Thyroid hormone modulates inotropic responses, alpha-adrenoceptor density and catecholamine concentrations in the rat heart.

We investigated the influence of hyper- and hypothyroidism on basal parameters of isolated perfused hearts of rats. In addition the effects of different extracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]o), the calcium entry promoter Bay K8644 and the α1-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine were investigated. Since alterations in α-adrenoceptor density could explain the increased sensitivity to methoxamine in hearts from hypothyroid rats, α1-adrenoceptor density in the left ventricle was also established. Different time-schedules of exposure to hyper- and hypothyroidism were used to investigate whether the influence of chronic dysthyroid states on α1-adrenoceptor density is transient and time-dependent. Simultaneously myocardial noradrenaline and adrenaline tissue concentrations were determined, since they might correlate with the observed changes. Hyperthyroidism was induced by feeding rats for 1, 4 and 8 weeks with 5 mg/kg L-thyroxine (T4)-containing rat chow. Hypothyroid rats were obtained by adding 0.05% propylthiouracil (PTU) to the drinking water during 1, 4 and 8 weeks. For the functional experiments animals were treated during 4 weeks, to mimic the clinical situation of a chronic endocrine disease. Langendorff hearts from hyperthyroid hearts showed an increased maximally developed relaxation velocity, whereas Langendorff hearts from hypothyroid rats showed an increased left ventricular pressure (LVP). We observed an increased maximal inotropic response to [Ca2+]o in hearts from both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid rats, indicating that both dysthyroid states interfere with the handling of calcium ions by the contractile apparatus. Unchanged responses to Bay K8644 in hearts from hyperthyroid and depressed responses in hearts from hypothyroid rats suggest that the involvement of L-type calcium channels is rather unlikely. Furthermore, the reflex increase in coronary flow in response to enhanced contractile force appeared to fail in hearts from hypothyroid rats. Sensitivity of the response to methoxamine was increased in hearts from hypothyroid rats, which was accompanied by a decrease in the number of myocardial α1-adrenoceptors. Both T4 and PTU treatment resulted in a non-transient decrease of α1-adrenoceptor density in left ventricular tissue. Furthermore, hypothyroidism increased the percentage of α1A-binding sites, whereas in hyperthyroidism the distribution of the α1-adrenoceptor subtypes was not affected. Myocardial tissue concencentrations of noradrenaline and adrenaline were unchanged in hyperthyroid rats and decreased in hypothyroid rats. The present study indicates that thyroid hormones have a direct rather than a sympathetically mediated effect on α1-adrenoceptor mediated myocardial functions.

Angiotensin II-induced increase in slowly exchanging 45Ca2+ in relation to contractile responses of rat and guinea-pig aorta

SummaryTo gain more information about sources of activator Ca2+ involved in the contraction of rat and guinea-pig aorta evoked by angiotensin II and their sensitivity to Ca 2+ entry blockers, measurement of slowly exchanging 45Ca2+ was established. A more physiological procedure was used, replacing La3+- and EGTA- containing solutions by a normal Ca2+-containing buffer. It was demonstrated that the angiotensin 11-induced increase in slowly exchanging 45Ca2+ in rat aorta was incompletely (by approximately 60%–70%) inhibited by the organic Ca2+ entry blockers nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem and by other Ca+ entry blocking compounds like CoCl2 and chlorpromazine. 8-(N,N-diethylamino)octyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate hydrochloride (TMB-8) was able to inhibit the angiotensin II-induced increase in 45Ca2+ content completely, but this may be an intracellular storage effects. By contrast, the organic Ca2+ entry blockers completely inhibited that part of the angiotensin II-induced contraction of rat aorta which was dependent upon extracellular Ca2+.In guinea-pig aorta, the increase in 45Ca2+ content elicited by angiotensin 11 could be completely suppressed by all compounds under study. The results of these experiments correlated well with data from the functional experiments in guinea-pig aorta. In both preparations the release of Ca 2+ from a rapidly as well as a slowly exchanging intracellular pool appears to contribute to the contractile response elicited by angiotensin 11.

LACK OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTRINSIC ACTIVITY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PRESSOR-RESPONSES TO BLOCKADE BY NIFEDIPINE AMONG THE ALPHA-2-ADRENOCEPTOR AGONISTS B-HT-920 AND B-HT-958

SummaryFollowing i.v. bolus injections into pithed normotensive rats, the maximal diastolic pressor responses to B-HT 920 and B-HT 958 amounted to 115 and 35 mm Hg, respectively. Prazosin (0.1 mg/kg, i.v.,-15 min) was without effect on the log dose-pressor effect curve of B-HT 958, whereas yohimbine (1 mg/kg, i.v.,-15 min) shifted this curve about 30-fold to the right, showing the exclusive participation of α2-adrenoceptors in the vasoconstrictor response to B-HT 958. In doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg, B-HT 958 displaced the log dose-vasoconstrictor effect curve of B-HT 920 approximately 6- and 30-fold, respectively, to the right, illustrating the partial agonism of B-HT 958 at postjunctional vascular α2-adrenoceptors. Despite the marked difference in intrinsic activity of B-HT 920 and B-HT 958, the calcium entry blocker nifedipine exhibited a comparable inhibitory action on the vasopressor responses to both agonists. This finding indicates that partial and full agonism at vascular α2-adrenoceptors are not related to the susceptibility of the initiated pressor response to inhibition by calcium entry blockade.