Dataset Information

Levosimendan improves calcium sensitivity of diaphragm muscle fibres from a rat model of heart failure.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Diaphragm muscle weakness occurs in patients with heart failure (HF) and is associated with exercise intolerance and increased mortality. Reduced sensitivity of diaphragm fibres to calcium contributes to diaphragm weakness in HF. Here we have investigated the ability of the calcium sensitizer levosimendan to restore the reduced calcium sensitivity of diaphragm fibres from rats with HF.

Experimental approach

Coronary artery ligation in rats was used as an animal model for HF. Sham-operated rats served as controls. Fifteen weeks after induction of HF or sham operations animals were killed and muscle fibres were isolated from the diaphragm. Diaphragm fibres were skinned and activated with solutions containing incremental calcium concentrations and 10 µM levosimendan or vehicle (0.02% DMSO). Developed force was measured at each calcium concentration, and force-calcium concentration relationships were plotted.

Key results

Calcium sensitivity of force generation was reduced in diaphragm muscle fibres from HF rats, compared with fibres from control rats (P < 0.01). Maximal force generation was ?25% lower in HF diaphragm fibres than in control fibres (P < 0.05). Levosimendan significantly increased calcium sensitivity of force generation in diaphragm fibres from HF and control rats, without affecting maximal force generation.

Conclusions and implications

Levosimendan enhanced the force generating capacity of diaphragm fibres from HF rats by increasing the sensitivity of force generation to calcium concentration. These results provide strong support for testing the effect of calcium sensitizers on diaphragm muscle weakness in patients with HF.

SUBMITTER: van Hees HW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3041247 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Levosimendan improves calcium sensitivity of diaphragm muscle fibres from a rat model of heart failure.

van Hees H W H HW Andrade Acuña Gl G Linkels M M Dekhuijzen P N R PN Heunks L M A LM

British journal of pharmacology 20110201 3

<h4>Background and purpose</h4>Diaphragm muscle weakness occurs in patients with heart failure (HF) and is associated with exercise intolerance and increased mortality. Reduced sensitivity of diaphragm fibres to calcium contributes to diaphragm weakness in HF. Here we have investigated the ability of the calcium sensitizer levosimendan to restore the reduced calcium sensitivity of diaphragm fibres from rats with HF.<h4>Experimental approach</h4>Coronary artery ligation in rats was used as an ani ...[more]

PMID: 20880026

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundChronic heart failure (CHF) results in limb and respiratory muscle weakness, which contributes to exercise intolerance and increased morbidity and mortality, yet the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to compare parameters of antioxidative capacity, energy metabolism, and catabolic/anabolic balance in diaphragm and quadriceps muscle in an animal model of CHF.MethodsLigation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (n = 13) or sham operation (n = 11) was performed on Wistar Kyoto rats. After 12 weeks, echocardiography and invasive determination of maximal rates of left ventricular (LV) pressure change were performed. Antioxidative and metabolic enzyme activities and expression of catabolic/anabolic markers were assessed in quadriceps and diaphragm muscle.ResultsLigated rats developed CHF (i.e. severe LV dilatation, reduced LV ejection fraction, and impaired maximal rates of LV pressure change; P < 0.001). There was a divergent response for antioxidant enzymes between the diaphragm and quadriceps in CHF rats, with glutathione peroxidase and manganese superoxide dismutase activity increased in the diaphragm but reduced in the quadriceps relative to shams (P < 0.01). Metabolic enzymes were unaltered in the diaphragm, but cytochrome c oxidase activity (P < 0.01) decreased and lactate dehydrogenase activity (P < 0.05) increased in the quadriceps of CHF animals. Protein expression of the E3 ligase muscle ring finger 1 and proteasome activity were increased (P < 0.05) in both the diaphragm and quadriceps in CHF rats compared with shams.ConclusionChronic heart failure induced divergent antioxidative and metabolic but similar catabolic responses between the diaphragm and quadriceps. Despite the quadriceps demonstrating significant impairments in CHF, apparent beneficial adaptations of an increased antioxidative capacity were induced in the diaphragm. Nevertheless, muscle ring finger 1 and proteasome activity (markers of protein degradation) were elevated and oxidative enzyme activity failed to increase in the diaphragm of CHF rats, which suggest that a myopathy is likely present in respiratory muscle in CHF, despite its constant activation.

Dataset Information

Levosimendan improves calcium sensitivity of diaphragm muscle fibres from a rat model of heart failure.

Background and purpose

Experimental approach

Key results

Conclusions and implications

Publications

Levosimendan improves calcium sensitivity of diaphragm muscle fibres from a rat model of heart failure.

Similar Datasets

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