Antiarrhythmic effects of interleukin 1 inhibition after myocardial infarction.

ABSTRACT: Interleukin 1? (IL-1?) is a key regulator of the inflammatory response after myocardial infarction (MI) by modulating immune cell recruitment, cytokine production, and extracellular matrix turnover. Elevated levels of IL-1? are associated with adverse remodeling, and inhibition of IL-1 signaling after MI results in improved contractile function.The goal of this study was to determine whether IL-1 signaling also contributes to post-MI arrhythmogenesis.MI was created in 2 murine models of elevated inflammation: atherosclerotic on the Western diet or wild-type with a subseptic dose of lipopolysaccharide. The role of IL-1? was assessed with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra (10 mg/(kg·d), starting 24 hours post-MI).In vivo and ex vivo molecular imaging showed reduced myocardial inflammation after a 4-day course of anakinra treatment, despite no change in infarct size. At day 5 post-MI, high-speed optical mapping of transmembrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ in isolated hearts revealed that IL-1? inhibition improved conduction velocity, reduced action potential duration dispersion, improved intracellular Ca2+ handling, decreased transmembrane potential and Ca2+ alternans magnitude, and reduced spontaneous and inducible ventricular arrhythmias. These functional improvements were linked to increased expression of connexin 43 and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase.This study revealed a novel mechanism for IL-1? in contributing to defective excitation-contraction coupling and arrhythmogenesis in the post-MI heart. Our results suggest that inhibition of IL-1 signaling post-MI may represent a novel antiarrhythmic therapy.

SUBMITTER: De Jesus NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5403568 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature