Inhibition of central sympathetic nervous tone improves cardiomyocyte contraction by increasing the response of beta 2-adrenergic receptor in aged rats

In the present study,selective β1-adrenergic receptor antagonist CGP20712A and selective β2-adrenergic receptor antagonist ICI 118551 were administered to isolated cardiomyocytes from young （4-6 months）,aged （18-20 months）,and clonidine-pretreated aged （18-20 months） Sprague-Dawley rats.Cardiomyocyte contraction amplitude was measured to assess cardiomyocyte response to the β-adrenergic receptor agonist,isoprenaline.CGP20712A reduced cardiomyocyte contraction amplitude in young and aged groups and significantly reduced contraction amplitude in cells from young rats.ICI 118551 had no effect on cardiomyocyte contraction amplitude in young rats,but significantly decreased contraction amplitude in the aged groups,in particular in the clonidine-pretreated aged rats.Results demonstrated that reduced central sympathetic tone improved cardiomyocyte contraction in aged rats by improving the response of β2-adrenergic receptor to isoprenaline.

Downregulation of microRNA-23a confers protection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by upregulating tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 following luteolin pretreatment in rats

To the Editor:Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury(MI/RI)often causes death,dysfunction,or damage to the cardiomyocytes,and thus more effective clinical treatments are required.[1]MicroRNAs(miRNAs)bind to target mRNAs to regulate post-transcriptional gene expression,with important effects on MI/RI by regulating critical molecular signaling pathways.

SENP2-mediated SERCA2a deSUMOylation increases calcium overload in cardiomyocytes to aggravate myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury

Background:Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2a(SERCA2a)is a key protein that maintains myocardial Ca2+homeostasis.The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the SERCA2a-SUMOylation(small ubiquitinlike modifier)process after ischemia/reperfusion injury(I/RI)in vitro and in vivo.Methods:Calcium transient and systolic/diastolic function of cardiomyocytes isolated from Serca2a knockout(KO)and wildtype mice with I/RI were compared.SUMO-relevant protein expression and localization were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(RT-qPCR),Western blotting,and immunofluorescence in vitro and in vivo.Serca2a-SUMOylation,infarct size,and cardiac function of Senp1 or Senp2 overexpressed/suppressed adenovirus infected cardiomyocytes,were detected by immunoprecipitation,triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)-Evans blue staining,and echocardiography respectively.Results:The results showed that the changes of Fura-2 fluorescence intensity and contraction amplitude of cardiomyocytes decreased in the I/RI groups and were further reduced in the Serca2a KO+I/RI groups.Senp1 and Senp2 messenger ribose nucleic acid(mRNA)and protein expression levels in vivo and in cardiomyocytes were highest at 6 h and declined at 12 h after I/RI.However,the highest levels in HL-1 cells were recorded at 12 h.Senp2 expression increased in the cytoplasm,unlike that of Senp1.Inhibition of Senp2 protein reversed the I/RI-induced Serca2a-SUMOylation decline,reduced the infarction area,and improved cardiac function,while inhibition of Senp1 protein could not restore the above indicators.Conclusion:I/RI activated Senp1 and Senp2 protein expression,which promoted Serca2a-deSUMOylation,while inhibition of Senp2 expression reversed Serca2a-SUMOylation and improved cardiac function.