Caspase-3 Knock-Down Reverses Contractile Dysfunction Induced by Sepsis in Adult Rat Ventricular Myocytes

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2010

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The present study tested the hypothesis that selective caspase-3 (C-3) knock-out would regulate the contractile actions of noradrenaline (NA) in the dysfunction of adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs) induced by sepsis. Here, we have studied the contractile response of ARVMs, transfected with C-3 small interfering RNA (C-3 siRNA), to NA.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Single ARVMs were isolated from the hearts of male Sprague-Dawley rats 3 days after induction of sepsis, and from sham-treated rats. The sham and septic ARVMs were treated with NA (10 microM) alone or after transfection with C-3 siRNA or non-silencing RNA (2 microM). Mechanical properties were measured digitally, and immunoblotting and immunocytochemical analyses were carried out.

KEY RESULTS: The NA-induced increase in peak shortening (PS) was less in septic ARVMs and transfection with C-3 siRNA produced a significant increase in this PS. Immunocytochemical and immunoblot analyses revealed that NA exacerbated sepsis-induced up-regulation of C-3. Transfection of septic ARVMs with C-3 siRNA exhibited a decreased expression of C-3 fluorescence after NA. In septic ARVMs, we also observed a down-regulation of contractile proteins (alpha-actin, myosin light chain-1 and tropomyosin) along with DNA damage. Transfection of septic ARVMs with C-3 siRNA produced an increase in the expression of contractile proteins, and a decrease in DNA damage.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These data suggest that C-3 knock-down improved the loss of contractile response to NA in septic ARVMs, suggesting that C-3 regulated contractile dysfunction induced by sepsis in ARVMs.

Publication Title

British Journal of Pharmacology

Volume

160

Issue

1

First Page

93

Last Page

100

PubMed ID

20331606

Comments

This article was published in British Journal of Pharmacology, Volume 160, Issue 1, May 2010, Pages 93-100.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00686.x

Copyright © 2010 The British Pharmacological Society

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