Key result
Caspase inhibitors prevent endotoxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction and sarcomeric disarray.
Why the study?
Caspase activation may directly alter left ventricular cardiomyocyte function in sepsis-induced heart contractile dysfunction, beyond lymphocyte cell death effects.
Do caspase inhibitors prevent endotoxin-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction in a rat model of sepsis?
Do caspase inhibitors prevent endotoxin-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction in a rat model of sepsis?
Caspase activation is directly involved in endotoxin-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction and sarcomere disarray, which can be prevented by caspase inhibitors.
Caspase inhibition mitigates septic cardiomyocyte injury in rats; leaves open translation to human sepsis.
Background— Although most of the deleterious effects of sepsis-induced apoptosis have been attributed to increased lymphocyte cell death, caspase activation may directly alter cell function of different organ systems. We postulated that left ventricular (LV) cardiomyocyte caspase activation is directly involved in sepsis-induced heart contractile dysfunction. Methods and Results— LV cardiomyocytes isolated 4 hours after rat treatment with endotoxin injection (10 mg/kg) displayed major reductions in contractile reserve and myofilament response to Ca 2+ . Concomitantly, endotoxin also induced increases in LV cardiomyocyte caspase-3, -8, and -9-like activities, which were associated with sarcomeric structure destruction and cleavage of components of the cardiac myofilament. Interestingly, zVAD.fmk treatment of septic rat prevented LV cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction, reductions in myofilament response to calcium, troponin T cleavage, and sarcomere destruction. Serum (10%) of endotoxin-treated rats induced contractile dysfunction, caspase-3–like activity increase, and troponin T cleavage of naive LV cardiomyocytes. The effects of septic serum were prevented in LV cardiomyocytes isolated from zVAD.fmk- or zDEVD.cmk-treated rats or LV cardiomyocytes preincubated with zVAD.fmk or zDEVD.cmk. Conclusions— The results show an important relationship between endotoxin-induced caspase activation and reduced contractile reserve and sarcomere disarray at the level of single LV cardiomyocytes.
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Lancel et al. (2005) studied Sepsis-induced heart contractile dysfunction. Endotoxin injection and caspase inhibitors (zVAD.fmk / zDEVD.cmk) vs. Naive LV cardiomyocytes / control was evaluated on LV cardiomyocyte contractile reserve and myofilament response to Ca2+, caspase activity. Endotoxin-induced caspase activation was directly associated with reduced contractile reserve and sarcomere disarray in single LV cardiomyocytes, effects that were prevented by caspase inhibitors.
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