CaMKII is responsible for activity-dependent acceleration of relaxation in rat ventricular myocytes

We investigated the role of Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) in relaxation and cytosolic free Ca (Cai) decline during steady-state (SS) and postrest (PR) twitches in intact rat ventricular myocytes. Half-time of mechanical relaxation and time constant of Cai decline (tau) were twofold greater during PR than with SS at 1 Hz. This difference was 1) abolished by inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca accumulation by thapsigargin or caffeine; 2) greater at higher stimulation frequency and extracellular Ca, which affected only SS tau; 3) abolished by the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (10 microM, which selectively accelerated Cai decline during PR); 4) still present during stimulation or inhibition of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (PKA) by 10 microM forskolin or 1 microM H-89, respectively (SS and PR tau values were abbreviated and prolonged, respectively); and 5) suppressed by 10 microM KN-62, a selective inhibitor of CaMKII, which selectively prolonged Cai decline during SS twitches. Both protein kinase inhibitors were also shown to decrease the SR Ca-uptake rate in digitonin-permeabilized rat myocytes. We conclude that CaMKII plays a major role in modulation of relaxation in rat ventricular myocytes, enhancing SR Ca uptake in a activity-dependent fashion. Our results are also compatible with a background, activity-independent stimulation of SR Ca uptake by PKA in intact rat myocytes.