Inhibition of rigor and of sarcoplasmic reticulum ca2+ cycling enhances survival of adult rabbit ventricular myocytes subjected to severe atp depletion. Koyama, Takashi, David Boston, Hiroshi Ikenouchi, William H. Barry. The Cardiology Division, University of Utah Medical Center, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
APStracts 3:0168H, 1996.
During severe ATP depletion, sarcolemmal rupture resulting from rigor and/or Ca2+-induced myofilament force development are considered to be important causes of irreversible cell injury. Recent experiments in our laboratory demonstrated that during prolonged metabolic inhibition in adult rabbit ventricular myocytes, in which rigor was prevented by exposure to 30 mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), cyclic uptake and release of cystolic Ca2+ occurred, and was associated with strong phasic contractions. To investigate the relative contribution of this SR Ca2+ cycling and associated force development to energy depletion injury, the effects of BDM together with 7 mM caffeine were examined in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes subjected to metabolic inhibition with 2mM CN and 20mM 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). During 90 min. of metabolic inhibition with CN and 2-DG, no cells retained a rod shape in the absence of BDM or caffeine. In the presence of both 30 mM BDM and 7 mM caffeine during metabolic inhibition, preservation of rod morphology was enhanced, and 52+6.2 % of cells retained a rod shape 48 hours after metabolic inhibition, and had normal ATP content and resting membrane potential. Both systolic and diastolic function of cells that survived metabolic inhibition, however, were impaired. We conclude that exposure to caffeine together with BDM markedly enhances survival of myocytes during severe prolonged ATP depletion. After recovery, these isolated myocytes show some characteristics of stunning.

Received 3 April 1995; accepted in final form 8 December 1995.
APS Manuscript Number H316-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 1 May 96