Mediatory role of copper in reactive oxygen intermediate-induced cardiac injury

In this report the mediatory role of copper in cardiac injury produced by reactive oxygen intermediates was examined. Isolated rat hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 0.25 mM ascorbate plus varying concentrations of copper-bis-histidial for up to 60 min. Using salicylate as a probe, OH generation by this system was demonstrated. Copper or ascorbate alone had minimal effect on cardiac function as determined by heart rate, coronary flow, left ventricular systolic pressure development, end diastolic pressure and +/- dP/dtmax. Copper, from 0.5 microM to 20 microM, and ascorbate, 0.25 mM, resulted in concentration-dependent decreases in all of the experimental variables. Treatment with 5 or 20 microM copper resulted in complete loss of cardiac function within 40 and 30 min, respectively. By 30 min, 5 microM copper had resulted in increased end diastolic pressure to greater than 40 mmHg. By 60 min, perfusion with 1 microM copper resulted in almost 100% loss of function and end diastolic pressure greater than 25 mmHg. Copper, 0.5 microM, also decreased cardiac function, but to a lesser degree. Catalase, 100 units/ml, was effective in preventing the copper-ascorbate induced cardiac damage while superoxide dismutase, 25 units/ml, was ineffective. Observations by light and electron microscopy demonstrated patchy regions with vacuolization corresponding to swollen mitochondria. These results clearly demonstrate that copper-catalyzed redox reactions can induce cardiac injury via a mechanism which appears to be related to the production of OH.