Sarcolemmal Na+-Ca2+ exchange and Ca2+-pump activities in cardiomyopathies due to intracellular Ca2+-overload

In order to identify defects in Na+-Ca2+ exchange and Ca2+-pump systems in cardiomyopathic hearts, the activities of sarcolemmal Na+-dependent Ca2+ uptake, Na+-induced Ca2+ release, ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+-stimulated ATPase were examined by employing cardiomyopathic hamsters (UM-X7.1) and catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy produced by injecting isoproterenol into rats. The rates of Na+-dependent Ca2+ uptake, ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+-stimulated ATPase activities of sarcolemmal vesicles from genetically-linked cardiomyopathic as well as catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathic hearts were decreased without any changes in Na+-induced Ca2+-release. Similar results were obtained in Ca2+-paradox when isolated rat hearts were perfused for 5 min with a medium containing 1.25 mM Ca2+ following a 5 min perfusion with Ca2+-free medium. Although a 2 min reperfusion of the Ca2+-free perfused hearts depressed sarcolemmal Ca2+-pump activities without any changes in Na+-induced Ca2+-release, Na+-dependent Ca2+ uptake was increased. These results indicate that alterations in the sarcolemmal Ca2+-efflux mechanisms may play an important role in cardiomyopathies associated with the development of intracellular Ca2+ overload.