Beta-adrenergic stimulation reverses the I Kr-I Ks dominant pattern during cardiac action potential

Pflugers Arch. 2014 Nov;466(11):2067-76. doi: 10.1007/s00424-014-1465-7. Epub 2014 Feb 19.

Abstract

β-Adrenergic stimulation differentially modulates different K(+) channels and thus fine-tunes cardiac action potential (AP) repolarization. However, it remains unclear how the proportion of I Ks, I Kr, and I K1 currents in the same cell would be altered by β-adrenergic stimulation, which would change the relative contribution of individual K(+) current to the total repolarization reserve. In this study, we used an innovative AP-clamp sequential dissection technique to directly record the dynamic I Ks, I Kr, and I K1 currents during the AP in guinea pig ventricular myocytes under physiologically relevant conditions. Our data provide quantitative measures of the magnitude and time course of I Ks, I Kr, and I K1 currents in the same cell under its own steady-state AP, in a physiological milieu, and with preserved Ca(2+) homeostasis. We found that isoproterenol treatment significantly enhanced I Ks, moderately increased I K1, but slightly decreased I Kr in a dose-dependent manner. The dominance pattern of the K(+) currents was I Kr > I K1 > I Ks at the control condition, but reversed to I Kr < I K1 < I Ks following β-adrenergic stimulation. We systematically determined the changes in the relative contribution of I Ks, I Kr, and I K1 to cardiac repolarization during AP at different adrenergic states. In conclusion, the β-adrenergic stimulation fine-tunes the cardiac AP morphology by shifting the power of different K(+) currents in a dose-dependent manner. This knowledge is important for designing antiarrhythmic drug strategies to treat hearts exposed to various sympathetic tones.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / drug effects
  • Adrenergic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / pharmacology
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Heart / drug effects*
  • Heart Ventricles / drug effects
  • Heart Ventricles / metabolism
  • Isoproterenol / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques / methods
  • Potassium / metabolism
  • Potassium Channels / metabolism*
  • Ventricular Function / drug effects

Substances

  • Adrenergic Agents
  • Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
  • Potassium Channels
  • Isoproterenol
  • Potassium
  • Calcium