Abnormal calcium handling in atrial fibrillation is linked to up-regulation of adenosine A2A receptors

TY - JOUR

T1 - Abnormal calcium handling in atrial fibrillation is linked to up-regulation of adenosine A2A receptors

AU - Molina, Cristina E

AU - Llach, Anna

AU - Prat-Vidal, Cristina

AU - Fernandes, Jacqueline

AU - Casadó, Vicent

AU - Ciruela, Francisco

AU - Lluís, Carme

AU - Franco, Rafael

AU - Cinca, Juan

AU - Hove-Madsen, Leif

PY - 2011/3

Y1 - 2011/3

N2 - AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release, which is promoted by adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R) activation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that abnormal calcium release in AF is linked to A(2A)R remodelling.METHODS AND RESULTS: Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR were used to determine A(2A)R mRNA and protein levels in right atrial samples from patients with and without AF. Effects of A(2A)R activation on calcium handling were assessed with patch-clamp technique and confocal calcium imaging. A(2A)R mRNA levels and functional A(2A)Rs were moderately up-regulated in patients with atrial dilation and markedly up-regulated in those with AF. Accordingly, A(2A)R stimulation significantly increased ryanodine receptor phosphorylation in AF patients, and spontaneous calcium waves increased moderately in myocytes from patients with atrial dilation and strongly in patients with AF (2.2 ± 2.1 to 14.3 ± 8.8 min(-1), n = 6, P = 0.01). Moreover, the high baseline level of calcium waves in AF was reduced by A(2A)R antagonists (3.5 ± 2.0 to 1.3 ± 1.3 min(-1), n = 6, P = 0.007) or adenosine deaminase (1.7 ± 1.5 to 0.5 ± 0.6 min(-1), n = 10, P = 0.02) suggesting that A(2A)Rs are activated by endogenous adenosine. Indeed, intracellular perfusion with adenosine significantly increased the calcium wave frequency (1.1 ± 0.8 to 8.2 ± 3.3 min(-1), n = 8), whereas adenosine removal from the cytosol decreased it (2.1 ± 0.9 to 0.3 ± 0.3 min(-1), n = 8, P = 0.04).CONCLUSIONS: Atrial fibrillation patients show increased A(2A)R expression that may account for the high baseline level of spontaneous SR calcium release seen in myocytes from these patients, and the ability of A(2A)R antagonists to reduce this abnormal calcium release points to the A(2A)R as a novel molecular target in AF.

AB - AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release, which is promoted by adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R) activation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that abnormal calcium release in AF is linked to A(2A)R remodelling.METHODS AND RESULTS: Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR were used to determine A(2A)R mRNA and protein levels in right atrial samples from patients with and without AF. Effects of A(2A)R activation on calcium handling were assessed with patch-clamp technique and confocal calcium imaging. A(2A)R mRNA levels and functional A(2A)Rs were moderately up-regulated in patients with atrial dilation and markedly up-regulated in those with AF. Accordingly, A(2A)R stimulation significantly increased ryanodine receptor phosphorylation in AF patients, and spontaneous calcium waves increased moderately in myocytes from patients with atrial dilation and strongly in patients with AF (2.2 ± 2.1 to 14.3 ± 8.8 min(-1), n = 6, P = 0.01). Moreover, the high baseline level of calcium waves in AF was reduced by A(2A)R antagonists (3.5 ± 2.0 to 1.3 ± 1.3 min(-1), n = 6, P = 0.007) or adenosine deaminase (1.7 ± 1.5 to 0.5 ± 0.6 min(-1), n = 10, P = 0.02) suggesting that A(2A)Rs are activated by endogenous adenosine. Indeed, intracellular perfusion with adenosine significantly increased the calcium wave frequency (1.1 ± 0.8 to 8.2 ± 3.3 min(-1), n = 8), whereas adenosine removal from the cytosol decreased it (2.1 ± 0.9 to 0.3 ± 0.3 min(-1), n = 8, P = 0.04).CONCLUSIONS: Atrial fibrillation patients show increased A(2A)R expression that may account for the high baseline level of spontaneous SR calcium release seen in myocytes from these patients, and the ability of A(2A)R antagonists to reduce this abnormal calcium release points to the A(2A)R as a novel molecular target in AF.

KW - Adenosine A2 Receptor Antagonists

KW - Aged

KW - Atrial Fibrillation

KW - Blotting, Western

KW - Calcium

KW - Calcium Channels, L-Type

KW - Calcium Signaling

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Myocytes, Cardiac

KW - RNA, Messenger

KW - Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

KW - Receptor, Adenosine A2A

KW - Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

KW - Triazines

KW - Triazoles

KW - Up-Regulation

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq464

DO - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq464

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 21177700

VL - 32

SP - 721

EP - 729

JO - EUR HEART J

JF - EUR HEART J

SN - 0195-668X

IS - 6

ER -