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Circulation Research. 1995;76:64-72

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(Circulation Research. 1995;76:64-72.)
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Articles

Antibody-Mediated Imbalance of Myocardial Energy Metabolism

A Causal Factor of Cardiac Failure?

Heinz-Peter Schultheiß, Karsten Schulze, Rolf Schauer, Bernhard Witzenbichler, Bodo Eckehard Strauer

From Medizinische Klinik B, Heinrich-Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Correspondence to Karsten Schulze, MD, Medizinische Klinik B, Heinrich-Heine Universität, Moorenstr 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
down arrowIntroduction
down arrowMaterials and Methods
down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
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Abstract The ADP-ATP carrier of the inner mitochondrial membrane is an autoantigen in myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Sera of patients with these diseases contain carrier-specific autoantibodies that inhibit the transmembrane nucleotide transport on isolated mitochondria. Guinea pigs immunized with the isolated ADP-ATP carrier protein also generate specific carrier-inactivating antibodies. In this study, we measured the cardiac function of guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier by determining the external heart work (EHW) of their isolated perfused spontaneously beating hearts stimulated by 4.0 mmol/L calcium and aortic ligature. Further, the electrogenic transport activity of the ADP-ATP carrier was estimated by calculating the cytosolic-mitochondrial difference of the phosphorylation potential of ATP [{Delta}G(cyt-mit)] in the freeze-clamped isolated hearts by nonaqueous fractionation. The EHW of immunized guinea pigs was seen to be reduced by 54% (P<.005) compared with nonimmunized control guinea pigs, and {Delta}G(cyt-mit) declined from 4.9 kJ/mol ATP in nonimmunized control hearts to 2.3 kJ/mol ATP in the hearts of the immunized guinea pigs (P<.005). The decisive result of this study, however, is the close relation observed between the magnitude of reduction of {Delta}G(cyt-mit) and the size of the decrease in EHW (r=.87). Therefore, it seems plausible that antibody-mediated carrier dysfunction (creating the observed imbalance in myocardial energy metabolism) is responsible for the impairment of cardiac function. Our data support the hypothesis that immunopathic mechanisms in myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy can trigger subsequent heart failure. The underlying pathophysiological reason seems to be a metabolic disorder initiated by the antibody-mediated inactivation of the ADP-ATP carrier.


Key Words: • ADP-ATP carrier • phosphorylation potential • myocarditis • cardiomyopathy


*    Introduction
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
*Introduction
down arrowMaterials and Methods
down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
down arrowReferences
 
Both clinical and experimental data support immunopathic mechanisms as playing a major role in the pathogenesis of myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Most clinical cases of myocarditis in humans are suspected to be of viral etiology. However, the mechanisms by which an acute viral infection or chronic virus persistence alter the immune system have not yet been completely disclosed. Autoantibodies directed against a wide spectrum of myocardial antigens are found in myocarditis,5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 but it remains doubtful whether all these antibodies are of relevance for the development of subsequent heart failure.

In previous studies, we have been able to identify exclusively the ADP-ATP carrier, the nucleotide transporting protein of the inner mitochondrial membrane, as an autoantigen in patients with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy.15 No antibodies against the ADP-ATP carrier were found in the sera of patients suffering from the ischemic, hypertrophic, or alcohol-toxic forms of cardiomyopathy.15 16 17 The autoantibodies were characterized as organ and conformation specific and inhibit nucleotide exchange in vitro by blocking the substrate binding site of the carrier protein.17 18

In the intact isolated beating animal heart, the antibodies against the ADP-ATP carrier were able to affect the carrier function as well. When guinea pigs were immunized with the isolated purified carrier protein, myocardial energy metabolism was disturbed in such a manner that the cytosolic-mitochondrial difference of the phosphorylation potential [{Delta}G(cyt-mit)] was lowered.19 This important parameter of the energy state of the myocyte is regulated by the ADP-ATP carrier and reflects its function.20 21 Driven by the membrane potential,22 the active carrier generates a transmembrane phosphorylation potential difference that is {approx}4.5 kJ/mol ATP higher in the cytosol.19 In the hearts of animals immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier, this transmembrane potential difference was found to be considerably lower, although cardiac work was kept constant, which indicates a work-independent reduction in transmembrane nucleotide transport activity.19

These findings argue against the notion that the antibodies found in myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy are a mere epiphenomenon. When the hearts were stimulated to their individual maximum, we could further show that heart function was depressed in animals immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier,23 but we did not prove that the antibody-mediated disturbances in energy metabolism led to the cardiac dysfunction.

However, this proof is essential in order to define an autoimmunologically triggered pathophysiological mechanism of substantial relevance in myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Therfore, it was the aim of the present study to assess whether a link exists between the degree of impairment in energy metabolism and the magnitude of cardiac dysfunction.


*    Materials and Methods
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up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
*Materials and Methods
down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
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Immunization Procedure
Twenty-five of 36 female guinea pigs matching in strain (Pirbright White, Ivanovas, Munich, Germany), age, and weight (1000 g) were immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier isolated from bovine heart mitochondria. The isolation of mitochondria and the solubilization and isolation of the ADP-ATP carrier followed the procedures previously described.17 For immunization, 50 µg of carrier protein was injected (30 µg SC and 20 µg IP) every other week for a period of 4 months. The protein (0.1 mg protein suspended in 100 mmol/L NaCl, 10 mmol/L MOPS, and 0.5% Triton X-100) was emulsified with an equal volume of Freund's adjuvant for subcutaneous injections. For the first injection, Freund's complete adjuvant was used; all subsequent booster injections were administered with Freund's incomplete adjuvant. The antigen injected intraperitoneally was always given without Freund's adjuvant. The 11 remaining guinea pigs, forming the control collective, were subjected to the same immunization protocol omitting the antigen. This protocol conformed to the guidelines of the American Physiological Society.

Indirect Micro–Solid-Phase Radioimmunoassay
For detection of antibodies against the ADP-ATP carrier in a solid-phase radioimmunoassay, 5 mL of blood was taken from the guinea pigs before immunization (preimmune sera), after the second booster injection, and when the animals were killed. The assay was performed on 96-well polyvinyl microtiter plates (Dynatech Scientific Inc). The plates were coated with 100 µL ADP-ATP carrier protein per well diluted to 0.5 mg/mL in 100 mmol/L NaCl, 10 mmol/L MOPS, and 0.5% Triton X-100 (pH 7.2) and incubated at 4°C for 4 hours. After the wells were washed three times with 3% fetal calf serum in phosphate-buffered saline, the precoated plates were incubated with 100 µL of 3% fetal calf serum for 1 hour at 4°C to block any remaining active binding sites of the polyvinyl plates. After a further washing, the antigen-coated wells were incubated overnight at 4°C with 90 µL of the serum to be tested. Subsequent to the washing, specifically bound antibodies were detected with iodinated protein A (100 000 cpm per well, New England Nuclear). This involved incubation for 4 hours at 4°C in which the wells were washed three times, allowed to dry, and counted in a gamma spectrometer. All assays were performed in duplicate. The separate controls for nonspecific binding, performed parallel to each test with no antigen, no serum, and control serum, routinely yielded values 2% to 6% of the total activity.

Western Blot
The isolated ADP-ATP carrier, total protein from guinea pig heart mitochondria, and marker proteins were separated on sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide slab gels. One section of the gel was stained with Coomassie blue, and the other section was electrophoretically blotted onto nitrocellulose (0.45 mm, Bio-Rad), which was sandwiched between filter paper and Scotchbrite pads that were supported on a porous plastic grid. The running buffer (pH 8.3) contained 25 mmol/L Tris, 200 mmol/L glycine, and 30% methanol. The electrophoretic transfer was run overnight at 4°C with 0.2 A. The nitrocellulose was then incubated for 2 hours in 50 mmol/L Tris/HCl (pH 7.4) and 150 mmol/L NaCl (TBS) supplemented with 2.5% bovine serum albumin (BSA). To remove unbound antibodies, six washings of 5 minutes each were performed in TBS without BSA. Those antibodies that remained bound to the nitrocellulose were stained by horseradish peroxidase–conjugated anti-IgG.

In Vitro Measurement of the Adenine Nucleotide Transport
The ability of the individually generated antibodies to inhibit the nucleotide transport was tested in vitro by measuring the exchange of 14C-labeled ADP of isolated mitochondria. Aliquots (20 mg) of guinea pig mitochondria were loaded with 0.8 µCi [14C]ADP each. The ADP exchange was started by adding 10 µL unlabeled ADP (10 mmol/L) to 200 µL of suspended mitochondria. After 40 seconds, the ADP transport was stopped by adding carboxyatractyloside to the suspension. The value for background radioactivity (control) was obtained by adding carboxyatractyloside only (no ADP). The adenine nucleotide translocation, being a 1:1 exchange between intramitochondrial and extramitochondrial nucleotides, was calculated as percent exchange of the total intramitochondrial content (total) according to the following equation:

(1)

The Working Heart Preparation
According to the Langendorff technique, the isolated guinea pig hearts were first retrogradely perfused via an aortic cannula. The nonrecirculating perfusion medium was a modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing (mmol/L) NaCl 127, KCl 4.7, NaHCO3 24.9, CaCl2 1.25, MgSO4 0.6, and KH2PO4 1.2, which was enriched with 0.3 mmol/L pyruvate, 5.5 mmol/L glucose, and 5 U/L insulin. The buffer was equilibrated at 37°C with 94.4% O2 and 5.6% CO2 (pH 7.4). After 15 minutes of stabilization, the perfusate was applied via a cannula tied into the left atrium. All other atrial openings were ligated. The preload and afterload were set to 12 and 80 cm H2O, respectively. The right atrial veins were ligated, and the coronary venous effluent was drained through a cannula inserted in the pulmonary artery. No external work was performed by the right ventricle.

Atrial filling and aortic pressures were monitored by Statham P23BB and P23Db strain gauges (Gould), respectively. Heart rate was derived from the phasic pressure signal with a Beckman cardiotachometer. All parameters were recorded on a Beckman Dynograph R411. External heart work was calculated as the sum of (cardiac outputxpressure gradient across the left ventricle)+acceleration work [ xejected volumex(mean velocity of flow)2] during ejection.

The myocardial oxygen consumption (MO2) was derived from the difference of O2 tension between aortic perfusate and coronary effluent, which was measured with two Clark-type electrodes (Bachofer), and the coronary flow rate. The lactate release into the coronary effluent was measured enzymatically.24

To enhance metabolic demand, all hearts (control and immunized groups) were stimulated by applying calcium at a high concentration (perfusate concentration, 4.0 mmol/L). In addition, after a further stabilization of 30 minutes, the aorta was ligated to induce a maximal pressure load. Hemodynamic parameters were measured against the occluded aorta after 40 minutes of work.

Nonaqueous Fractionation
To avoid further metabolic processes, the freeze-clamped hearts were pulverized in a mortar filled with liquid nitrogen, lyophilized, and stored in heptane/carbon tetrachloride. During lyophilization, all formerly dissolved substances (eg, metabolites and enzymes) cling to the membrane wall of their respective cellular compartment. After ultrasonic disruption of the cells into small membrane fragments, insufficiently homogenized particles, mainly consisting of connective tissue, were removed by successive filtration through columns filled with glass beads of 1.0- and 0.4-mm diameter. The purified homogenate was then subjected to density-gradient centrifugation (4 hours at 16 000g). The density gradients (1.29 to 1.38 g/mL) were produced by a continuous variation of the volume ratio of the two constituents heptane (0.69 g/mL) and carbon tetrachloride (1.59 g/mL). Since lyophilized mitochondrial membranes are lighter than cytosolic structures, fractions with differing proportions of cytosolic and mitochondrial proteins can be obtained.25 Each of the eight fractions per gradient was subdivided into two aliquots. In the first aliquot, the total protein content and the activities of the cytosolic and mitochondrial marker enzymes, phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and citrate synthase (CS), respectively, were determined. In the second aliquot, the contents of phosphate, ADP, ATP, creatine, and creatine phosphate were analyzed. Protein was measured according to the method of Lowry et al,26 phosphate was measured colorimetrically,27 and all other tests were enzymatic analyses.28

Calculation of Intracellular Metabolite Contents
The known total metabolite content (M) in each fraction of the density gradient is the sum of its mitochondrial (mit) and cytosolic (cyt) portions:

(2)
The activities of the marker enzymes PGK and CS, determined in each fraction, correlate with the metabolite content of the respective cellular compartment:

(3)

(4)
The combination of the Equations 2 through 4UpUpUp results in the following linear expression:

(5)
The factors a and b can be readily obtained by linear regression, whereupon the cytosolic and mitochondrial metabolite contents can be calculated from Equations 3Up and 4Up. To derive concentrations, these contents were first referred to the protein contents of the corresponding compartment. Then, subcellular concentrations were obtained assuming 3.8 µL water per milligram cytosolic protein and 1.8 µL water per milligram protein in the mitochondria.29 30 Since most of the cytosolic ADP is bound to the contractile system of the heart muscle, the free cytosolic ADP was calculated from the creatine phosphokinase (CPK) reaction, assuming an intracellular hydrogen concentration of pH 7.05 and an equilibrium constant of KCPK=2.04 · 10-9 31 32 :

(6)

As a working measure of {Delta}G of ATP ({Delta}GATP), given as

(7)

the concentration term of the potential, RT · ln{[ATP]/([ADP] · [phosphate])}, was calculated, where R represents Faraday's constant and T is the absolute temperature (in degrees kelvin).

Statistical Analyses
The two-tailed Student's t tests for unpaired and for combined samples were used. Values are presented as mean±SD.


*    Results
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMaterials and Methods
*Results
down arrowDiscussion
down arrowReferences
 
During the immunization period, two guinea pigs of the immunized group died. In the sera of all immunized animals, an increase of antibodies against the ADP-ATP carrier was detected in the solid-phase radioimmunoassay after 4 months of immunization. The data are shown in Table 1Down. The generation of specific antibodies was further confirmed by Western blot, whereby the nitrocellulose blots incubated successively with the serum of immunized guinea pigs and then with horseradish peroxidase–conjugated anti-IgG had a positive staining of the ADP-ATP carrier protein in all cases. All preimmune sera, however, were nonreactive for the ADP-ATP carrier in radioimmunoassay and Western blot. A representative blot is shown in Fig 1Down.


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Table 1. Generation of Antibodies and Inhibition of Nucleotide Transport in Sera of Control Guinea Pigs and Guinea Pigs Immunized With the ADP-ATP Carrier



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Figure 1. Western blot for the detection of antibodies against the ADP-ATP carrier. Lanes A through C are polyacrylamide slab gels stained with Coomassie blue: A, marker proteins (molecular weight in daltons); B, total heart mitochondrial proteins; and C, isolated ADP-ATP carrier (32 000 D). Lanes D and E are nitrocellulose blots, incubated successively with serum from guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier, and then with horseradish peroxidase–conjugated anti-IgG: D, total heart mitochondrial proteins, and E, isolated ADP-ATP carrier.

Table 1Up also shows the amount of inhibition of ADP exchange in isolated mitochondria. As observed in all previous experiments, no apparent correlation exists between antibody generation and in vitro inhibition of the nucleotide transport. In 13 of the 23 sera of immunized animals tested, the in vitro ADP exchange inhibition exceeded the mean±2 SD level of the control sera. These animals were regarded as possessing carrier-inactivating antibodies and were defined as the in vitro–positive subgroup. Fig 2Down shows the linear regression plot between the in vitro ADP exchange inhibition and {Delta}G(cyt-mit). This plot demonstrates the close relation of the two parameters that indicate in vitro antibody-mediated carrier inhibition and the in vivo effect of carrier inhibition on myocardial energy metabolism.



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Figure 2. Scatterplot showing correlation of the inhibition of nucleotide exchange on isolated mitochondria in the sera and of the cytosolic-mitochondrial difference of the phosphorylation potential of ATP [{Delta}G(cyt-mit)] in the isolated perfused hearts of guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier. {circ} indicates nonimmunized control guinea pigs (n=9); {bullet}, immunized and in vitro–positive (serological nucleotide transport inhibition) guinea pigs (n=11).

All hearts of the control group (n=11) and of the immunized group showing a positive in vitro inhibition of the nucleotide transport (n=13) were isolated as working heart preparations and metabolically stimulated by high calcium concentration in the perfusate (4.0 mmol/L) and 40 minutes of aortic ligature. Afterward, hemodynamic data were recorded, and the oxygen tension and lactate concentration in the coronary effluent were measured. Finally, these hearts, except for two control hearts and two hearts from the immunized group, were freeze-clamped for the measurement of cytosolic and mitochondrial high-energy phosphate contents as described above.

The hemodynamic data comprising heart rate, mean aortic pressure, coronary flow, stroke volume, and external heart work are shown in Table 2Down and in Fig 3Down. Heart rate did not differ significantly, whereas mean arterial pressure (-30%, P<.001), coronary flow (-37%, P<.005), stroke volume (-30%, P<.005), and external heart work (-54%, P<.001) were significantly suppressed in the hearts from immunized animals when compared with the respective values from the control hearts of nonimmunized animals. The myocardial oxygen extraction, MO2, and the lactate release into the coronary effluent are listed in Table 3Down and displayed in Fig 4Down. Myocardial oxygen extraction did not differ significantly between control and immunized groups. MO2 was lowered in the immunized hearts by 39% (P<.001) compared with the control group. Lactate release into the coronary effluent was increased by 110% in the immunized group (P<.01). As a second measure of MO2, the rate-pressure product (heart ratexmean arterial pressure) was calculated (Table 2Down). It was found to correlate closely to the external heart work (r=.90) and showed a decrease of 33% (P<.001) in the immunized group compared with the control group. The rate-pressure product and external heart work correlate with the directly measured MO2 (r=.71 and .81, respectively), with external heart work showing the better relation to MO2 than the rate-pressure product.


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Table 2. Hemodynamic Data From Isolated Perfused Working Hearts of Control Guinea Pigs and Guinea Pigs Immunized With the ADP-ATP Carrier



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Figure 3. Bar graphs showing heart rate (HR), mean aortic pressure (MAP), coronary flow (CF), stroke volume (SV), and external heart work (EHW) of isolated perfused hearts of guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier (see Table 2Up). Data are mean±SD. The bars represent the means from the hearts of nonimmunized control guinea pigs (open bars, n=9) and of immunized guinea pigs showing serological carrier inactivation (solid bars, n=13). Probability levels are calculated from the two-tailed Student's t test of independent samples (n.s. indicates nonsignificant at P>.05).


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Table 3. Oxygen and Lactate Measurements in the Coronary Effluent of Isolated Perfused Hearts of Control Guinea Pigs and Guinea Pigs Immunized With the ADP-ATP Carrier



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Figure 4. Bar graphs showing rate-pressure product (HR · MAP), myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2), oxygen extraction (O2-EXT), and lactate release into the coronary effluent (LAC) of isolated perfused hearts of guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier (see Tables 2Up and 3Up). Data are mean±SD. The bars represent the means from the hearts of nonimmunized control guinea pigs (open bars, n=9) and of immunized guinea pigs showing serological carrier inactivation (solid bars, n=13). Probability levels are calculated from the two-tailed Student's t test of independent samples (n.s. indicates nonsignificant at P>.05).

The metabolic data of the control and of the immunized groups are demonstrated in Table 4Down. Neither cytosolic nor mitochondrial phosphate concentrations differed between control and immunized hearts. Cytosolic ADP, ATP, and creatine were also shown not to be altered significantly. Cytosolic creatine phosphate, however, was found to be reduced from 28.5±5.9 mmol/L in the control group to 23.6±3.7 mmol/L in the immunized group (P<.05). Mitochondrial ATP markedly increased from 8.2±1.2 mmol/L in the control group to 12.4±3.2 mmol/L in the immunized group (P<.005), whereas mitochondrial ADP decreased from 2.4±0.4 mmol/L in the control group to 1.6±0.5 mmol/L in the immunized group (P<.001). The calculated combined parameters were altered significantly both cytosolically and mitochondrially (see Table 5Down and Fig 5Down). The ATP to ADP ratio declined in the cytosol from 59±14 to 47±8 (P<.05) and rose in the mitochondria from 3.5±0.7 to 9.3±5.4 (P<.005). Cytosolic {Delta}G was lowered from 19.6±0.7 to 18.9±0.6 kJ/mol ATP (P<.05), whereby mitochondrial {Delta}G increased from 14.7±0.4 to 16.6±1.3 kJ/mol ATP (P<.005). Through a combination of both {Delta}G values, {Delta}G(cyt-mit), which reflects the electrogenic nucleotide transport activity of the ADP-ATP carrier, was found to be reduced by >50%, falling from the control value of 4.9±0.6 to 2.3±1.1 kJ/mol ATP in the hearts of the immunized animals.


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Table 4. Metabolic Data for Isolated Perfused Working Hearts of Control Guinea Pigs and Guinea Pigs Immunized With the ADP-ATP Carrier


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Table 5. Status of Energy Metabolism in Isolated Perfused Working Hearts of Control Guinea Pigs and Guinea Pigs Immunized With the ADP-ATP Carrier



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Figure 5. Bar graphs showing cytosolic and mitochondrial ADP-to-ATP ratios and the cytosolic-mitochondrial difference of the phosphorylation potential of ATP [{Delta}G(cyt.-mit.)] in isolated hearts of nonimmunized control guinea pigs (open bars, n=9) and in hearts of guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier showing a positive in vitro inhibition of the nucleotide transport (solid bars, n=11). Data are mean±SD. Probability levels are calculated from the two-tailed Student's t test of independent samples (nonsignificant at P>.05).

Finally, Fig 6Down demonstrates the relation between the impairment of energy metabolism, represented by {Delta}G(cyt-mit) and the myocardial function, represented by the external heart work. The regression plot shows that the maximum work the guinea pig hearts perform after being immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier protein correlates with the magnitude of {Delta}G(cyt-mit) reduction (r=.87).



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Figure 6. Scatterplot showing correlation of the cytosolic-mitochondrial difference of the phosphorylation potential of ATP [{Delta}G(cyt-mit)] and the external heart work (EHW) of isolated perfused hearts of guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier. {circ} indicates nonimmunized control guinea pigs (n=9); {bullet}, immunized and in vitro–positive (serological nucleotide transport inhibition) guinea pigs (n=11).


*    Discussion
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up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMaterials and Methods
up arrowResults
*Discussion
down arrowReferences
 
All guinea pigs immunized with the isolated purified ADP-ATP carrier generated carrier-specific antibodies, as confirmed by radioimmunoassay. The specificity of these antibodies was further demonstrated by Western blot and by the measurement of the nucleotide transport rate on isolated mitochondria. When all these experiments were carried through by using either mitochondria or the carrier protein from liver and kidney, no binding or functional activity of the antibodies was evident, thus showing a high organ specificity of the anti–heart carrier antibodies.15 17 Immunohistochemical studies by direct immunofluorescence and peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining of cryosections of the myocardium from immunized animals revealed an immunoglobulin binding to the cell surface and to intracellular structures.19

Immunization with the isolated ADP-ATP carrier results in a rise of polyclonal antibodies directed against various antigenic determinants of the protein. Depending on their binding site, not all antibody subpopulations need be active in influencing the carrier function. Therefore, the antibody "amount" as tested in the radioimmunoassay does not necessarily correlate with their carrier-inactivating potency. However, 13 of the total of 23 assessed sera from immunized animals showed a lowered rate of the nucleotide transport in isolated mitochondria. Although the results from this in vitro system and from the isolated perfused intact beating heart are not directly comparable, the magnitude of carrier inhibition in vitro correlates with the deterioration of energy metabolism "in vivo," as measured by {Delta}G(cyt-mit). This shows the possible direct affection of the carrier by the antibodies, although indirect mechanisms of action are imaginable as well.

The results of antibody-mediated deterioration of cardiac energy metabolism confirmed our findings in previous studies.19 We find a marked increase in the mitochondrial ATP concentration and a decrease in mitochondrial ADP, resulting in a 166% rise (P<.005) of the ATP/ADP quotient in this compartment compared with the nonimmunized control group. As a consequence, the calculated concentration term of the mitochondrial phosphorylation potential of ATP ({Delta}G) increased from 14.7 (control group) to 16.6 (immunized group) kJ/mol ATP (P<.005). The cytosolic concentrations of the high-energy phosphates were changed in opposition but to a lesser extent. Nevertheless, the cytosolic ATP-to-ADP ratio and {Delta}G decreased significantly (P<.05). More than the cytosolic ATP (no significant loss), the creatine phosphate concentration decreased from 28.5 (control group) to 23.6 (immunized group) mmol/L (P<.05). This different susceptibility of cytosolic ATP and creatine phosphate to the assumed lowered activity of the ADP-ATP carrier can be explained by two lines of reasoning. First, the mitochondrial CPK is located in the direct neighborhood of the ADP-ATP carrier at the inner mitochondrial membrane.33 This carrier/phosphokinase complex probably transforms most of the outward shifted ATP very effectively into creatine phosphate. Therefore, any impairment of the carrier function should predominantly affect the cytosolic creatine phosphate concentration before affecting the cytosolic ATP concentration. Second, a higher lactate concentration in the coronary effluent from the hearts of immunized animals (3.0 versus 1.4 mmol/g per minute in control hearts, P<.005) argues in favor of an enhanced rate of anaerobic glycolysis to compensate for the infringed delivery of aerobically supplied high-energy phosphates. Although even maximally stimulated glycolysis might not be sufficient to totally substitute the cytosolic ATP demands,34 it should at least damp any cytosolic ATP reduction.

As a consequence of the reported mitochondrial and cytosolic changes in myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism after immunizing guinea pigs with the ADP-ATP carrier, {Delta}G(cyt-mit) was found to be strongly affected. We measured a >50% reduction of this parameter (from 4.9 kJ/mol ATP in nonimmunized control hearts to 2.3 kJ/mol ATP in the hearts of the immunized animals, which had generated carrier-inactivating antibodies). This "collapse" of {Delta}G(cyt-mit) should be the result of a deterioration of the function of the ADP-ATP carrier, because its activity provides this transmembrane potential difference.20 Our reported value for {Delta}G(cyt-mit) correlates well with earlier results and with data from other laboratories.19 25 35 It is not likely that any reduced activity of oxidative phosphorylation such as hypoxia or limited substrate supply had lowered the mitochondrial membrane potential, the "driving force" for the electrogenic carrier activity. Had this occurred, mitochondrial ATP would be expected to be diminished because of its reduced synthesis. Our observed very high mitochondrial ATP concentration in the hearts of the immunized animals argues against any scenario of reduced oxidative phosphorylation. Hypoxia, in particular, could be excluded because the oxygen concentration in the coronary-venous effluent from the hearts of immunized animals did not differ from the value in the control hearts (see Fig 3Up). In addition, coronary autoregulation was intact, and the lactate release of all the control hearts was very low.

The hemodynamic recordings showed major differences between the isolated hearts of nonimmunized control guinea pigs and those of guinea pigs immunized with the ADP-ATP carrier. The mean developed aortic pressure was found to be increased by 30%; coronary flow, by 37%; and the stroke volume, by 30% (P<.005 for all parameters). The calculated external heart work was lowered by 54% (P<.005).

The major result of this experimental study, however, is shown in Fig 6Up, where the external heart work is plotted against {Delta}G(cyt-mit). The correlation coefficient (r=.87) indicates a close linearity between those decisive parameters of cardiac cellular energy metabolism and cardiac function. It seems obvious from these data that the more the function of the ADP-ATP carrier was reduced, the more the energy metabolism was infringed and the more pronounced cardiac function failed. However, it may be argued that the fact that metabolism and function are correlated with one another does not indicate that the metabolic abnormality caused the functional one. One could also object that different work loads of the heart themselves influence energy metabolism. A work-dependent reduction of {Delta}G(cyt-mit) could in fact be demonstrated.25 However, in a previous study we were able to show that under the influence of specific anti–ADP-ATP carrier antibodies, similar changes in energy metabolism occurred even if all hearts were submaximally and identically stimulated and thus were uniformly performing exactly the same work.19 Therefore, the reverse relation, that of cardiac function determining cardiac energy metabolism, cannot be the sole explanation of our data. A second reason that a primarily antibody-induced reduction of cardiac function with a secondary change in energy metabolism seems doubtful is that the in vitro inhibition of the nucleotide transport on isolated mitochondria correlates much better with the phosphorylation potential difference than with any hemodynamic parameter. Although correlation does not necessarily indicate causation, it seems obvious that the antibody-triggered disorder first alters the energy metabolism and then leads to the infringed cardiac function.

In conclusion, the present data show that organ function can be influenced by an immunologically triggered metabolic disorder. The correlation of metabolic changes with heart function was demonstrated. This metabolic impairment occurs by antibody-induced affliction of an intracellular functional protein, the mitochondrial ADP-ATP carrier. The hereby caused antibody-mediated cardiac failure uncovers an immunologic mechanism, hitherto unknown. Our data argue in favor of the hypothesis that the antibodies against the ADP-ATP carrier found in the sera of patients with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy16 17 are not merely an epiphenomenon of these diseases but might play an important pathophysiological role.


*    Acknowledgments
 
This study was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 189-B8).

Received August 9, 1994; accepted September 12, 1994.


*    References
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMaterials and Methods
up arrowResults
up arrowDiscussion
*References
 

  1. Kawai, C, Matsumori A, Fujiwara H. Myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Annu Rev Med. 1987;38:221-239. [Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
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  3. Blay R, Simpson K, Leslie K, Huber S. Coxsackievirus-induced disease: CD4+ cells initiate both myocarditis and pancreatitis in DBA/2 mice. Am J Pathol. 1989;135:899-907. [Abstract]
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