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Circulation Research. 1996;78:289-301

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(Circulation Research. 1996;78:289-301.)
© 1996 American Heart Association, Inc.


Articles

DNA Synthesis in Adult Feline Ventricular Myocytes

Comparison of Hypoxic and Normoxic States

Patricia L. Kozlovskis, Marcel J.D. Smets, William L. Strauss, Robert J. Myerburg

From the Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology (W.L.S.), University of Miami (Fla) School of Medicine.


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
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Abstract Adult mammalian ventricular myocytes are terminally differentiated cells, and the prevailing perception has been that DNA synthesis and repair are not active. We tested the hypothesis that there is potential for DNA synthesis and repair by studying the ability of whole-cell extracts from adult myocytes to incorporate [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into damaged plasmids. Left ventricular myocytes were isolated from adult cat hearts by collagenase dissociation. Cells were maintained in room air (control extract, CE) or made ischemic (IE) with N2 displacement of O2 and extracted for total protein. The nicked form of the plasmid was produced by exposure to an Fe3+/ascorbic acid free radical generating system. Both IE and CE degraded the supercoiled form of the plasmid and incorporated [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into the nicked (32P/DNA mass; CE=2.2, IE=3.0) and linear forms (32P/DNA mass; CE=28.7, IE=25.2). Exposure of plasmids to UV light did not inhibit incorporation of label. Inhibition studies with the cell extracts suggested a participation of polymerase {delta} in myocyte DNA repair/synthesis. Myocyte extract was as active as extract from rapidly growing COS cells at incorporating labeled nucleotides into plasmid DNA. The ability of intact myocytes to incorporate [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into endogenous DNA was measured in isolated cells made permeable with saponin. Studies were done in room air or N2. Permeable cells incorporated [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into nuclear DNA, but maximal specific activity of DNA was observed at 15 minutes with ischemia and at 60 minutes with room air control cells (ischemia, 1.34±0.5, 0.86±0.33, 0.60±0.04; air, 1.0, 1.28±0.20, 1.87±0.38, at 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively). These data indicate that mammalian adult ventricular myocytes can actively repair and/or synthesize both exogenous and endogenous DNA. A DNA synthetic response to cellular damage may have important pathological and clinical implications.


Key Words: DNA • synthesis • repair • myocyte • ischemia


*    Introduction
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
*Introduction
down arrowMaterials and Methods
down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
down arrowReferences
 
Systems for DNA replication and repair are present in mitotic cells, but little is known about terminally differentiated nonmitotic cells. The adult mammalian ventricular myocyte is considered a terminally differentiated cell, and the prevailing perception has been that DNA synthesis becomes quiescent shortly after birth. Absence of myocardial DNA replication and/or repair synthesis in adult ventricular myocytes has been observed in models of hypertrophy,1 2 3 4 5 6 after UV irradiation,7 after healing of experimental myocardial infarction,8 and with aging.7 9 10 11 12 While freshly isolated adult ventricular myocytes apparently do not synthesize DNA,10 cultured myocytes regain some ability to replicate DNA.13 14 Cultured adult and neonatal myocytes display various degrees of differentiation, and there appears to be an inverse relationship between the degree of differentiation and DNA synthesis.15 While the preponderance of data indicates that uncultured, adult mammalian myocytes do not synthesize DNA, a few studies have reported labeled nucleotide uptake and suggested that under certain conditions the adult left ventricle has the reserve to activate limited DNA synthesis and may proceed to hyperplasia.16 Histological studies have suggested some DNA synthesis in adult ventricles after coronary artery narrowing,17 18 19 and freshly isolated adult myocyte nuclei incorporate deoxynucleotides into DNA after stimulation by cell extracts from neonatal hearts.20 Therefore, a small body of evidence indicates that adult myocytes can be induced to some DNA synthesis, but the issue of DNA repair has been largely ignored.

The importance of DNA repair in myocardial cells has recently gained attention in studies of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Mitochondrial DNA from adult whole-heart tissue preparations apparently has some ability to replicate, but it is not known whether this activity is derived from the ventricular myocytes.21 22 23 24 Repair of mitochondrial DNA has not been described,25 26 and mitochondrial DNA deletions and mutations associated with defects in oxidative phosphorylation have been reported in dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies,27 in autopsied hearts of patients with coronary atherosclerosis,28 and in aging.29 30 31 Mutations and deletions in nuclear genes encoding the potassium and sodium channels have recently been described and are linked to the inherited cardiac disorder long QT syndrome.32 33 It has been suggested that free radicals generated during ischemia contribute to mitochondrial DNA damage, and evidence of ischemic damage to nuclear DNA has been observed.34 35 36

Most studies of adult ventricular myocyte DNA replication or repair have been done in culture or chronic conditions of overload or infarction, but these studies have for the most part ignored the acute effects of cell manipulation, ischemia, or other stresses, times when DNA repair would be most active. The method of Wood,37 using whole-cell extracts to repair plasmids, has been used extensively to study DNA repair synthesis in various cell systems. We used this method to study the ability of extracts from normal and ischemic adult ventricular myocytes to incorporate labeled dCTP into damaged plasmids. We also studied the effects of ischemia on endogenous DNA synthesis in permeabilized adult ventricular myocytes.

Our results indicate that freshly isolated adult ventricular myocytes and their cell extracts can actively synthesize and repair DNA and incorporate labeled precursors into both endogenous and plasmid DNA. Comparative studies in a rapidly dividing transformed cell line (COS) indicate that DNA metabolism in the adult left ventricular cell is as active as in the rapidly dividing line.


*    Materials and Methods
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up arrowIntroduction
*Materials and Methods
down arrowResults
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down arrowReferences
 
Isolation of Myocardial Cells
Adult domestic cats were surgically anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg IV) and the hearts removed. The hearts were flushed with buffer containing (mmol/L) 130 NaCl, 4.8 KCl, 1.2 MgSO4, 1.2 NaH2PO4, 4 NaHCO3, 0.5 CaCl2, 12 glucose, and 10 HEPES, pH 7.4, followed by retrograde coronary perfusion for 8 minutes with the same buffer. This procedure was followed by perfusion for 5 minutes in Ca2+-free buffer and then a 20-minute recirculating perfusion with 125 mL of Ca2+-free buffer containing 250 U/mL collagenase (type II), 25 mg trypsin inhibitor, 20 mg hyaluronidase, 19 mg protease (4.6 U/mg), and 12 mg BSA. After perfusion, the left ventricle was removed and minced in Ca2+-free buffer with 0.5% BSA but without enzymes. Cells were allowed to settle and were resuspended in the buffer containing 50 µmol/L CaCl2 and 1% BSA. After settling, the cells were again suspended in buffer with 0.5 mmol/L CaCl2 and 1% BSA and finally in buffer with 1.8 mmol/L CaCl2 and 1% BSA.

Aliquots of freshly isolated cells were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde in PBS, spotted on gel-coated slides, and air dried. The slides were dipped in H2O to remove salts and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Dilute preparations were used for cell counts and for determination of nonmuscle cell contamination.

Model of Ischemia
Before extraction of cellular proteins, isolated cells were exposed to either a simulated ischemic environment or an aerated control environment. Cells were washed in PBS and suspended in either N2-purged or aerated buffer containing (mmol/L) 40 Tris at pH 7.6, 8 MgCl2, 167 sucrose, and 15 KCl. For the simulated ischemic environment, inlet and outlet cannulas (18G) were placed through rubber stoppers into 16x100-mm tubes. Intramedic PE 190 tubing was attached to the bottom of the N2 inlet cannula, and N2 was bubbled into the buffer for 30 minutes before the cells were added. The venting cannula was left open throughout the procedure. After bubbling, the cells were quickly added and the tubing removed. The stopper was replaced and a brisk N2 flow maintained through the inlet cannula during a 15-minute incubation at 37°C. Using this procedure, PO2 was maintained at <5 mm Hg, as measured by a biological oxygen monitor (Yellow Springs Instrument Co). After exposure to N2, the cells were washed in PBS and whole-cell extract prepared, as described below. For the aerated controls, cells were incubated in an open vessel, with PO2 maintained at ambient values.

Whole-Cell Extracts
Whole-cell extracts were prepared from ischemic and control myocytes and from trypsinized cultured COS cells by the method of Manley et al.38 All steps were performed at 4°C. Cells were resuspended in 4 volumes of (mmol/L) 10 Tris at pH 7.9, 1 EDTA, and 5 DTT. After 20 minutes on ice, 0.5 mmol/L phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and 0.5 µg/mL each of leupeptin, pepstatin, and chymostatin was added, and the cells were broken using a Dounce homogenizer with a "B" pestle. Four packed-cell volumes of buffer containing (mmol/L) 50 Tris at pH 7.9, 10 MgCl2, 2 DTT, 25% sucrose, and 50% glycerol were added, and 1 packed-cell volume of saturated (NH4)2 SO4 was added dropwise while stirring. The mixture was stirred for 20 minutes and the extract centrifuged at 42 000 rpm for 3 hours in an SW 50.1 rotor. The supernatant was removed, leaving the last 2 mL, and proteins were precipitated by addition of 0.33 g/mL of solid (NH4)2 SO4. After the (NH4)2 SO4 was dissolved, 10 µL of 1 mol/L NaOH per gram of (NH4)2 SO4 was added and the suspension stirred for 30 minutes. The precipitate was collected by centrifugation at 15 000g for 20 minutes and suspended in a small volume of buffer with (mmol/L) 25 HEPES at pH 7.9, 100 KCl, 12 MgCl2, 1 EDTA, 2 DTT, and 17% glycerol. The extract was dialyzed overnight against the same buffer and clarified by centrifugation at 10 000g for 10 minutes. The samples were quick frozen in small aliquots and stored at -80°C. Protein was determined by the Lowry method.

Plasmid Repair Reaction
The commercial plasmids pBR322 (Sigma), Col E1 (Sigma), and pMSG (Pharmacia) were used for these studies. Plasmids were suspended in H2O, cleaned of salts with BioRad Prep-A-Gene DNA Miniprep kits (Catalog No. 732-6017), and eluted with 10 mmol/L phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, at 0.5 µg/µL. Plasmids were damaged by exposure to free radicals by incubation in 10 mmol/L phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, containing 10 µmol/L Fe2 (SO4)3 and 100 µmol/L ascorbic acid.39 Samples were incubated at 32°C for 1 hour. After incubation in the free radical generating system, an equal volume of Miniprep binding buffer was added and the plasmids cleaned of Fe3+ and ascorbic acid with the Miniprep system. Plasmids were eluted in a small volume (usually 40 µL) of water and used for the repair assay.

The repair reactions were done in 0.125 mL buffer containing (mmol/L) 45 HEPES at pH 8.0, 70 KCl, 7.4 MgCl2, 0.9 DTT, 0.4 EDTA, 40 creatine phosphate, 2 ATP, 0.020 each dTTP, dGTP, and dATP, 0.005 dCTP, 3.4% glycerol, 36 µg BSA, 8 µg creatine phosphokinase, 8 µCi [{alpha}-32P]dCTP (3000 Ci/mmol), 2 or 3 µg of plasmid, and cell extract protein, as indicated.37 Where indicated, polymerase inhibitors were added 15 minutes before the addition of plasmid. After incubation, an equal volume of Miniprep binding buffer was added, and samples were cleaned and concentrated with the Miniprep system. Samples were eluted in 40 µL of buffer with (mmol/L) 10 Tris at pH 7.9, 10 MgCl2, 100 NaCl, 1 ß-mercaptoethanol, and 0.1 mg/mL BSA. When indicated, samples were linearized with EcoRI. DNA was resolved by electrophoresis through 1% agarose gels impregnated with 5µg/100 mL of ethidium bromide. Gels were photographed with Polaroid Type 55 film, which produces a negative suitable for densitometric scanning of DNA mass. The gels were dried on nitrocellulose and exposed to X-OMAT AR film for 7 to 14 days. Autoradiographs were scanned with a densitometer, and results are expressed as radiolabel in DNA per mass of DNA.

Hybridization fragments were made using linearized plasmid as a template, a random primers kit (GIBCO-BRL, No. 18187-013), and [{alpha}-32P]dCTP as the label. After Southern blotting and hybridization, films were exposed for 30 minutes.

To compare DNA synthetic activity in myocytes with that in a rapidly growing cell line, we prepared whole-cell extracts, as described above, from cultured COS cells, a fibroblast-like, SV40-transformed African Green monkey kidney cell line. Cells were harvested by trypsinization at 70% confluence and produced a 0.5-mL packed-cell pellet. After the reaction incubation with damaged plasmid Col E1, the DNA was precipitated with 10% cold TCA and 50 µg of salmon sperm DNA. The samples were filtered onto Whatman GF/C filters and washed with 30 mL of cold TCA. After a wash of 10 mL 95% ethanol, the filters were dried and counted for radioactivity.

DNA Repair/Synthesis in Permeable Whole Cells
Freshly isolated cells were washed with (mmol/L) 30 HEPES at pH 7.0, 100 KCl, 20 NaCl, and 1 EGTA and suspended in 50 mL of the same buffer with 0.01% saponin to permeabilize the cells.40 After 5 to 8 minutes on ice, the cells were pelleted at 50g and washed in buffer containing (mmol/L) 40 Tris at pH 7.6, 8 MgCl2, 167 sucrose, and 15 KCl.

The ischemia surrogate was produced as described above except that the stopper contained one additional cannula to withdraw samples. This cannula was fitted with Intramedic PE tubing that extended into the sample on the bottom and had a Luer-Lok hub stopcock on the top. Samples were withdrawn with a syringe attached to the stopcock that allowed sampling without exposing the remaining sample to air. Each tube contained between 1.5 and 3.0 mL, depending on the experimental design, and aliquots of 0.3 to 0.6 mL were withdrawn.

The medium for the repair reaction for permeable cells contained (mmol/L) 40 Tris at pH 7.6, 8 MgCl2, 167 sucrose, 15 KCl, 5 ATP, 40 creatine phosphate, and 5 µmol/L each dATP, dGTP, and dTTP, 1 µmol/L dCTP, 12 to 15 µCi/mL [{alpha}-32P]dCTP (3000 Ci/mmol), and 250 µg/mL creatine phosphokinase.41 EDTA was omitted from the reaction mixture because it is a scavenger of free radicals. Samples, ischemic and nonischemic, were incubated at 36°C for the indicated times.

Samples were washed twice in cold PBS and 0.5 mL of buffer with (mmol/L) 10 Tris at pH 7.4, 10 EDTA, 150 NaCl, and 0.4% SDS, and 2 mg/mL proteinase K was added to the pellet. Samples were heated at 65°C for 15 minutes and incubated with gentle shaking at 37°C overnight. The samples were extracted with 1:1 chloroform/phenol and precipitated with ethanol. The pellet was dissolved in 0.5 mL of buffer containing 10 mmol/L Tris at pH 7.4 and 0.1 mmol/L EDTA and incubated with 30 µg of DNase-free RNase A for 1 hour at 37°C. The sample was again extracted with chloroform/phenol, ethanol precipitated, and dissolved in a small volume of the Tris/EDTA buffer. Half of the sample was diluted, the OD at 260 nm was determined, and 5 to 10 µg of DNA was electrophoresed through 1% agarose gels as described above.


*    Results
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up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMaterials and Methods
*Results
down arrowDiscussion
down arrowReferences
 
A photograph of a typical preparation at low-power magnification (100x) is shown in Fig 1Down. The inset shows the preparation at a magnification of 400x. The cells show typical myocyte morphology with rod shapes, organized striations, and well-defined sarcolemmas. Some rounded, contracted, and densely stained myocytes are also present.



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Figure 1. Low-power magnification (100x) of an isolated myocyte preparation. Cells were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Inset is a 400x magnification of the isolated cells.

Three separate preparations were read for percentage of rods and nonmuscle cell contamination. Analyses of over 800 cells in the final preparations did not reveal any nonmuscle cells. Nonmuscle cells were also not detected in any of the three fresh preparations or after each of the three settling steps (over 3000 cells analyzed). The percentage of rod-shaped myocytes in the final preparations ranged from 71% to 92% and averaged 81%. Thus, our isolated cell preparations contained exclusively myocytes, {approx}81% of which were rods and 19% of which were rounded.

We tested the ability of cellular extracts from control and N2-exposed ventricular myocytes to incorporate [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into plasmids that had been exposed to reactive oxygen. pBR322 was exposed to the Fe3+/ascorbic acid free radical generating system for 1 hour, and plasmid Col E1 was used as a control plasmid not exposed to Fe3+/ascorbic acid. Plasmids were linearized with EcoRI digestion before agarose gel electrophoresis. Lane 1 of Fig 2ADown shows an ethidium bromide–stained gel of pBR322 (4365 bp) and plasmid Col E1 (6600 bp) before treatment with Fe3+/ascorbic acid or repair assay. Exposure of pBR322 to Fe3+/ascorbic acid and subsequent 3-hour incubation with untreated plasmid Col E1 in repair buffer without cell extract resulted in two distinct plasmid bands with the same mobility as the unincubated plasmids (Fig 2ADown, Lanes 2 and 3) and no incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP (Fig 2BDown, Lanes 2 and 3). Addition of 46 µg of protein from CE resulted in greatly reduced mass of both plasmids (Fig 2ADown, Lanes 4 and 5) but clear incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into both the non–Fe3+/ascorbic acid–treated Col E1 and the treated pBR322 (Fig 2BDown, Lanes 4 and 5). When 46 µg of protein from IE was added to the repair incubation, the mass of both plasmids was also reduced, but in contrast to incubation with CE, smaller DNA fragments were observed (Fig 2ADown, Lanes 6 and 7). Heavy incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP accompanied the reduction in plasmid mass, and radiolabel was apparent over a wide range of the smaller fragments (Fig 2ADown, Lanes 6 and 7). Lane 8 contains a DNA ladder of a HindIII{lambda} digest from 23 130 to 2027 bp.



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Figure 2. Incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into plasmids in the presence of cellular extract from CE and IE cells. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel: lane 1, 1.6 µg each of linearized Col E1 and pBR322; lanes 2 and 3, pBR322 exposed to 3 µmol/L Fe3+ and 90 µmol/L ascorbic acid for 1 hour at 30°C and mixed with untreated Col E1. The plasmids were incubated in 0.125 mL repair buffer without cellular extract for 3 hours at 30°C and linearized with EcoRI. Lanes 4 and 5, same as 2 and 3, with the addition of 46 µg of protein from CE; lanes 6 and 7, same as 2 and 3, with the addition of 46 µg of protein from IE; lane 8, DNA ladder of HindIII{lambda} digest. B, Autoradiograph of A.

Incorporation of label into the untreated plasmid was unexpected. Accordingly, we assessed the plasmid forms in the untreated preparation and the effect of the Fe3+/ascorbic acid system on the plasmid forms. An ethidium bromide–stained gel of undigested pMSG (7626 bp) showed that the commercial plasmid preparation contained significant amounts of both nicked (N) and supercoiled (S) forms in addition to a small amount of the linear form (L) (Fig 3ADown, Lane 1). Exposure to Fe3+/ascorbic acid for 1 hour at 32°C, but without the repair reaction, increased the ratio of nicked/supercoiled plasmid threefold, indicating DNA nicking by free radicals (Fig 3ADown, Lane 2). No increase in the linear form was detected after treatment with Fe3+/ascorbic acid.



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Figure 3. Effect of Fe3+/ascorbic acid on pMSG and time dependency of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP incorporation into pMSG in the presence of cellular extract from IE. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel: lane 1, 1.6 µg of untreated pMSG showing ratio of nicked (N), linear (L), and supercoiled (S) forms; lane 2, pMSG after exposure to 9 µmol/L Fe3+ and 100 µmol/L ascorbic acid for 1 hour at 30°C; lane 3, untreated pMSG after linearization with EcoRI; lanes 4 through 7, linearized pMSG after exposure to Fe3+/ascorbic acid for 1 hour at 30°C and incubation in 0.125 mL of repair buffer without cell extract for 0, 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively; lanes 8 through 10, linearized pMSG after exposure to Fe3+/ascorbic acid for 1 hour at 30°C and incubation in 0.125 mL of repair buffer containing 40 µg of protein from IE for 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively. B, Autoradiograph of A.

The time dependence of cell extract–mediated DNA synthesis in plasmids was analyzed by incubating Fe3+/ascorbic acid–treated pMSG with or without 40 µg of protein from IE in repair buffer for 15, 30, and 60 minutes at 30°C. Fig 3AUp (Lane 3) shows one band of the linearized plasmid before Fe3+/ascorbic acid and (Lane 4) the same plasmid after free radical treatment. There was a small decrease in the mass of the Fe3+/ascorbic acid–treated plasmid relative to the untreated plasmid, probably due to some loss during extraction. Incubation for 15, 30, and 60 minutes in repair buffer without cell extract (Lanes 5, 6, and 7, respectively) did not change the pattern. When IE was added to the 15-, 30-, and 60-minute incubations, there was a sharp decrease in the mass of the plasmid (Fig 3AUp, Lanes 8, 9, and 10, respectively) similar to that observed with plasmids Col E1 and pBR322 in Fig 2Up. Again, fragments of DNA were apparent by 60 minutes of incubation with IE. Radiolabel increased with time of incubation in repair buffer with IE (Fig 3BUp, Lanes 8 through 10), and at 60 minutes a smear of label was observed consistent with the appearance of fragments in the ethidium bromide–stained gel. No radiolabel was observed in the absence of cell extract (Fig 3BUp, Lanes 3 through 7).

Because of the technical difficulty of making accurate measurements from gels and autoradiograms containing smears of DNA fragments, we used the extract from control cells, which produced fewer fragments than extract from ischemic cells, to measure the relationship between extract concentration and incorporation of [{alpha}-3P]dCTP into damaged plasmids. Incorporation of radiolabel into Fe3+/ascorbic acid–treated pBR322 was dependent on the concentration of cellular extract. Addition of as little as 5 µg of CE protein caused a decrease in plasmid mass (Fig 4ADown, Lane 2) relative to 0 time (Lane 1) and incorporation of radiolabel (Fig 4BDown, Lane 2). Increasing amounts of CE, up to 40 µg of protein, resulted in progressively decreasing pBR322 mass but increasing radiolabel (Fig 4ADown and 4BDown, Lanes 2 through 6). Addition of CE from 5 to 40 µg protein did not produce the fragments observed previously with IE despite the loss of plasmid mass. Densitometric scans of the gel negative and the autoradiograph showed that the relationship between CE concentration and [{alpha}-32P]dCTP incorporation was linear and increased with increasing cell extract protein (Fig 4CDown).




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Figure 4. Concentration dependence of cellular extract to incorporate [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into plasmid. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel. 1.6 µg of pBR322 was exposed to 9 µmol/L Fe3+ and 100 µmol/L ascorbic acid for 1 hour at 35°C and incubated in 0.125 mL of repair buffer for 1 hour at 30°C. Lanes 1 through 6, plasmids with 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 µg of protein from CE, respectively. Plasmids were linearized with EcoRI before electrophoresis. B, Autoradiograph of gel. C, Plot of specific activity of pBR322 versus concentration of CE. Data are from densitometric scans of the negative from the ethidium bromide–stained gel and the autoradiograph.

When plasmids were linearized before gel electrophoresis, it was not possible to determine the forms that were digested or labeled. Therefore, we repeated the repair reaction and omitted the EcoRI step. After incubation in repair buffer without cell extract for 1 hour, {approx}75% of the plasmid mass was present in the supercoiled form, 25% was in the nicked form, and a small amount, <1%, was in the linear form (Fig 5ADown, Lane 1). Incubation with 10 µg of CE protein resulted in complete loss of the supercoiled plasmid and a 24% decrease in the nicked form (Lane 2). Thus, addition of CE produced an overall loss of {approx}80% of the total plasmid mass. Incubation with 10 µg of IE protein also resulted in loss of the supercoiled form, but in contrast to the CE sample, the nicked form doubled (Lane 3). Despite the increase in the nicked form, there was still an overall loss of {approx}45% of the plasmid mass. In the presence of either cell extract, [{alpha}-32P]dCTP was incorporated into both the nicked and linear forms (Fig 5BDown). The DNA specific activity was greatest in the linear form (17.5 and 13.8 for CE and IE, respectively) and was approximately 10 times greater than in the nicked form (1.3 for both CE and IE). Therefore, despite greater plasmid loss in the presence of CE relative to IE, the similar specific activities suggest that degradation of the plasmid is independent of the DNA repair/synthesis mechanism.



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Figure 5. Incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into nonlinearized pMSG in the presence of CE and IE. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel: lane 1, 2.0 µg of pMSG incubated for 1 hour at 30°C in 0.125 mL of repair buffer; lanes 2 and 3, 5.0 µg of pMSG incubated for 1 hour with 10 µg of protein from CE and IE, respectively; lane 4, DNA ladder of HindIII{lambda} digest. B, Autoradiograph of A.

Loss of plasmid mass in the presence of cell extract was apparent as early as 15 minutes, but there was a surprising lack of detectable DNA fragments, particularly when CE was added. Some possibilities to explain this apparent discrepancy could be (1) very small fragments were running off the gel, (2) fragments were lost during the Prep-A-Gene Miniprep purification to remove unbound label, and (3) the fragment sizes were so heterogenous that they escaped detection. To resolve this issue, we incubated pMSG with 30 µg of protein from either CE or IE and processed the samples for Southern blot analysis with and without the Miniprep cleanup. Blots were hybridized with labeled probes against pMSG generated from random primers. In the absence of cell extract, there was little difference in mass or label between samples without or with cleanup (Fig 6ADown, Lanes 1 and 2, respectively). All three forms of the nonlinearized plasmid hybridized with the probes (Fig 6BDown, Lanes 1 and 2). As observed previously, incubation for 1 hour with 30 µg of protein from CE resulted in reduction of plasmid mass (Lanes 3 and 4). In the absence of Miniprep cleanup, both mass and label were detected at the origin of the gel (Lane 3). In the sample treated with the Miniprep system (Lane 4), neither mass nor label could be detected at the origin, and a small amount of the labeled nicked and linear forms migrated through the gel. Incubation of plasmid with 30 µg of protein from IE produced a pattern similar to the CE samples except that without cleanup (Lane 5), less material remained at the origin and more fragments, which appeared as a smear, entered the gel. After cleanup, no material remained at the origin, and most of the fragments were removed (Lane 6). Therefore, use of the Miniprep system removed DNA at the origin, reduced the fragments that entered the gel, and increased the amount of the nicked and linear forms of the plasmid that entered the gel.



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Figure 6. Effect of Miniprep purification system on pMSG fragments. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel. Probes toward pMSG were labeled with [{alpha}-32P]dCTP and hybridized to nonlinearized pMSG. Lane 1, 2.0 µg pMSG without Miniprep treatment; lane 2, 2.0 µg pMSG with Miniprep treatment; lane 3, 2.0 µg pMSG incubated for 1 hour with 30 µg of protein from CE and without Miniprep treatment; lane 4, 2.0 µg pMSG incubated for 1 hour with 30 µg of protein from CE and with Miniprep treatment; lane 5, 2.0 µg pMSG incubated for 1 hour with 30 µg of protein from IE and without Miniprep treatment; lane 6, 2.0 µg pMSG incubated for 1 hour with 30 µg of protein from IE and with Miniprep treatment. B, Autoradiograph of A.

We considered the possibility that DNA removed by the Miniprep system or retained at the origin without cleanup was bound to protein. Therefore, we used phenol/chloroform extraction to remove protein before electrophoresis. Fig 7Down shows that DNA and label remaining at the origin were removed by protein extraction (Lane 2, CE; Lane 3, IE). Furthermore, a smear of smaller fragments was apparent in both samples, but some discrete fragments were also present in the IE sample (Lane 3).



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Figure 7. Effect of protein extraction on pBR322 after incubation with CE or IE. pBR322 (4 µg) was incubated for 1 hour with 30 µg of protein from CE (lane 2) or IE (lane 3), extracted with phenol/chloroform, precipitated with ethanol, and digested with EcoRI. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel: lane 1, DNA ladder of HindIII{lambda} digest. B, Autoradiograph of A.

UV light has been reported to cause DNA breaks, thymine dimers, and other base modifications25 37 42 43 44 45 that could potentially inhibit DNA synthesis if the bases are not excised. We tested the ability of our cell extract to incorporate [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into pBR322 that had been exposed to UV light. Fig 8Down shows an ethidium bromide–stained gel of nonlinearized pBR322 that had been untreated (Lane 1) and treated (Lane 2) with UV light. As noted previously, a portion of the commercial plasmid contained the nicked form. Exposure to UV increased the ratio of the nicked form to the supercoiled form only 15%, compared with the threefold increase we observed in the presence of Fe3+/ascorbic acid. Lanes 3 and 4 (Fig 8Down) each contain both the EcoRI digested plasmid pBR322 after treatment with 450 J/m2 UV light (pBR322) and the untreated pMSG. Lane 3 contains the plasmid mixture after 1.5 hours of incubation without CE and Lane 4 with 40 µg of protein from CE. Addition of CE caused a decrease in the DNA mass and resulted in incorporation of label into both the treated and untreated plasmids, suggesting that DNA synthesis was not inhibited by prior treatment of pBR322 with UV light. No decrease in mass or incorporation of label was detected without addition of CE (Lane 3).



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Figure 8. Incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into plasmid exposed to UV light. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel: lane 1, 1.6 µg of untreated pBR322 showing nicked (N), linear (L), and supercoiled (S) forms; lane 2, 1.6 µg pBR322 after treatment with 450 J/m2 of UV light; lane 3, 1.6 µg of UV-treated pBR322 and 1.6 µg of untreated pMSG incubated in 0.125 mL of repair buffer for 1.5 hours at 30°C without cellular extract. Before electrophoresis, the sample was linearized with EcoRI. Lane 4, linearized UV-treated pBR322 and untreated pMSG incubated in repair buffer with 40 µg CE. B, Autoradiograph of A.

To determine whether the cell extracts were sensitive to some common polymerase inhibitors, we measured DNA synthetic activity in the presence of NaCl, NEM, BuphdGTP, and ddTTP. The mass and label are shown in Fig 9ADown and 9BDown, and the calculated specific activities in the linear and nicked forms in Fig 10ADown and 10BDown, respectively. Incubation of pMSG with 10 µg of protein from CE (Lane 1) or IE (Lane 2) produced the nicked and linear forms (Fig 9ADown). Radiolabel was incorporated into both nicked and linear forms (Fig 9BDown), with CE and IE giving similar specific activities (Fig 10ADown and 10BDown). Addition of 150 mmol/L NaCl, which inhibits {alpha}, {delta}, and {varepsilon} polymerases, resulted in inhibition of incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into both the nicked and linear forms (Fig 9BDown, Lane 3, CE; Lane 4, IE; and Fig 10ADown and 10BDown). In contrast to extracts without inhibitors, a small amount of the supercoiled form was detected in the ethidium bromide–stained gel. In the presence of 20 mmol/L NEM, which inhibits polymerases {alpha}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, and {gamma}, incorporation of radiolabel was also suppressed (Fig 9BDown, Lane 5, CE; Lane 6, IE; and Fig 10ADown and 10BDown). Similar to NaCl, a small amount of the supercoiled form was detected. BuphdGTP (200 µmol/L), which inhibits polymerases {alpha}, ß, {delta}, and {varepsilon}, reduced incorporation of radiolabel into the linear form by 67% in the presence of CE (Fig 9BDown, Lane 7, and Fig 10ADown) and 79% in the presence of IE (Fig 9BDown, Lane 8, and Fig 10ADown). Incorporation into the nicked form was reduced by 91% in both the CE and IE samples (Fig 10BDown). The smallest inhibition was observed in the presence of 120 µmol/L ddTTP, which has been shown to strongly inhibit polymerases ß and {gamma} and partially inhibit polymerases {delta} and {varepsilon}. Addition of ddTTP produced a 46% inhibition into the linear form (CE and IE) and a 52% and 63% inhibition into the nicked form in the presence of IE and CE, respectively (Fig 9BDown, Lanes 9 and 10; Fig 10ADown and 10BDown).



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Figure 9. Effect of polymerase inhibitors on incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into pMSG by CE or IE. A, Ethidium bromide–stained 1% agarose gel. Cell extracts were incubated for 15 minutes with the inhibitor before addition of pMSG. After addition of 2 µg pMSG, the incubation was continued for 1 hour. Lane 1, 2 µg pMSG incubated with 10 µg of protein from CE; lane 2, 2 µg pMSG incubated with 10 µg of protein from IE; lanes 3 and 4, 2 µg pMSG incubated with 10 µg of protein from CE or IE, respectively, in the presence of 150 mmol/L NaCl; lanes 5 and 6, 2 µg pMSG incubated with 10 µg of protein from CE or IE in the presence of 20 mmol/L NEM; lanes 7 and 8, 2 µg pMSG incubated with 10 µg of protein from CE or IE in the presence of 200 µmol/L BuphdGTP; lanes 9 and 10, 2 µg pMSG incubated with 10 µg of protein from CE or IE in the presence of 120 µmol/L ddTTP.



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Figure 10. Specific activity of DNA from Fig 7Up in the linear (A) and nicked (B) forms of pMSG after incubation with polymerase inhibitors.

To compare the DNA synthetic activity in adult myocytes with that of an actively mitotic cell line, we compared the ability of myocyte extract with COS cell extract to repair damaged plasmids. Free radical–treated plasmid Col E1 was incubated with 15 µg of protein from control myocyte extract, COS cell extract, or a mixture of the two for 1 hour. Aliquots were taken, and DNA was precipitated with TCA. The TCA-precipitable counts for two experiments are shown in the TableDown. The TCA-precipitable counts were almost identical in the presence of either myocyte or COS cell extracts, indicating similar activity. After subtraction of background counts in the absence of cell extract, the activity of the combined sample was 80% of that expected from the addition of CE and COS alone. These results indicate that under similar conditions, cell extract from adult myocytes has DNA synthetic activity comparable to that of a rapidly growing cell line.


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Table 1. Two Experiments Showing TCA-Precipitable Counts After Incubation of pCol E1 With [{alpha}-32P]dCTP and Myocyte (CE) or COS Cell Extract or a Combination of the Two

Our observations with cell extracts and plasmid DNA confirmed that in this system, adult myocardial cells are capable of active DNA repair. To investigate whether adult ventricular myocytes can incorporate label into endogenous DNA, we used a permeable cell system. Fig 11Down shows a time course (in triplicate) for DNA mass (A) and incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP (B) into whole-cell DNA. After 15 minutes of incubation (Fig 11Down, Lanes 2, 3, and 4), the pattern of mass in the ethidium bromide–stained gel was similar to the 0-time sample in Lane 1 and revealed DNA at the origin and a smear that entered the gel. After 60 minutes (A, Lanes 5, 6, and 7), smaller fragments of DNA were observed as a larger smear, and this increased at 120 (Lanes 8, 9, and 10) and 150 (Lanes 11, 12, and 13) minutes. Autoradiography of the gel (Fig 11BDown) revealed intense labeling at all time points, but at 120 and 150 minutes, the label was smeared the length of the gel.



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Figure 11. Time course for [{alpha}-32P]dCTP incorporation into endogenous DNA of permeable myocytes. Isolated ventricular myocytes were made permeable with saponin and incubated in the presence of the repair buffer as described in "Materials and Methods." DNA was extracted, treated with RNase, and electrophoresed through 1% agarose gels. A, Ethidium bromide–stained gel: lane 1, 0 time; lanes 2 through 4, 15 minutes incubation; lanes 5 through 7, 60 minutes incubation; lanes 8 through 10, 120 minutes incubation; lanes 11 through 13, 150 minutes incubation. B, Autoradiograph of A.

To assess the effects of ischemia on the specific activity of whole-cell DNA, we incubated permeable cells in an N2 atmosphere and withdrew samples at 15, 30, and 60 minutes. Longer incubations were not done because of the difficulty in obtaining accurate scans of large smears of DNA that were observed at times greater than 60 minutes. Fig 12ADown and 12BDown show a representative ethidium bromide–stained gel and autoradiograph. One predominant band of mass (A) and label (B) was observed at all time points. In the N2-treated samples, the label decreased with increasing time (Lanes 3, 5, and 7; 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively). However, label increased with time of incubation in the control cells (Lanes 2, 4, and 6; 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively). A plot of the specific activities of the primary band in 12A and 12B is shown in Fig 12CDown, and the inverse relationship between aerobic and ischemic samples is apparent.




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Figure 12. Representative experiment showing incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into endogenous DNA of control and ischemic myocytes. Isolated ventricular myocytes were made permeable with saponin and incubated in air or N2 in the presence of the repair buffer as described in "Materials and Methods." DNA was extracted, treated with RNase, and electrophoresed through 1% agarose gels. A, Ethidium bromide–stained gel: lane 1, 0 time; lanes 2, 4, and 6, cells incubated in air for 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively; lanes 3, 5, and 7, cells incubated in N2 for 15, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively. B, Autoradiograph of A. C, Plot of DNA specific activity versus time of incubation. Specific activity was determined by densitometric scans of the negative of the gel in A and the autoradiograph in B. ({circ}), Cells incubated in air; ({bullet}), cells incubated in N2.

A composite graph of DNA specific activity after incubation of cells in air or N2 is shown in Fig 13Down (mean±SEM; air, n=6; N2, n=4). Whole, permeabilized myocardial cells that were incubated in air increased endogenous DNA specific activity for up to 60 minutes relative to the respective 15-minute sample. Cells exposed to N2 had maximal specific activity at 15 minutes, and label decreased at 30 and 60 minutes relative to the 15-minute sample incubated in air.



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Figure 13. Component bar graph of specific activities of DNA from permeable cells incubated in air or N2. Values represent percent of respective 15-minute sample incubated in air. Mean±SEM. Air, n=6; N2, n=4.

To determine whether the fragmented DNA pattern we observed in whole permeable cells was a consequence of the experimental procedure (ie, cell isolation, permeabilization, and/or nuclease activity) or was indicative of DNA damage during the DNA extraction procedure, we extracted DNA from fresh left ventricular tissue and compared the gel patterns. Fresh tissue was pulverized in liquid N2 with a mortar and pestle, digested in proteinase K, extracted with chloroform/phenol, and precipitated in ethanol. After RNase treatment, the DNA was electrophoresed through 0.4% agarose to allow better detection of larger DNA fragments. Fig 14Down shows DNA from isolated, permeabilized cells (Lane 1) and from fresh tissue (Lanes 2 and 3). Lane 4 contains a DNA standard with sizes ranging from 48 502 to 8271 bp. DNA from both preparations contained fragments of variable sizes that appeared as a smear on the gel. The detectable fragments encompassed a wide size distribution and ranged from >48 000 to <8271 bp. In addition, some DNA was apparent at the origin. Therefore, the DNA fragments we observed in the isolated, whole-cell preparation were not a result of cell manipulation or nuclease activity during isolation and permeabilization but probably due to breakage during DNA extraction.



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Figure 14. Comparison of DNA fragmentation between isolated, permeable cells and fresh tissue in a 0.4% agarose gel. Lane 1, DNA from isolated, permeable cells; lanes 2 and 3, DNA from fresh tissue; lane 4, DNA size standard, 48 000-8271 bp.


*    Discussion
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMaterials and Methods
up arrowResults
*Discussion
down arrowReferences
 
Adult ventricular myocytes are terminally differentiated cells, and the preponderance of published data supports the long-standing concept that these postmitotic cells have no capacity for nuclear DNA synthesis or repair activity. Little is known about the ability of myocardial mitochondria to synthesize DNA, but the perception is that it is also largely inactive and lacks repair enzymes. Recent investigations into some forms of cardiomyopathy have uncovered deletions and mutations in mitochondrial DNA that have been attributed to exposure of mitochondria to high levels of free radicals and to the lack of DNA repair enzymes. Damage to myocardial nuclear DNA has received less attention, but histological studies have shown that ischemia causes chromatin clumping.34 35 Free radicals have been shown to damage DNA in nonmyocyte systems through strand breaks and formation of modified bases,39 45 46 47 48 49 50 and hypoxia induces fragmentation of DNA in cultured neonatal rat heart cells.36 Since the myocardium is highly aerobic and at risk for exposure to damaging oxidative free radicals, it is conceivable that there would exist mechanisms for DNA repair in the adult myocardial cell under conditions of ischemia or hypoxia. Indeed, it would be desirable for myocytes that are present throughout a normal life span to have some mechanism for DNA repair. Indirect evidence that the adult myocardium maintains the ability to synthesize and/or repair DNA has been provided by reports that polymerases {delta}, ß, and {gamma} and the polymerase {delta} cofactor, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, are present.12 18 51 52 53 54 55 56 In addition, it has been reported that dedifferentiated cultured adult ventricular myocytes regain polymerase {alpha} activity.14

The technique of Wood37 measures the activity of whole-cell extracts to repair damaged plasmid DNA. This method has been used with a variety of cell types, but not with adult ventricular myocytes. Preparation of cell extracts from whole tissues, as opposed to cultured cells, has the potential for mixed cell types. This is particularly important for myocardial tissue because small amounts of mitotically active nonmuscle cells could confound the results. Cutilletta et al57 reported that nonmuscle cells adhere to myocytes during cell isolation and can be observed by nuclear staining. We could not detect any nonmuscle cell contamination in stained preparations of our isolated cells, either before, during, or after the settling steps. Therefore, we are confident that the cell extracts used for these studies are exclusively from myocytes.

During the course of these studies, we observed a decrease in the plasmid mass in the presence of extract from either control or ischemic cells. However, the pattern of degradation was different. Extract from control cells reduced the mass of both control and free radical–treated plasmids without the appearance of discrete fragments. In contrast, extract from ischemic cells produced some discrete fragments, suggesting a nonrandom cleavage or a less active nuclease. The degradation of supercoiled plasmid that we observed is compatible with an endonuclease with potent nicking activity.49 58 However, loss of the supercoiled form in the presence of ischemic extract was accompanied by an increase in the nicked form, whereas both forms were degraded with the control cell extract. These data suggest the presence of different nuclease(s) or differences in the concentration of the nuclease(s), with greater concentration in the control extract producing greater degradation. The different patterns of plasmid degradation do not appear to reflect a greater concentration in the control extract, because reducing the concentration from 40 to 5 µg of protein did not alter the pattern. We propose that different nucleases are active in ischemic and control preparations. Nucleases can be of mitochondrial, nuclear, or cytoplasmic origin,58 59 60 and results obtained with whole-cell extracts make it difficult to determine the source. Regardless of the mode of DNA degradation, label appeared in nicked and linear plasmids and plasmid fragments as early as 15 minutes of incubation, and the specific activity of the label increased with increasing concentration of extract and with time. It is noteworthy that the specific activities of both the linear and nicked forms and the response to polymerase inhibitors were similar with the two myocyte extracts, suggesting that despite the differences in degradation patterns, they share a common mechanism for DNA repair synthesis. Whereas incorporation of label was linear with extract concentration, it was not linear with time. There was enhanced incorporation of label between 30 and 60 minutes compared with the first 30 minutes (Fig 3Up). The increase in label coincided with the appearance of fragments, suggesting that additional sites are provided by nuclease(s).

In these studies, we used an in vitro free radical generating system that increased the nicked/relaxed form of the plasmid threefold before incubation with the cell extract. We do not know whether the DNA synthesis we observed was a result of initiation of DNA synthesis on the nicked template or removal of oxidized bases and subsequent repair of the plasmid. As mentioned above, it is probable that nuclease(s) present in the extract produced additional sites for DNA synthesis and repair. Therefore, these observations may represent a combination of repair synthesis and replication synthesis. According to conventional concepts, extract from control myocardial cells should represent a quiescent state and would not label DNA. However, it must be considered that the process of enzymatic dissociation, associated changes in calcium homeostasis, and the extraction of cellular protein may cause stress and cellular changes that activate DNA synthetic enzymes. Indeed, in our whole-cell preparations, incorporation of label into endogenous DNA was observed in nonischemic cells and may also be related to cell isolation. The DNA synthetic capacity of cell extracts from control myocytes was equivalent to that of a rapidly growing transformed cell line and suggests that myocytes are much more active than previously thought.

Using the cell extracts and plasmid DNA, we were able to obtain some information about which polymerase(s) could be responsible for our observations. Both high NaCl and NEM inhibited incorporation of label, indicating that polymerases ß and {gamma} are probably not involved. We did observe 25% to 30% residual activity in the presence of BuphdGTP, which could be due to polymerase {gamma}; however, this is unlikely, since no activity was observed in the presence of NaCl, which stimulates polymerase {gamma}. Whereas polymerase {alpha} is potently inhibited by BuphdGTP, polymerase {delta} is only partially inhibited at the concentration we used.61 Additionally, ddTTP caused a 50% inhibition, which also indicates that polymerase {alpha} is probably not involved, since it is unaffected by ddTTP. The partial inhibition by ddTTP is suggestive of polymerases {delta} and {varepsilon}. Since polymerase {delta} has been reported in adult rat heart, it is likely that it plays a role in our observations.51 Polymerase {delta} functions in both DNA replication and repair, both of which could be active in our preparations.62 We are aware of the problems of using inhibitors in whole cells and cellular extracts and recognize that they can display anomalous behavior.63 Given these considerations, our data suggest that polymerase {delta} plays a major role in DNA metabolism in the adult ventricular myocyte. The preservation of small amounts of the supercoiled form of the plasmid in the presence of NaCl and NEM is probably due to inhibition of nuclease, but this inhibition did not prevent extensive degradation of the plasmid.

During the course of these studies, we observed that plasmids not exposed to free radicals also incorporated [{alpha}-32P]dCTP. Analysis of the uncut plasmids revealed that some of the native plasmids contained the relaxed/nicked form, which would serve as a substrate. Other investigators have observed incorporation into nontreated plasmids64 65 even when the plasmid preparation was highly purified.39 45

While free radical exposure produces primarily DNA strand breaks, UV radiation can cause base modifications, such as pyrimidine dimers, that prevent DNA repair or synthesis if there is no ability to excise the damaged base. The presence of pyrimidine dimers in repair-deficient mitochondria has been shown to slow or arrest DNA replication,42 and extracts from excision repair-deficient cell lines, such as xeroderma pigmentosum, are unable to incorporate labeled nucleotides into UV-damaged plasmids.45 64 To determine whether our cell extracts could incorporate [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into UV-treated plasmid, we performed the repair assay using extract from control cells on plasmid that had been exposed to UV light. We detected DNA synthesis in the UV-treated plasmid analogous to that for the same plasmid treated with the free radical system (compare Figs 4Up and 8Up). While it is probable that some of the activity we observed was due to the presence of nicked forms in the native plasmid and nuclease activity, interruption of DNA synthesis by pyrimidine dimers would have resulted in reduced labeling. Therefore, it appears that cell extracts from adult myocytes are able to incorporate nucleotides into DNA after exposure to UV, which suggests that they have the ability to excise damaged bases.

Isolated ventricular myocytes made permeable with saponin and incubated in the presence of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP incorporated label into endogenous DNA. At early time points <=60 minutes, it appeared that there was one predominant DNA band, suggesting a nonrandom cleavage. However, extraction of DNA from fresh, whole cardiac tissue indicated the presence of multiple fragments of various sizes in both the isolated cells and fresh tissue. Therefore, it is not possible for us to conclude that the fragmented DNA we observed from permeable cells was due to specific cleavage characteristic of apoptosis, as has been reported for hypoxic cultured neonatal rat heart cells.36 It is clear from the large size of some of the labeled DNA fragments (>58 000 bp) that it is of nuclear rather than mitochondrial origin (16 500 bp).

The major difference we observed between control and ischemic cells was in the rate of incorporation of [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into endogenous DNA, with incorporation of label being accelerated in the presence of N2. It is difficult to determine why there was faster incorporation of label in the ischemic preparations, but it may be related to enhanced free radical production under ischemic conditions. Since there was no external source of free radicals in the whole-cell preparations, any free radical–mediated damage to DNA had to result from endogenous metabolic processes that would be accelerated in the presence of N2. Free radical generation has been shown to be greatly enhanced in ischemic myocardium.35 66 67 68 69 70 Additionally, cell deterioration would be enhanced during ischemia, and activation of various nucleases would contribute to degradation and reduced label at later time points.

Although a few studies have suggested possible low-level DNA synthesis in adult ventricular myocytes, most reports have concluded that there is no active DNA synthesis or repair. Three histological studies in models of experimental infarction have reported limited nuclear DNA synthesis. Approximately 9% of left ventricular myocyte nuclei (versus 2% in control cells) were labeled after 10 successive injections, at 12-hour intervals, of [3H]thymidine between 5 and 10 days after extensive myocardial infarction in rats. The label was confined to the subepicardial layer of the surviving myocytes.17 Another long-term study reported that {approx}2% of left ventricular myocyte nuclei (versus 0.25% in sham-operated rats) were labeled with BrdU 7 days after experimental coronary artery stenosis. Additionally, there was enhanced expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen RNA and proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein at 2 and 7 days after surgery.18 Labeling of left ventricular myocyte nuclei with BrdU was increased {approx}1% 1 week after coronary artery narrowing and production of hypertrophy.19 One short-term study20 reported DNA synthesis in nuclei from freshly isolated adult rat ventricular myocytes. These nuclei incorporated approximately half of the [{alpha}-32P]dCTP into DNA as nuclei from neonatal myocytes, which maintain active DNA synthesis. Labeling was increased in the nuclei from adult cells by including myocardial cell extract from neonates. Through in vivo injections of BrdU and [3H]thymidine, the author concluded that the observed labeling was due to DNA replication rather than repair.20 However, the BrdU studies were done in 1-week-old rats, when DNA replication is still active. Consequently, it is not possible to conclude with certainty whether the activity in adult nuclei was due to replication or to repair. Our results are consistent with those in nuclei from freshly isolated cells in that adult myocytes can incorporate label into nuclear DNA. However, our results suggest that a repair mechanism is present and that adult ventricular myocytes can be as active as a mitotic cell line. Collectively, these studies indicate that under certain conditions DNA synthesis can be observed in adult ventricular myocyte nuclei, and our results suggest that DNA repair is also present.

Our studies, which were performed in cells isolated from the adult cat ventricle, support active DNA repair synthesis of both endogenous nuclear and exogenous plasmid DNA. Furthermore, there are differences between cells exposed to N2 and cells maintained in a normoxic environment, and these studies should provide a background for further delineation of the active components in the cell extracts. A DNA synthetic response to cellular damage may have important pathophysiological and clinical implications. It may signal changes in cytosolic and membrane processes in cells surviving ischemic injury and thus influence their behavior after "healing" or during a subsequent ischemic event.


*    Selected Abbreviations and Acronyms
 
BrdU = 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine
BuphdGTP = butylphenyl dGTP
CE = control cell extract
ddTTP = dideoxyTTP
IE = ischemic cell extract
NEM = N-ethylmaleimide
TCA = trichloroacetic acid


*    Acknowledgments
 
This work was supported by grants to Dr Kozlovskis from the American Heart Association, Florida Affiliate (No. 9401215), and the Applebaum Foundation and to Dr Myerburg from the National Institutes of Health (grant HL-21735) and the American Heart Association, Florida Affiliate (No. 9401204). We gratefully acknowledge Dr George Wright for generously providing butylphenyl dGTP, Dr Kathleen Downey for her critical analysis and helpful discussions, and Shirley Delgado for the preparation of this manuscript.


*    Footnotes
 
Reprint requests to Patricia L. Kozlovskis, PhD, University of Miami Medical School, Department of Medicine (R-94), PO Box 016960, Miami, FL 33101.

Received May 22, 1995; accepted October 25, 1995.


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