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Circulation Research. 1996;78:903-915

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Articles

Adrenergic Modulation of Ultrarapid Delayed Rectifier K+ Current in Human Atrial Myocytes

Gui-Rong Li, Jianlin Feng, Zhiguo Wang, Bernard Fermini, Stanley Nattel

From the Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre (Canada).

Correspondence to Stanley Nattel, MD, Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre, 5000 Belanger St, Montreal, Quebec, H1T 1C8, Canada.


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
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Abstract The ultrarapid delayed rectifier K+ current (IKur) in human atrial cells appears to correspond to Kv1.5 cloned channels and to play an important role in human atrial repolarization. Kv1.5 channels have consensus sites for phosphorylation by protein kinase A and C, suggesting possible modulation by adrenergic stimulation. The present study was designed to assess the adrenergic regulation of IKur in human atrial myocytes. Isoproterenol increased IKur in a concentration-dependent manner, with significant effects at concentrations as low as 10 nmol/L. The effects of isoproterenol were reversible by washout or by the addition of propranolol (1 µmol/L). Isoproterenol's effects were mimicked by the direct adenylate cyclase stimulator, forskolin, and by the membrane-permeable form of cAMP, 8-bromo cAMP. Isoproterenol had no effect on IKur when the protein kinase A inhibitor peptide, PKI(6-22)amide, was included in the pipette solution; in a separate set of experiments in which isoproterenol alone increased IKur by 45±9% relative to control, subsequent superfusion with isoproterenol in the presence of the protein kinase inhibitor H-7 failed to alter IKur. In contrast to isoproterenol, phenylephrine (in the presence of propranolol to block ß-adrenergic effects) induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of IKur, with significant effects observed at concentrations as low as 10 µmol/L. The inhibitory actions of phenylephrine were reversed by the addition of prazosin and prevented by coadministration with a highly selective inhibitor of protein kinase C, bisindolylmaleimide. These results indicate that ß-adrenergic stimulation enhances, whereas {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation inhibits, IKur and suggest that these actions are mediated by protein kinase A and protein kinase C, respectively. The modulation of IKur by adrenergic influences is a potentially novel control mechanism for human atrial repolarization and arrhythmias.


Key Words: ion channels • cardiac arrhythmias • isoproterenol • phenylephrine • heart repolarization


*    Introduction
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up arrowAbstract
*Introduction
down arrowMaterials and Methods
down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
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Adrenergic influences on ion channels are potentially important regulators of cardiac function. ß-Adrenergic stimulation increases the probability of a variety of supraventricular1 2 and ventricular3 4 5 arrhythmias. {alpha}-Adrenergic stimulation may play a role in arrhythmias related to ventricular ischemia and reperfusion6 and exerts a positive inotropic action that may be due to action potential prolongation caused by Ito inhibition.7 8 The function of a wide variety of cardiac ion channels can be modulated by adrenergic stimulation.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

We have recently identified a novel K+ current in human atrial myocytes,16 which shows delayed rectification but activates at least two orders of magnitude faster than classic cardiac delayed rectifiers.17 18 19 Because the novel current activates much faster than either the "rapid" or "slow" components of the classic delayed rectifier (or IKr and IKs, respectively, after Sanguinetti and Jurkiewicz20 21 ), we have proposed that it be called the "ultrarapid delayed rectifier," or IKur.16 IKur has physiological and pharmacological properties that distinguish it from IKr and IKs and that strongly resemble those of Kv1.5 channels cloned from human heart.22 23 24 The cDNA sequences coding for Kv1.5 channels22 24 possess multiple consensus sites for phosphorylation by PKA and PKC. These protein kinases are important parts of the signaling system that transduces ß- and {alpha}-adrenergic effects on the heart.12 25 Therefore, we hypothesized that IKur, which appears to be important in human atrial repolarization,16 might be subject to regulation by adrenergic receptor stimulation.

The present experiments were designed to (1) determine whether and how IKur is influenced by stimulation of cardiac ß- or {alpha}-adrenergic receptors and (2) evaluate the potential nature of the signal transduction systems involved.


*    Materials and Methods
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*Materials and Methods
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Myocyte Isolation
Human atrial cells were isolated from specimens of right atrial appendage obtained from patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. All specimens were grossly normal at the time of excision. Patients were free of heart failure and atrial arrhythmias. Upon excision, the samples were immediately placed in oxygenated, nominally Ca2+-free Tyrode's solution for transport to the laboratory. The time between excision and the beginning of laboratory processing was {approx}5 minutes. The procedure for obtaining the tissue was approved by the ethics committee of the Montreal Heart Institute. Atrial myocytes were enzymatically isolated by using a technique based on procedures described by Escande et al.26 The tissue was chopped into cubic chunks ({approx}1 mm3) in nominally Ca2+-free Tyrode's solution (36°C). The tissue was then placed in a 25-mL flask containing 10 mL of the Ca2+-free solution, agitated by continuous bubbling with 100% O2, and stirred with a magnetic bar. After 12 minutes, the chunks were reincubated in a similar solution containing 150 to 300 U/mL collagenase (CLS II, Worthington Biochemical) and 4 U/mL protease (type XXIV, Sigma Chemical Co) for 45 minutes. The supernatant was then removed and discarded. The chunks were reincubated in a fresh solution with 150 to 300 U/mL collagenase. Microscopic examination of the medium was performed every 5 to 10 minutes to determine the number and quality of the isolated cells. When the yield appeared to be maximal, the chunks were suspended in a storage solution (for composition, see below) and gently pipetted. The isolated myocytes were kept in the medium for at least 1 hour before use.

A small aliquot of the solution containing the isolated cells was placed in an open perfusion chamber (1 mL) mounted on the stage of an inverted microscope. Myocytes were allowed to adhere to the bottom of the dish for 5 to 10 minutes and were then superfused at 2 to 3 mL/min with Tyrode's solution. Experiments were conducted at room temperature (22°C to 24°C) in order to be able to observe the activation of IKur, which is too rapid to resolve at body temperature.16 Only quiescent cells showing clear cross striations were used.

Solutions and Drugs
The standard Tyrode's solution contained (mmol/L) NaCl 126.0, KCl 5.4, MgCl2 1.0, CaCl2 1.0, NaH2PO4 0.33, glucose 10.0, and HEPES 10.0, pH adjusted to 7.4 with NaOH. For cell dissociation, Ca2+ was omitted. The storage solution consisted of (mmol/L) KCl 20, KH2PO4 10, glucose 10, glutamic acid (potassium salt) 70, ß-hydroxybutyric acid 10, taurine 10, and EGTA 0.5, along with 1.0% albumin, pH adjusted to 7.3 with KOH. The pipette solution contained (mmol/L) KCl 20, potassium aspartate 110, MgCl2 1.0, HEPES 10, EGTA 5.0, GTP 0.1, and Mg2ATP 5.0, pH adjusted to 7.2 with KOH.

Isoproterenol, 8-bromo cAMP, and phenylephrine were purchased from Sigma and freshly prepared as a 1 mmol/L or 10 mmol/L (for phenylephrine) stock solution in distilled water. Forskolin (Sigma) and bisindolylmaleimide (Sigma) were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide as 1 mmol/L stock solutions. The specific PKA inhibitor peptide, PKI (GIBCO Corp), and the relatively nonspecific protein kinase inhibitor, H-7 (Sigma), were prepared as a stock solution in distilled water before each experiment. Stock solutions (1 mmol/L) of the ß- and {alpha}-adrenergic receptor antagonists propranolol (Sigma) and prazosin (kindly supplied by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals) were prepared in distilled water. 4-AP (Sigma) was prepared as a 1 mol/L stock solution, with pH adjusted to 7.4 with the addition of 1N hydrochloric acid.

Data Acquisition and Analysis
Borosilicate glass electrodes (outer diameter, 1.0 mm) were used, with tip resistances of 2 to 4 M{Omega} when filled with pipette solution, and were connected to a patch-clamp amplifier (Axopatch 200, Axon Instruments). Command pulses were generated by a 12-bit digital-to-analog converter controlled by pClamp software (Axon Instruments). Recordings were low pass–filtered at 2 kHz, and data were acquired by analog-to-digital conversion at a maximum rate of 100 kHz (TL-1, DMA, Axon Instruments) and stored on the hard disk of an IBM-compatible computer. In all of the cells studied, junction potentials (2 to 10 mV) were compensated before the pipette touched the cell. A tight seal was created with gentle suction, and seals with resistances of <10 G{Omega} were rejected. The cell membrane was ruptured by additional suction to establish the whole-cell configuration for voltage clamping.

Rs was electrically compensated to minimize the duration of the capacitive transient. Rs along the clamp circuit was estimated by dividing the time constant obtained by fitting the decay of the capacitive transient by the calculated membrane capacitance (obtained from the time integral of the capacitive response to a 5-mV hyperpolarizing step from a holding potential of -60 mV). In 31 cells, the decay of the capacitive surge was fitted by a single exponential having a time constant of 516±57 µs (cell capacitance, 69±7.7 pF) before Rs compensation. After compensation, the capacitive time constant was reduced to 255±26 µs (cell capacitance, 66±7.6 pF). The initial Rs was 7.7±1.2 M{Omega}, and Rs was reduced to 4.3±0.9 M{Omega} after compensation. For most experiments, we selected cells lacking Ito, which, as we have previously shown, have an IKur identical to cells possessing Ito.16 In some experiments, cells possessing Ito were studied, with a prepulse (100 ms to +40 mV 10 ms before the test pulse) used to inactivate Ito and isolate IKur, as previously described.16 When recordings shown in a figure were obtained with the use of a prepulse, this is indicated in the voltage protocol shown in the figure inset. Since identical results were obtained whether or not a prepulse was used, the results obtained with both methods were collated for analysis. In all cases, IKur was measured as the current level at the end of a depolarizing pulse relative to the zero current level. To account for variations in cell size, mean IKur amplitudes were expressed in terms of current density (absolute current amplitude divided by cell capacitance). Leak currents were assessed by the response to 10-mV hyperpolarizing pulses from the holding potential (-50 mV) and by changes in holding current at a holding potential of -50 mV. Since the activation threshold of IKur is -30 mV,16 changes in IKur do not alter membrane conductance at -50 mV. Leak subtraction was not used; cells showing significant leak currents after membrane rupture, or in which significant leak currents developed over the course of an experiment, were rejected.

Paired and unpaired Student's t tests were used for single statistical comparisons between two group means. ANOVA was used when more than two group means were involved in a comparison. Values of P<.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Group data are expressed as mean±SEM. Nonlinear curve fitting was performed with Marquardt's procedure.


*    Results
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*Results
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Effects of Isoproterenol on IKur
Panels A through C of Fig 1Down show typical IKur recordings and illustrate the effects of isoproterenol in a representative human atrial cell. The control currents (Fig 1ADown) show the rapid activation, slow and minor inactivation at positive potentials, and small tail currents typical of IKur.16 Isoproterenol (1 µmol/L) increased both IKur step and tail currents (Fig 1BDown). The isoproterenol-induced currents (obtained by digital subtraction of control recordings from those in the presence of isoproterenol, Fig 1CDown; note change in current scale for subtracted current) are all time dependent, showing rapid activation and tail currents upon repolarization. No time-independent component, as might have been expected from an action on the cAMP-dependent Cl- current13 14 or other background currents, was seen. Results similar to those shown in Fig 1ADown through 1C were obtained in a total of 10 cells.



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Figure 1. Effect of isoproterenol (ISO) on IKur in a representative human atrial myocyte. A and B, Membrane currents in response to 200-ms voltage steps to voltages between -40 and +50 mV (with 10-mV increments) at 1 Hz are shown for a representative cell before (A) and 10 minutes after (B) the addition of 1 µmol/L ISO. C, ISO increased IKur, and the ISO-induced current obtained by digital subtraction (C) is time dependent, with the rapid activation and small tail currents typical of IKur. (Vertical scale represents 200 pA for panels A and B and 100 pA for panel C.) D, Current density-voltage relations from 10 cells are shown. Results are shown under control conditions, after exposure to ISO, and after 20 minutes of washout. Also shown are values for ISO-sensitive current obtained as illustrated in panel C. TP indicates test potential. E, Concentration dependence of the effect of ISO on IKur recorded at 0 mV with 200-ms depolarizations from -50 mV at 1 Hz is plotted. Results are mean±SEM from six cells exposed to all drug concentrations. *P<.05 and **P<.01 vs control.

Fig 1DUp shows the average current density-voltage relation for IKur in the absence and presence of 1 µmol/L isoproterenol in 10 cells. Isoproterenol significantly increased IKur at all test potentials positive to -20 mV. The effect of isoproterenol was reversed by 20 minutes of washout (open triangles in figure) and did not show significant voltage dependence (ANOVA). Fig 1EUp shows an analysis of the concentration dependence of isoproterenol's effects on IKur. Results were obtained by analyzing the current elicited by depolarizations to 0 mV in the absence of isoproterenol and then in the presence of different concentrations of the drug in six cells exposed to all drug concentrations. Statistically significant increases began at an isoproterenol concentration of 10 nmol/L and reached a maximum of 38±5% at a concentration of 10 µmol/L.

Panels A and B of Fig 2Down show a representative experiment studying the effect of isoproterenol (1 µmol/L) on the reversal of tail currents. Isoproterenol increased IKur tail current but did not alter the reversal potential. In five cells, isoproterenol increased the tail current at -40 mV from 57±28 to 84±34 pA (P<.05) without altering the tail reversal potential (average, -73±5 and -75±4 mV [P=NS] before and after isoproterenol, respectively). The reversal potential of isoproterenol-induced tail current averaged -76±3 mV.



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Figure 2. A, Tail current recordings from a representative cell before and after isoproterenol (ISO) infusion. Tail currents were elicited with the use of a 20-ms depolarization to +50 mV to activate IKur, followed by a 70-ms repolarization to voltages between -90 and -40 mV with 10-mV increments (voltage protocol was delivered at 1 Hz and is shown in inset). B, Current-voltage relations of IKur tail currents in the same cell. The reversal potential of IKur was -75 mV under control conditions ({circ}). Despite increasing tail currents, ISO did not alter the reversal potential. Similar results were obtained in a total of five cells. TP indicates test potential. C, Voltage dependence of activation based on analysis of tail currents (normalized to maximum value) after 150-ms activating pulse to voltages indicated, followed by a 60-ms repolarization to -30 mV (delivered at 0.5 Hz). Symbols are experimental data from 10 cells in the absence ({circ}) and presence ({bullet}) of 1 µmol/L ISO, and the lines are the best-fit Boltzmann functions. D, Activation time constants of IKur, as obtained in six cells with the voltage protocol shown in panel C by fitting the activation at each voltage with a monoexponential function.

To determine the effects of isoproterenol on the voltage dependence of IKur activation, we analyzed the voltage dependence of IKur tail currents with the protocol shown in the inset of Fig 2CUp, which shows mean normalized tail current amplitudes in 10 cells. The curves shown are the best-fit Boltzmann distribution equations of the following form: I/Imax=1/{1+exp[(V-V50)/k]}, where I is tail current at an activating voltage V, Imax is tail current at an activating voltage of +50 mV, V50 is voltage that produces 50% of maximal activation, and k is a slope constant. When data from each experiment were fitted by this equation, V50 averaged -2.9±0.2 mV under control conditions and -5.6±1.9 mV after the addition of isoproterenol (P=NS, paired t test). The slope constant averaged 8.2±0.8 mV under control conditions and 8.1±0.7 mV after isoproterenol (P=NS versus control). An analysis of the activation time dependence of IKur is shown in Fig 2DUp. The activation of IKur at various voltages was fitted by a monoexponential function, as previously described.16 Results from six cells are summarized in the figure and indicate that IKur activation became faster at more positive voltages but that isoproterenol did not alter the activation time course.

Fig 3Down shows the effect of propranolol on isoproterenol-induced increases in IKur in a representative cell. Step current was stable before the addition of isoproterenol and increased over time to reach a steady value 10 minutes after the onset of isoproterenol exposure (Fig 3ADown). The addition of propranolol reversed the increases caused by isoproterenol, despite continued exposure to the latter, with step current approaching control values {approx}7 minutes after the addition of propranolol. Representative recordings obtained under each condition are shown in Fig 3BDown. In four cells studied with this protocol, the mean amplitude of IKur before the administration of isoproterenol was 5.8±1.2 pA/pF. Isoproterenol increased IKur to 7.3±1.4 pA/pF (P<.01), and the addition of propranolol returned the current amplitude to 6.1±1.3 pA/pF (P<.05 versus isoproterenol alone; P=NS versus value before isoproterenol).



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Figure 3. Reversal of the effects of isoproterenol (ISO) by the ß-adrenergic receptor blocker propranolol (Prop). A, Changes in IKur in a representative human atrial myocyte elicited by 200-ms voltage steps to +40 mV (0.033 Hz) upon exposure to 1 µmol/L ISO and after the addition of 1 µmol/L Prop. B, Original current recordings obtained at the time points indicated in panel A. Results similar to those shown in panels A and B were obtained in a total of four cells.

Effects of Forskolin and 8-Bromo cAMP on IKur
To determine the potential role of cAMP in mediating isoproterenol's effects on IKur, we studied changes produced by forskolin, which activates adenylate cyclase independently of ß-adrenergic receptors, and by the cell membrane–permeable form of cAMP, 8-bromo cAMP. Fig 4Down shows the effects of forskolin on IKur. In the example shown, a prepulse was used (as described in "Materials and Methods") to inactivate Ito and isolate IKur. The addition of 3 µmol/L forskolin to the superfusate for 10 minutes (Fig 4BDown) substantially increased IKur relative to control conditions (Fig 4ADown). The forskolin-induced difference current (Fig 4CDown; note change in current scale) shows that the drug-induced current was time dependent, with tail currents upon repolarization. Mean current-voltage relations from five cells (Fig 4DDown) indicate that forskolin increased IKur over the entire range of voltages, with no statistically significant voltage-dependent action (ANOVA).



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Figure 4. Effects of forskolin (FSK) on IKur. Membrane currents were evoked with the voltage protocol (1 Hz) shown in the inset before (A) and 10 minutes after (B) the addition of 3 µmol/L FSK. In this cell, a 100-ms prepulse to +40 mV was applied 10 ms before the test pulse to inactivate Ito. FSK increased IKur, and the FSK-induced current (C; note difference in scale) was time dependent, with rapid activation typical of IKur. Current density-voltage relations (mean±SEM, n=5 cells) for IKur in the absence and presence of FSK are shown (D). Also shown are values for FSK-sensitive current, obtained as illustrated in panel C. TP indicates test potential. *P<.05 and **P<.01 vs control at same voltage.

Fig 5Down illustrates the effects of 8-bromo cAMP. Compared with control recordings (Fig 5ADown), recordings obtained 10 minutes after the addition of 50 µmol/L 8-bromo cAMP (Fig 5BDown) show an increase in IKur step and tail currents. The drug-sensitive current (Fig 5CDown) was time dependent and showed rapid activation. Mean data from five cells (Fig 5DDown) indicate that 8-bromo cAMP increased IKur in a significant and voltage-independent fashion that was qualitatively similar to the actions of isoproterenol and forskolin illustrated in Figs 1Up, 2Up, and 4Up.



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Figure 5. Effects of 8-bromo cAMP (8-B-cAMP) on IKur. Recordings were obtained with the voltage protocol (1 Hz) shown in the inset, before (A) and 10 minutes after (B) the addition of 50 µmol/L 8-B-cAMP. 8-B-cAMP increased IKur, and the 8-B-cAMP–induced current (C; note difference in scale) was time dependent, with rapid activation typical of IKur. Current density-voltage relations (mean±SEM, n=5 cells) for IKur in the absence and presence of 8-B-cAMP are shown (D). Also shown are values for drug-sensitive current, obtained as shown in panel C. TP indicates test potential. *P<.05 and **P<.01 vs control at same voltage.

Potential Role of PKA in Mediating Isoproterenol Effects
To examine whether PKA may be involved in isoproterenol-induced increases in IKur, we applied isoproterenol in the presence of PKA inhibitors. The specific PKA inhibitor peptide, PKI, was included in the pipette solution at a concentration of 50 nmol/L ({approx}20 times the Kd for PKA, 2.3 nmol/L),27 and isoproterenol was then added. Panels A through C of Fig 6Down show representative tracings from a typical experiment. After 20 minutes of dialysis with the PKI-containing pipette solution, the amplitude of IKur is unaffected (Fig 6BDown) compared with the control condition (Fig 6ADown). In the presence of PKI, isoproterenol (1 µmol/L) fails to alter IKur (Fig 6CDown). Mean data from five cells (Fig 6DDown) indicate that 20 minutes of dialysis with PKI-containing pipette solution did not alter IKur and that in the presence of PKI, isoproterenol had no effect on the current. As a positive control, we evaluated the effect of PKI on isoproterenol-induced increases in ICa. The latter was elicited by 250-ms depolarizing pulses from -50 to +10 mV in five cells studied without PKI in the pipette and in five studied with PKI in the pipette. Cells from individual preparations were studied in a paired fashion. In the absence of PKI, isoproterenol increased ICa from -5.1±1.5 to -11.5±2.1 pA/pF (P<.01). When PKI was included in the pipette, ICa averaged -5.5±1.4 pA/pF before and -5.4±1.3 pA/pF after isoproterenol administration.



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Figure 6. Effects of the PKA inhibitor peptide, PKI(6-22)amide, in the pipette solution on IKur and its response to isoproterenol (ISO). Currents were elicited with the voltage protocol (1 Hz) shown in the inset, immediately after membrane rupture (A), after 20 minutes of cell dialysis (B), and after 10 minutes of exposure to 1 µmol/L ISO (C). In this cell, a 100-ms prepulse to +40 mV was applied 10 ms before each test pulse to inactivate Ito. Mean±SEM results from five cells are shown (D). TP indicates test potential.

Although PKI is an effective and specific inhibitor of PKA,27 it has to be included in the pipette solution, making it difficult to compare isoproterenol effects before and after the inhibition of PKA. Therefore, we performed additional experiments with the protein kinase inhibitor H-7. Although H-7 inhibits both PKA and PKC, it is a more potent inhibitor of PKA.28 IKur was first studied in the absence of isoproterenol and then after 10 minutes of superfusion with 1 µmol/L isoproterenol. Isoproterenol was then washed out, and in cells used for studying H-7, the latter was added to the superfusate at a concentration of 5 µmol/L. Finally, the cell was once more exposed for 10 minutes to 1 µmol/L isoproterenol, in the presence or absence of H-7. Repeated exposure to isoproterenol in the absence of H-7 produced very consistent effects in six cells (Fig 7ADown). In contrast, when the second exposure to isoproterenol occurred in the presence of H-7, no effect was seen in five cells (Fig 7BDown).



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Figure 7. Effects of 1 µmol/L isoproterenol (ISO) on IKur current density at +40 mV in the absence and presence of the protein kinase inhibitor H-7. IKur was evoked with 200-ms voltage steps to +40 mV (1 Hz), as indicated in the inset. Repeated exposure to ISO (in the absence of H-7) separated by 10 minutes of washout produced consistent effects in six cells (A). When the second ISO exposure occurred in the presence of H-7, no effect was seen in five cells (B). ISO (1) and ISO (2) indicate the first and second ISO exposures, respectively; W, washout.

The above experiments indicate that ß-adrenergic stimulation increases IKur in a way that is reversible upon washout, can be inhibited by propranolol, can be mimicked by interventions that increase intracellular cAMP activity independently of the ß-adrenergic receptor, and can be blocked by inhibitors of PKA. We then turned our attention to potential effects of {alpha}-adrenergic receptor stimulation on IKur.

Effects of Phenylephrine on IKur
To study {alpha}-adrenergic modulation of IKur, we used the {alpha}-adrenergic selective agonist phenylephrine, administered along with propranolol (1 µmol/L) to prevent actions due to collateral ß-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Fig 8Down shows representative recordings in the absence (Fig 8ADown) and presence (Fig 8BDown) of phenylephrine in a human atrial cell lacking Ito. Phenylephrine reduced the amplitude of IKur, with a drug-sensitive difference current (Fig 8CDown) that was time dependent, showed rapid activation, and had small tail currents. Mean data for the effects of 100 µmol/L phenylephrine in seven cells are shown in Fig 8DDown. The drug reduced IKur amplitude at all activation voltages, in a voltage-independent fashion. An analysis of the concentration dependence of phenylephrine action on IKur in six cells is shown in Fig 8EDown. Small but statistically significant effects were noted at concentrations as low as 10 µmol/L, and drug actions continued to increase at concentrations up to 500 µmol/L. Thus, phenylephrine inhibits IKur in a concentration-dependent and voltage-independent fashion.



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Figure 8. Effect of phenylephrine (PE) on IKur in a representative human atrial myocyte. IKur was elicited with 200-ms voltage pulses (1 Hz) to voltages between -40 and +50 mV with 10-mV increments. Recordings obtained before (A) and 10 minutes after (B) the addition of 100 µmol/L PE are shown. PE decreased IKur, and the drug-sensitive current (C) shows typical kinetic features of IKur. The vertical scale represents 200 pA for panels A and B and 100 pA for panel C. Current density-voltage relation of IKur is shown in the absence and presence of 100 µmol/L PE in seven cells (D). TP indicates test potential. Also shown are mean values for PE-sensitive current, obtained as illustrated in panel C. Concentration dependence of the effect of PE on IKur in six cells is shown (E). *P<.05 and **P<.01 vs control.

Phenylephrine did not alter the voltage dependence of IKur in five cells (Fig 9ADown). The time dependence of IKur activation was analyzed by fitting activation upon depolarization from -50 mV by a single-exponential function. Exposure to 100 µmol/L phenylephrine failed to alter the activation kinetics of IKur in six cells (Fig 9BDown).



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Figure 9. Effects of phenylephrine (PE) on IKur voltage dependence and kinetics obtained with the voltage protocol (1 Hz) shown in the inset. A, Voltage dependence of IKur activation, analyzed as indicated in Fig 2CUp. Results are mean±SEM from five cells. Best-fit Boltzmann distributions to mean data gave half-activation voltage values of -8.4 mV (control) and -9.1 mV (after PE) and slopes of 7.6 mV (control) and 7.5 mV (after PE). TP indicates test potential. B, Activation time constants ({tau}) for IKur (mean±SEM, n=6), obtained as described in Fig 2DUp. No significant differences were noted between results under control and PE conditions.

To confirm that phenylephrine's effect is mediated by {alpha}-adrenergic receptor stimulation, we studied the ability of the {alpha}1-selective antagonist prazosin29 to reverse phenylephrine's actions. Fig 10Down shows results from a representative cell. Ten minutes of exposure to phenylephrine (100 µmol/L, Fig 10BDown) substantially inhibited IKur relative to predrug control (Fig 10ADown). The subsequent addition of prazosin (1 µmol/L) reversed the phenylephrine-induced inhibition (Fig 10CDown), with current in the presence of prazosin and phenylephrine not significantly different from control values obtained before the addition of phenylephrine. Similar results were obtained in all five cells studied. In these cells, mean IKur current density was significantly reduced by phenylephrine (Fig 10DDown), an effect significantly inhibited by prazosin.



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Figure 10. Effects of the {alpha}1-adrenergic receptor blocker prazosin on the actions of phenylephrine (PE). IKur was elicited in a representative cell with the voltage protocol shown in the inset. In this cell, a 100-ms prepulse to +40 mV was used to inactivate Ito. A, Control currents. B, Currents recorded after 10 minutes of exposure to 100 µmol/L PE. C, Currents recorded 10 minutes after adding 1 µmol/L prazosin (PZ) to the PE-containing superfusate. Similar results were obtained in a total of five cells, whose mean±SEM current densities at +40 mV are shown in panel D. C indicates the control condition.

Effects of a PKC Inhibitor on the Response to Phenylephrine
To assess the potential role of PKC in the {alpha}1-adrenergic receptor–mediated decrease in IKur, we determined the change in phenylephrine action produced by the highly selective PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide.30 Cells were first exposed to phenylephrine alone to quantify the response in the absence of a PKC inhibitor and then reexposed to phenylephrine in the presence of 50 nmol/L bisindolylmaleimide. Fig 11Down shows recordings obtained under each condition in a representative cell. Control currents obtained upon depolarization for 200 ms to a variety of test potentials are shown in Fig 11ADown. After 10 minutes of exposure to 100 µmol/L phenylephrine, IKur was inhibited (Fig 11BDown). Phenylephrine-sensitive currents (Fig 11CDown) show the typical properties of IKur. After 20 minutes of phenylephrine washout and 10 minutes of superfusion with bisindolylmaleimide (Fig 11DDown), currents returned to control values. The addition of 100 µmol/L phenylephrine for 10 minutes in the presence of bisindolylmaleimide (Fig 11EDown) failed to alter IKur, as illustrated by the difference currents (Fig 11FDown) between results obtained in the presence of bisindolylmaleimide alone and those in the presence of phenylephrine and bisindolylmaleimide.



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Figure 11. Effects of bisindolylmaleimide (Bis), a highly selective PKC inhibitor, on the action of phenylephrine (PE) on IKur (recorded with voltage protocol delivered at 1 Hz and shown in inset) in a representative human atrial cell. A, Control currents. B, Currents after 10 minutes of exposure to PE (100 µmol/L). C, PE-sensitive current. D, Currents recorded after washout of PE and addition of 50 nmol/L Bis. E, Currents recorded in the presence of Bis (50 nmol/L) 10 minutes after the reintroduction of 100 µmol/L PE into the superfusate. F, PE-sensitive current in the presence of Bis.

Fig 12Down shows mean data from cells studied with the protocol illustrated in Fig 11Up, with the second phenylephrine exposure occurring in the absence (Fig 12ADown, five cells) or presence (Fig 12BDown, six cells) of bisindolylmaleimide. Although repeated exposures to 100 µmol/L phenylephrine in the absence of the protein kinase inhibitor (Fig 12ADown) produced consistent inhibitory effects, when the second exposure to phenylephrine occurred in the presence of bisindolylmaleimide, no significant phenylephrine effect was seen (Fig 12BDown).



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Figure 12. Effects of phenylephrine (PE) on IKur in the absence and presence of bisindolylmaleimide (Bis). IKur was evoked with 200-ms voltage steps to +40 mV (1 Hz). In five cells, repeated exposure to PE (100 µmol/L) produced reproducible inhibition of IKur (A). In six additional cells studied before and after the addition of 50 nmol/L Bis to the perfusate, the addition of 100 µmol/L PE to the Bis-containing superfusate for 10 minutes did not decrease IKur, despite clear IKur inhibition by the same concentration of PE before the addition of Bis (B). PE (1) and PE (2) indicate the first and second exposures, respectively, to PE; W, washout.

Experiments With the Perforated-Patch Technique
A response of IKur to adrenergic stimulation was seen in cells from 29 (67%) of 43 hearts. When a response was seen in a given heart, it was consistently detectable in cells from that preparation. No patient features (age, drug therapy, previous infarction) predicted responsiveness. These findings suggest that cell isolation and/or dialysis with pipette solution may have limited the response of IKur to adrenergic stimulation. Because of the possibility that our results could have been affected by dialysis of cell contents, additional experiments were performed with the nystatin perforated-patch technique. Access to the cell interior was obtained with the use of nystatin (300 µg/mL) in the patch pipette, resulting in a mean Rs after compensation of 5.9±1.2 M{Omega} in nine cells. IKur was measured upon depolarization from -50 to +40 mV, before and after 1 µmol/L isoproterenol (five cells) or before and after 100 µmol/L phenylephrine (four cells). Mean current density was increased from 8.4±2.4 to 11.2±3.2 pA/pF by isoproterenol (P<.01), a mean increase of 37±4%. Phenylephrine decreased IKur density from 11.7±2.7 to 8.6±2.0 pA/pF (P<.01), a decrease of 26±4%. These changes were similar to those observed with tight-seal patch clamp, as described above.

Specificity of IKur Modulation
The kinetic properties of isoproterenol- and phenylephrine-sensitive current strongly resemble those of IKur. To determine more precisely whether the adrenergic effects observed in the present study are mediated by changes in IKur, we exploited the strong selectivity of 4-AP as an IKur blocker.16 IKur was first recorded under control conditions, and then 200 µmol/L 4-AP (a concentration that reduces IKur by >90%16 ) was added to the superfusate, and the current was recorded again. 4-AP was then washed out until the current amplitude returned to control values, and isoproterenol (1 µmol/L) or phenylephrine (100 µmol/L) was added in the absence of 4-AP. The latter was then added at a concentration of 200 µmol/L during continued superfusion with isoproterenol or phenylephrine. Typical results are shown in Fig 13Down. Under control conditions (Fig 13ADown), 200 µmol/L 4-AP virtually eliminated time-dependent step and tail currents. In the presence of isoproterenol, step and tail currents were increased, but the addition of 4-AP once again eliminated both time-dependent components. 4-AP–sensitive currents were obtained by digital subtraction of currents in the presence of 4-AP and those recorded in its absence. As shown in Fig 13CDown, isoproterenol strongly increased the 4-AP–sensitive component. In three cells studied in this fashion, isoproterenol increased the 4-AP–sensitive step current at +20 mV from 237±47 to 345±65 pA (P<.05). The 4-AP–resistant current was 153±12 and 193±7 pA before and after isoproterenol, respectively (P=NS). A corresponding experiment with phenylephrine is shown in Fig 13DDown through 13F. Once again, 4-AP virtually eliminated time-dependent current under control conditions (Fig 13DDown). Phenylephrine inhibited the time-dependent component, while not altering current recorded in the presence of 4-AP (Fig 13EDown). Phenylephrine inhibition of the 4-AP–sensitive component is clear in Fig 13FDown. In three cells, phenylephrine reduced the 4-AP–sensitive step current at +20 mV from 238±33 to 168±32 pA (P<.05), without altering the 4-AP–resistant component (131±21 pA before and 155±24 pA after phenylephrine, P=NS). These experiments indicate that the adrenergic modulation studied in the present work was quite specific for the 4-AP–sensitive component, IKur.



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Figure 13. Specificity of adrenergic effects for IKur, as indicated by 4-AP–sensitive current. Currents from one cell before and after the addition of 200 µmol/L 4-AP are shown (A). 4-AP was then washed out, and the cell was exposed to 1 µmol/L isoproterenol (ISO) (B). 4-AP was then added (200 µmol/L) to the ISO-containing solution (B). 4-AP–sensitive currents are shown in the absence and presence of ISO (C). Currents recorded from another cell before and after 200 µmol/L 4-AP are shown in the absence (D) and presence (E) of 100 µmol/L phenylephrine (PE), along with 4-AP–sensitive currents under each condition (F). Currents were recorded with the voltage protocol shown in the inset (delivered at 0.1 Hz).


*    Discussion
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMaterials and Methods
up arrowResults
*Discussion
down arrowReferences
 
In the present study, we have demonstrated that ß- and {alpha}1-adrenergic receptor stimulation modulates IKur in human atrial myocytes. The effects of ß-adrenergic receptor stimulation can be mimicked by interventions that increase intracellular cAMP activity, and the actions of either receptor system can be prevented by inhibiting the appropriate protein kinase (cAMP-dependent PKA for the ß-adrenergic receptor and PKC for the {alpha}-adrenergic receptor).

Comparison With Previous Studies of Adrenergic Actions on Other K+ Channels
Adrenergic modulation is well known to modulate the properties of a variety of K+ channels. ß-Adrenergic stimulation increases the magnitude of classic IK.9 10 31 32 33 Differing results have been presented with respect to changes in the voltage dependence of IK; some studies have found that ß-adrenergic stimulation has no effect on the voltage dependence of IK,31 32 whereas others have reported a hyperpolarizing shift of the activation curve.9 We found that isoproterenol enhances the magnitude of IKur in a voltage-independent fashion, while causing a slight (and statistically nonsignificant) negative voltage shift in the activation curve.

{alpha}-Adrenergic stimulation, which we found to inhibit IKur, has been found to inhibit several other K+ currents, including Ito,8 9 34 IK1,35 and IKACh.36 37 Fedida et al34 found that 100 µmol/L methoxamine reduced Ito in rabbit atrial myocytes by {approx}30%, a change of the same order as the effect that we noted for 100 µmol/L phenylephrine and IKur. The same group observed a lack of effect of {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation on the voltage dependence of current activation, similar to our findings with IKur. Ravens et al38 studied the actions of {alpha}-adrenergic receptor stimulation on Ito of rat ventricular myocytes and found that the sustained component of the current is inhibited by {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation. There is evidence that the sustained current in rat ventricular myocytes is carried by a delayed rectifier current with activation kinetics similar to IKur,39 so the observations of Ravens et al38 may be analogous to our findings in the present study. Preliminary findings of phenylephrine-induced inhibition of human IKur have also been presented by Van Wagoner and Lamorgese.40 At least one K+ current, the classic delayed rectifier in guinea pig ventricle, can be enhanced by {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation,41 indicating the potential diversity of {alpha}-adrenergic effects on K+ currents.

Signal Transduction of Adrenergic Actions
Protein kinases are potentially important components of the signal transduction system for adrenergic stimulation. ß-Adrenoceptor stimulation is well known to activate PKA by elevating intracellular concentrations of cAMP,12 whereas {alpha}-adrenergic receptor stimulation activates PKC.12 25 On the other hand, there is evidence that both ß-adrenergic stimulation42 and {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation43 can produce physiological actions that are independent of PKA and PKC, respectively. In the present study, we provide evidence for a central role of cAMP-dependent PKA in the mediation of ß-adrenergic effects on IKur and for a role of PKC in mediating {alpha}-adrenergic inhibition of the same current.

Phosphorylation by PKA and PKC produces similar effects on some ion channels. For example, IK in guinea pig ventricular myocytes is enhanced by activation of PKA and PKC,44 as are Cl- currents in guinea pig13 14 45 46 and feline47 ventricular myocytes. There is evidence that PKA and PKC may act on the same Cl- channel in the latter systems,46 47 although this issue is not yet fully resolved. On the other hand, {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation acts via PKC to inhibit ICl.swell,48 an action opposite to the reported ability of ß-adrenergic stimulation to augment ICl.swell.49 In the present study, we found that ß-adrenergic stimulation and {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation had opposite effects on IKur. In view of the ability of inhibition of PKA and PKC to prevent the actions of isoproterenol and phenylephrine, respectively, our results suggest that adrenergically induced phosphorylation by PKA and PKC has opposite effects on IKur.

Novel Aspects and Potential Importance
IKur is a recently described K+ current that appears to play an important role in human atrial repolarization.16 An understanding of its physiological and pharmacological regulation is important in order to improve our appreciation for the factors that can alter human atrial repolarization and thereby govern the occurrence of atrial arrhythmias in humans. Such arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation, are the most common form of arrhythmia requiring therapy50 and currently present important therapeutic problems.51 The autonomic nervous system plays a potentially important role in determining the occurrence of atrial arrhythmias.2 The present article is the first, to our knowledge, to report the adrenergic regulation of IKur. We found that ß- and {alpha}-adrenergic receptor stimulation have significant and opposite effects on IKur. Since IKur is a current that activates rapidly, shows little inactivation, and is of substantial amplitude, adrenergically mediated changes in IKur could produce significant alterations in human atrial repolarization that could importantly affect the likelihood of reentrant atrial arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation.

Several lines of evidence point toward the possibility that IKur is the physiological counterpart of Kv1.5 channels encoded by cDNA cloned from the human heart.16 24 Since the deduced amino acid sequence of human Kv1.5 channels22 24 has several consensus cites for PKA and PKC, our results may bear on the potential physiological importance of these sites in the regulation of native ion channel function. It would therefore be very interesting to know the effects of PKA- and PKC-mediated phosphorylation on the function of Kv1.5 channels expressed in model systems. Recent studies have shown that PKC-mediated phosphorylation inhibits currents carried by a transient outward channel clone from human hearts (Kv1.4).52 ß-Adrenergic stimulation and PKA-mediated phosphorylation have been shown to increase K+ current through a rat atrial K+ channel clone closely related to human Kv1.5 channels.53

Potential Limitations
The activation of IKur is so rapid at normal body temperatures that its time dependence is very difficult, if not impossible, to resolve.16 To resolve the time-dependent activation of IKur, it is necessary to study the current at lower temperatures. Therefore, we conducted all of the present experiments at room temperature. This allowed us to determine that isoproterenol- and phenylephrine-sensitive currents have the kinetic properties of IKur and to exclude changes in time-independent currents. On the other hand, adrenergic changes in some other currents, such as classic IK, are reduced at lower temperatures.44 Therefore, we may have underestimated the extent of adrenergic effects on IKur that can occur under physiological conditions.

The functional importance of adrenergic modulation of IKur is difficult to establish with certainty, since a variety of currents that flow during the plateau are affected by adrenergic stimulation.6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 However, IKur appears to be an important repolarizing current, and 50% inhibition of IKur prolongs atrial action potential duration by a mean of 60%.16 Isoproterenol increased IKur by means of up to 45% (see Fig 7Up), whereas maximal inhibition by phenylephrine was in the range of 30% (Fig 8EUp), changes of the order previously shown to influence repolarization.16 Although ß-adrenergic stimulation can produce larger percentage changes in ICa and IK, these currents show rapid inactivation and slow activation, respectively, which may limit the absolute magnitude of ß-adrenergic change in repolarizing current that they mediate. Other repolarizing currents, such as Ito, are inhibited by {alpha}-adrenergic stimulation.7 8 Clearly, the role of various ionic currents in mediating changes in repolarization caused by adrenergic influences remains an important and unresolved issue.

One of the difficulties in studying protein kinase mediation of drug actions is the limited availability of highly specific inhibitor compounds that can be used as probes. Bisindolylmaleimide is a highly selective inhibitor of PKC.30 Although the protein kinase inhibitory peptide that we used is a specific inhibitor of PKA,27 the fact that it has to be applied by intracellular dialysis makes it very difficult to ascertain the response to isoproterenol superfusion before and after PKA inhibition. Therefore, we performed complementary experiments in which the response to isoproterenol was assessed before and after exposure to H-7. The latter compound inhibits both PKA and PKC, with an IC50 for PKA (3 µmol/L) that is about half the IC50 for PKC (6 µmol/L).28 At a concentration that was almost double the IC50 for PKA and below the IC50 for PKC, H-7 completely prevented the response to 1 µmol/L isoproterenol in cells that had demonstrated a mean 45% increase in response to the drug before H-7 infusion. PKC inhibition is unlikely to have participated in the inhibition of isoproterenol action by H-7 because (1) PKI, a specific PKA inhibitor, also prevented the effect of isoproterenol on IKur; (2) the concentration of H-7 used is below the IC50 for PKC; (3) the inhibition of basal PKC activity by bisindolylmaleimide did not alter IKur; (4) ß-adrenergic stimulation is not known to enhance PKC activity; and (5) if PKC activity were enhanced by isoproterenol, an inhibitory effect on IKur would have been expected, like that of phenylephrine, rather than the stimulatory effect seen. We attempted to perform similar experiments with H-89, a more selective membrane-permeable PKA inhibitor, but found that the drug has direct effects on ionic currents (including IKur and Ito) that preclude its use as a probe for PKA-mediated changes in IKur. The results obtained with H-7, along with those obtained with the peptide PKA inhibitor, point to a central role for PKA as a mediator of ß-adrenergic actions on IKur.

Forskolin has been shown to have direct open-channel blocking effects on voltage-dependent K+ channels in PC12 cells.54 IC50 in that study was in the range of 30 µmol/L, {approx}10 times the concentration we studied in the present experiments. Any direct effect of forskolin on IKur mediated by this type of action would be expected to be small at the concentrations we used and to offset (rather than contribute to) the stimulatory effects we observed (Fig 4Up).

Cell isolation methods can affect the expression of ionic currents, particularly IKr and IKs, which are much more easily detected when arterial perfusion is used for delivery of cell-isolation enzymes.55 In the present study, cells were isolated by the "chunk" method, which along with the study temperature (25°C) probably explains the absence of IKr or IKs in our recordings. This limitation prevented any direct comparison between adrenergic effects on IKur and those on IKr or IKs in the present experiments.

Conclusions
We have demonstrated that IKur in human atrial myocytes is subject to regulation by both ß- and {alpha}-adrenergic receptor stimulation, which have opposite actions on current magnitude. ß-Adrenergic effects are mediated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, whereas {alpha}-adrenergic effects appear to be mediated by PKC. These results indicate a potentially novel mechanism for sympathetic nervous system control of human atrial repolarization, adrenergic modulation of IKur.


*    Selected Abbreviations and Acronyms
 
4-AP = 4-aminopyridine
ICa = Ca2+ current
ICl.swell = swelling-induced Cl- current
IK = delayed rectifier K+ current
IK1 = inward rectifier K+ current
IKACh = acetylcholine-dependent K+ current
IKr = rapid component of the delayed rectifier K+ current
IKs = slow component of the delayed rectifier K+ current
IKur = ultrarapid delayed rectifier K+ current
Ito = transient outward current
PKA = protein kinase A
PKC = protein kinase C
PKI = PKI(6-22)amide
Rs = series resistance


*    Acknowledgments
 
This study was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council of Canada, the Quebec Heart Foundation, and the Fonds de Recherche de l'Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dr Li is a research scholar of the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec. The authors thank Johanne Doucet and Guylaine Nicol for technical support and Carolyn Gillis and Luce Bégin for secretarial assistance.


*    Footnotes
 
Previously published as preliminary results in abstract form (Circulation. 1994;90[pt 2]:I-526).

Received April 19, 1995; accepted January 25, 1996.


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