EFFECTS OF CONSTITUTIVE OVEREXPRESSION OF INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH-FACTOR-I ON THE MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MOLECULAR-PROPERTIES OF VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES
G. Redaelli et al., EFFECTS OF CONSTITUTIVE OVEREXPRESSION OF INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH-FACTOR-I ON THE MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MOLECULAR-PROPERTIES OF VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES, Circulation research, 82(5), 1998, pp. 594-603
Recently, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been claimed to pos
itively influence the cardiac performance of the decompensated heart.
On this basis, the effects of constitutive overexpression of IGF-1 on
the mechanical behavior of myocytes were examined in transgenic mice i
n which the cDNA for the human IGF-1B was placed under the control of
a rat alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter, In mice heterozygous for the
transgene and in nontransgenic littermates at 2.5 months of age, the a
lterations in Ca2+ sensitivity of tension development, unloaded shorte
ning velocity, and sarcomere compliance were measured in skinned myocy
tes. The quantities and state of phosphorylation of myofilament protei
ns in these enzymatically dissociated ventricular myocytes were also e
xamined. The overexpression of IGF-1 was characterized by a nearly 15%
reduction in myofilament isometric tension at submaximum Ca2+ levels
in the physiological range, whereas developed tension at maximum activ
ation was unchanged. In contrast, unloaded velocity oi shortening was
increased 39% in myocytes from transgenic mice, Moreover, resting tens
ion in these cells was reduced by 24% to 33%. Myocytes from nontransge
nic mice pretreated with IGF-1 failed to reveal changes in myofilament
Ca2+ sensitivity and unloaded velocity of shortening. The quantities
of C protein, troponin I, and myosin light chain-2 were comparable in
transgenic and nontransgenic mice, but their endogenous state of phosp
horylation increased 117%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Troponin T co
ntent was not altered, and myosin isozymes were essentially 100% V-1 i
n both groups of mice. In conclusion, constitutive overexpression of I
GF-1 may influence positively the performance of myocytes by enhancing
shortening velocity and cellular compliance.