Effect of Verapamil, an L-Type Calcium Channel Inhibitor, on Caveolin-3 Expression in Septic Mouse Hearts

Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction considerably increases mortality risk in patients with sepsis. Previous studies from our group have shown that sepsis alters the expression of structural proteins in cardiac cells, resulting in cardiomyocyte degeneration and impaired communication between cardiac cells. Caveolin-3 (CAV3) is a structural protein present in caveolae, located in the membrane of cardiac muscle cells, which regulates physiological processes such as calcium homeostasis. In sepsis, there is a disruption of calcium homeostasis, which increases the concentration of intracellular calcium, which can lead to the activation of potent cellular enzymes/proteases which cause severe cellular injury and death. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypotheses that sepsis induces CAV3 overexpression in the heart, and the regulation of L-type calcium channels directly relates to the regulation of CAV3 expression. Severe sepsis increases the expression of CAV3 in the heart, as immunostaining in our study showed CAV3 presence in the cardiomyocyte membrane and cytoplasm, in comparison with our control groups (without sepsis) that showed CAV3 presence predominantly in the plasma membrane. The administration of verapamil, an L-type calcium channel inhibitor, resulted in a decrease in mortality rates of septic mice. This effect was accompanied by a reduction in the expression of CAV3 and attenuation of cardiac lesions in septic mice treated with verapamil. Our results indicate that CAV3 has a vital role in cardiac dysfunction development in sepsis and that the regulation of L-type calcium channels may be related to its expression.