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Cardiac L‐type calcium current is increased in a model of hyperaldosteronism in the rat
Author(s) -
MartinFernandez Beatriz,
Miana María,
De las Heras Natalia,
RuizHurtado Gema,
FernandezVelasco María,
Bas Manuel,
Ballesteros Sandra,
Lahera Vicente,
Cachofeiro Victoria,
Delgado Carmen
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0958-0670
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.2009.047688
Subject(s) - aldosterone , medicine , endocrinology , hyperaldosteronism , mineralocorticoid , cardiac fibrosis , fibrosis , chemistry , cardiology
Accumulating evidence supports the importance of aldosterone as an independent risk factor in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. It has been postulated that aldosterone could contribute to ventricular arrhythmogeneity by modulation of cardiac ionic channels. The aim of this study was to analyse ex vivo the electrophysiological characteristics of the L‐type cardiac calcium current ( I CaL ) in a model of hyperaldosteronism in the rat. Aldosterone was administered for 3 weeks, and cardiac collagen deposition and haemodynamic parameters were analysed. In addition, RT‐PCR and patch‐clamp techniques were applied to study cardiac L‐type Ca 2+ channels in isolated cardiomyocytes. Administration of aldosterone induced maladaptive cardiac remodelling that was related to increased collagen deposition, diastolic dysfunction and cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, ventricular myocytes isolated from the aldosterone‐treated group showed increased I CaL density and conductance and prolongation of the action potential duration. No changes in kinetics or in voltage dependence of activation and inactivation of I CaL were observed, but relative expression of Ca V 1.2 mRNA levels was higher in cardiomyocytes isolated from the aldosterone‐treated group. The present study demonstrates that aldosterone treatment induces myocardial fibrosis, cardiac hypertrophy, increase of I CaL density, upregulation of L‐type Ca 2+ channels and prolongation of action potential duration. It could be proposed that aldosterone, through these mechanisms, might exert pro‐arrhythmic effects in the pathological heart.