Sodium Channel Remodeling in Subcellular Microdomains of Murine Failing Cardiomyocytes

Mathilde R. Rivaud, Esperanza Agullo-Pascual, Xianming Lin, Alejandra Leo-Macias, Mingliang Zhang, Eli Rothenberg, Connie R. Bezzina, Mario Delmar, Carol Ann Remme

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background-Cardiac sodium channel (NaV1.5) dysfunction contributes to arrhythmogenesis during pathophysiological conditions. Nav1.5 localizes to distinct subcellular microdomains within the cardiomyocyte, where it associates with region-specific proteins, yielding complexes whose function is location specific. We herein investigated sodium channel remodeling within distinct cardiomyocyte microdomains during heart failure. Methods and Results-Mice were subjected to 6 weeks of transverse aortic constriction (TAC; n=32) to induce heart failure. Sham-operated on mice were used as controls (n=20). TAC led to reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, QRS prolongation, increased heart mass, and upregulation of prohypertrophic genes. Whole-cell sodium current (I-Na) density was decreased by 30% in TAC versus sham-operated on cardiomyocytes. On macropatch analysis, INa in TAC cardiomyocytes was reduced by 50% at the lateral membrane (LM) and by 40% at the intercalated disc. Electron microscopy and scanning ion conductance microscopy revealed remodeling of the intercalated disc (replacement of [inter-] plicate regions by large foldings) and LM (less identifiable T tubules and reduced Z-groove ratios). Using scanning ion conductance microscopy, cell-attached recordings in LM subdomains revealed decreased INa and increased late openings specifically at the crest of TAC cardiomyocytes, but not in groove/T tubules. Failing cardiomyocytes displayed a denser, but more stable, microtubule network (demonstrated by increased a-tubulin and Glu-tubulin expression). Superresolution microscopy showed reduced average NaV1.5 cluster size at the LM of TAC cells, in line with reduced INa. Conclusions-Heart failure induces structural remodeling of the intercalated disc, LM, and microtubule network in cardiomyocytes. These adaptations are accompanied by alterations in NaV1.5 clustering and INa within distinct subcellular microdomains of failing cardiomyocytes
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e007622
JournalJournal of the American Heart Association
Volume6
Issue number12
Early online date2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Cite this