Levosimendan increases the phosphorylation state of phospholamban in the isolated human atrium

Levosimendan (up to 10 µM) given alone failed to increase force of contraction in isolated electrically stimulated (1 Hz) left atrial (LA) preparations from wild-type mice. Only in the additional presence of 0.1 µM rolipram, an inhibitor of the activity of phosphodiesterase IV, levosimendan increased force of contraction in LA and increased the phosphorylation state of phospholamban at amino acid serine 16. Levosimendan alone increased the beating rate in isolated spontaneously beating right atrial preparations from mice and this effect was potentiated by rolipram. The positive inotropic and the positive chronotropic effects of levosimendan in mouse atrial preparations were attenuated by 10 µM propranolol. Finally, we studied the contractile effects of levosimendan in isolated electrically stimulated (1 Hz) right atrial preparations from the human atrium (HAP), obtained during cardiac surgery. We detected concentration-dependent positive inotropic effects of levosimendan alone that reached plateau at 1 µM levosimendan in HAP (n = 11). Levosimendan shortened time of tension relaxation in HAP. Cilostamide (1 µM), an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase III, or propranolol (10 µM) blocked the positive inotropic effect of levosimendan in HAP. Levosimendan (1 µM) alone increased in HAP the phosphorylation state of phospholamban. In conclusion, we present evidence that levosimendan acts via phosphodiesterase III inhibition in the human atrium leading to phospholamban phosphorylation and thus explaining the positive inotropic effects of levosimendan in HAP.

 

Comments：

Levosimendan (1µM) increases the positive inotropic effects in isolated human atrial preparations by inhibiting phosphodiesterase III, leading to phospholamban phosphorylation and improved contraction, but has no effect alone on isolated mouse atrial preparations, requiring the presence of the inhibitor of phosphodiesterase IV, rolipram (0.1 µM) to increase contraction and beating rate. Propranolol (10 µM) or cilostamide (1 µM) blocks the positive inotropic effects of levosimendan in human atrial preparations.

Related Products

Cat.No.	Product Name	Information
S1430	Rolipram	The PDE4 selective inhibitor, Rolipram, inhibited immunopurified PDE4B and PDE4D activities similarly, with IC50 values of approx. 130 nM and 240 nM respectively; an anti-inflammatory agent.

Related Targets

PDE