Objective: The aim was to determine whether changes in sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+ transport activity and the degree of phosphorylation of phospholamban of "stunned" myocardium are involved in the reversible depression of contractile function.
Methods: In anaesthetised open chest swine, stunning was induced by subjecting the myocardium perfused by the left anterior descending coronary artery to two cycles of 10 min of occlusion and 30 min of reperfusion. Before and after stunning, systemic haemodynamic variables and regional myocardial function and perfusion were determined, while biopsies were taken for determination of the content of high energy phosphate compounds. Sarcoplasmic reticular function (ATP dependent Ca2+ transport and phosphorylation of phospholamban) of the stunned and control myocardium was determined at the end of the stunning protocol.
Results: In the stunned myocardium the segment length shortening decreased from 17.4(SD 4.0)% to 3.5(4.4)%, while perfusion was 38% less than at baseline. ATP and total adenine nucleotide levels of the stunned myocardium were about 35% lower than in the control myocardium, but the energy charge was normal as creatine phosphate levels had increased by 66% over the content determined at baseline. Ca2+ uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from the stunned region was 17% (p < 0.05) higher than Ca2+ uptake from the control region [1240(303) and 1450(280) nmol.min-1.mg-1 protein, respectively]. In the presence of exogenous cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase the amount of 32P incorporated into phospholamban was similar for both myocardial regions.
Conclusions: In this model of stunned porcine myocardium, the phosphorylation state of phospholamban was unchanged, but Ca2+ uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum was slightly increased. The results indicate that a change in active Ca2+ transport by the sarcoplasmic reticulum is most likely not to be the principal cause of contractile dysfunction of stunned myocardium.