Infarction-induced cytokines cause local depletion of tyrosine hydroxylase in cardiac sympathetic nerves. Experimental physiology [Exp Physiol] Journal article

Myocardial infarction causes heterogeneity of noradrenergic transmission that contributes to the development of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Ischemia-induced alterations in sympathetic transmission include regional variations in cardiac norepinephrine (NE) and in tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in NE synthesis. Inflammatory cytokines that act through gp130 are elevated in the heart after myocardial infarction. These cytokines decrease expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in sympathetic neurons, and indirect evidence suggests they contribute to the local depletion of tyrosine hydroxylase in the damaged left ventricle. However, gp130 cytokines are also important for the survival of cardiac myocytes following damage to the heart. To examine the effect of cytokines on tyrosine hydroxylase and NE content in cardiac nerves we used gp130(DBH-Cre/lox) mice, which have a deletion of the gp130 receptor in neurons expressing dopamine beta hydroxylase. The absence of neuronal gp130 prevented the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase in cardiac sympathetic nerves innervating the left ventricle one week after ischemia-reperfusion. Surprisingly, restoring tyrosine hydroxylase in the damaged ventricle did not return NE content to normal levels. NE uptake into cardiac nerves was significantly lower in gp130 KO mice, contributing to the lack of neuronal NE stores. There were no significant differences in left ventricular peak systolic pressure, dP/dt(MAX), or dP/dt(MIN) between the two genotypes after myocardial infarction, but ganglionic blockade revealed differences in autonomic tone between the genotypes. Stimulating the heart with dobutamine or releasing endogenous NE with tyramine generated similar responses in both genotypes. Thus, the removal of gp130 from sympathetic neurons prevents the post-infarct depletion of TH in the left ventricle, but does not alter NE content or cardiac function.

Experimental physiology [Exp Physiol]