Mitochondrial depolarization promotes calcium alternans: Mechanistic insights from a ventricular myocyte model

PLoS Comput Biol. 2021 Jan 25;17(1):e1008624. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008624. eCollection 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Mitochondria are vital organelles inside the cell and contribute to intracellular calcium (Ca2+) dynamics directly and indirectly via calcium exchange, ATP generation, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Arrhythmogenic Ca2+ alternans in cardiac myocytes has been observed in experiments under abnormal mitochondrial depolarization. However, complex signaling pathways and Ca2+ cycling between mitochondria and cytosol make it difficult in experiments to reveal the underlying mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans under abnormal mitochondrial depolarization. In this study, we use a newly developed spatiotemporal ventricular myocyte computer model that integrates mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling and complex signaling pathways to investigate the mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans during mitochondrial depolarization. We find that elevation of ROS in response to mitochondrial depolarization plays a critical role in promoting Ca2+ alternans. Further examination reveals that the redox effect of ROS on ryanodine receptors and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase synergistically promote alternans. Upregulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter promotes Ca2+ alternans via Ca2+-dependent mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Due to their relatively slow kinetics, oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation and ATP do not play significant roles acutely in the genesis of Ca2+ alternans after mitochondrial depolarization, but their roles can be significant in the long term, mainly through their effects on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity. In conclusion, mitochondrial depolarization promotes Ca2+ alternans acutely via the redox effect of ROS and chronically by ATP reduction. It suppresses Ca2+ alternans chronically through oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac* / metabolism
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac* / physiopathology
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Computational Biology
  • Computer Simulation
  • Heart Ventricles / cytology
  • Mitochondria / enzymology
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Mitochondria / physiology*
  • Models, Cardiovascular*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / physiology
  • Rabbits
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Calcium