Electrophysiological changes induced by G1, the selective agonist of the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), in the clip-TAC mice model. A new potential cardioprotective mechanism

Abstract

Background: Maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy (MCH) is a pathology that can arise from different diseases, such as arterial hypertension, diabetes, coronary injuries, among others. A candidate for the prevention of MCH is the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). It has been determined that the selective activation of this receptor by its synthetic agonist G1 in cardiac tissue prevents and regresses MCH. However, the mechanisms involved in these cardioprotective effects are still under study. The aim of this work is to investigate the role of GPER on cardiac electrical activity and its impact on MCH.

Methods: Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was performed in 12-week-old C57 male mice using titanium clip as an inducer of hemodynamic overload. After 4 weeks post-surgery, cardiac hypertrophy confirmed by echocardiography, cross-sectional area and fibrotic analysis, and action potential (AP), L-type calcium current (I_CaL) and potassium currents (I_K1 and Ito) were studied using the patch-clamp technique in myocytes isolated from both groups of mice.

Results: Selective activation of GPER by G1 was found to decrease action potential duration (APD) and increase resting membrane potential (RMP) in SHAM and TAC animals. However, the ionic currents studied were only affected in myocytes from MCH hearts, partly explaining the changes observed in AP.

Conclusion: We can conclude that selective activation of GPER mediates non-genomic effects in hypertrophic hearts due, in part, to decreased I_CaL and increased potassium currents, these effects being potentially cardioprotective.

Keywords: Action potential; Cardiac hypertrophy; Clip-transverse aortic constriction; G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER); L-type calcium current; Potassium currents.