Abstract

Mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids have been involved in the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias associated with pathological heart hypertrophy. We previously observed, using isolated neonate rat ventricular cardiomyocytes, that both aldosterone (Aldo) and corticosterone induced in vitro a marked acceleration of the spontaneous contractions of these cells, a phenomenon dependent on the expression of the low threshold T-type calcium channels. Because both mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mediated the chronotropic response to corticosteroids, we characterized the role of each receptor using spironolactone and mifepristone (RU-486) as specific antagonists. We first observed that GR antagonism, but not MR antagonism, completely disrupted the significant correlation existing between the level of T channel mRNA and the beating frequency; this difference could not be explained by a specific regulation of channel expression or activity by one of the receptors. Moreover, the chronotropic action of Aldo was additive to that of forskolin, a direct activator of the cAMP pathway. This additive response was selectively abolished upon GR inhibition. Finally, myocyte hypertrophy induced in vitro by Aldo was completely prevented by GR antagonism, whereas spironolactone had only a marginal effect. These results suggest that, in isolated rat ventricular cardiomyocytes, the activation of both MR and GR is necessary for a complete electrical remodeling and a maximal chronotropic response to corticosteroids. However, GR alone appears involved in the sensitization of the cells to the chronotropic regulation through the cAMP pathway and in the hypertrophic response to steroids. These observations have therapeutic implications given the fact that MR becomes a major target of pharmacological drugs in the clinical practice for preventing cardiac function decompensation and evolution toward heart failure and lethal arrhythmias.