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. 1983 Aug 15;214(2):581–585. doi: 10.1042/bj2140581

Ruthenium Red inhibits the activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase caused by positive inotropic agents in the perfused rat heart.

J G McCormack, P J England
PMCID: PMC1152284  PMID: 6193784

Abstract

The increases in the amount of active, non-phosphorylated, pyruvate dehydrogenase caused by positive inotropic agents (from a control value of about 10%, to 40% of total enzyme) in the perfused rat heart could be completely blocked by prior perfusion with 2.5 micrograms of Ruthenium Red/ml. A similar increase caused by 5 mM-pyruvate was not blocked. This concentration of Ruthenium Red caused a 25% decrease in contractile force of hearts perfused in the absence of positive inotropic agents; however, in their presence the contractile force reached the same value in the absence or presence of Ruthenium Red. Neither control nor stimulated phosphorylase a content was affected by Ruthenium Red. Verapamil (0.1 microM) also decreased control contraction (by 40%), but did not block the activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase caused by a rise in extracellular [Ca2+]. The results support the hypothesis that positive inotropic agents activate pyruvate dehydrogenase in rat heart by increasing intramitochondrial [Ca2+].

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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