Evidence on the participation of the 3',5'-cyclic AMP pathway in the non-genomic action of 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 in cardiac muscle.

Several studies have suggested that vitamin D plays a role in cardiovascular function. It has been recently shown that in vitro treatment of vitamin D-deficient chick cardiac muscle with physiological concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) induces a rapid (1-10 min) increase of tissue 45Ca uptake which can be suppressed by Ca channel blockers. The hormone simultaneously stimulated heart microsomal membrane protein phosphorylation. Experiments were performed to investigate the existence of a relationship between these changes and to obtain information about the mechanism involved in 1,25(OH)2D3-induced modifications in cardiac protein phosphorylation. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10 microM) and forskolin (10 microM), known activators of the cAMP pathway, produced time courses of changes in 45Ca uptake by chick heart tissue similar to 1,25(OH)2D3 (10(-10) M). Analogously to the hormone, the effects of both compounds were abolished by nifedipine (30 microM) and verapamil (10 microM). In agreement with these observations, 1,25(OH)2D3 significantly increased (34-70%) heart muscle cAMP levels within 1-10 min of treatment. In addition, 1,25(OH)2D3 and forskolin caused similar changes in cardiac microsomal membrane protein phosphorylation (e.g. stimulation in 43 kDa and 55 kDa proteins). These changes were also evidenced by direct exposure of isolated heart microsomes to 1,25(OH)2D3, suggesting a direct membrane action of the hormone. The fast effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on dihydropyridine-sensitive cardiac muscle Ca uptake could be reproduced in primary-cultured myocytes isolated from chick embryonic heart. Furthermore, the effects of the hormone could be suppressed by a specific protein kinase A inhibitor. These results suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 affects heart cell calcium metabolism through regulation of Ca channel activity mediated by the cAMP pathway.