Effects of diabetes on cardiac contractile proteins in rabbits and reversal with insulin.

In rats, chronic diabetes is associated with depressed cardiac myosin ATPase activity and a shift from the predominant V1 isoenzyme to V3, correlating with depressed contractility. Rabbit myocardium consists mostly of the V3 isoenzyme, and therefore a switch to even more V3 isoenzyme in diabetes might not be possible and therefore not explain the mechanical abnormalities observed. To explore this, rabbits were made diabetic with 140-150 mg/kg of alloxan, and their hearts were studied 3 days, 1 mo, 3 mo, and 6 mo later. Ca2+-myosin-ATPase activity was decreased in the diabetic rabbit at 1, 3, and 6 mo, correlating with increased percent V3. Actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity was not significantly decreased in diabetics, but myofibrillar ATPase activity was decreased in 6-mo diabetic animals. When 3- to 4-mo diabetic animals were administered insulin for 3-4 additional months, myosin-ATPase activity and isoenzyme distribution normalized. These results correlate well with mechanical changes in papillary muscle from these same hearts. They suggest that in rabbit, as in rat, changes in cardiac contractile function are at least partially mediated by changes in myosin isoenzyme composition and are reversible with insulin.