Substantial impact of 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) on the regulations of fluorescent thermoprobe-measured cellular temperature and natriuretic peptide expression in cardiomyocytes

There is growing interest in 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM), an active thyroid hormone metabolite, that induces negative inotropic and chronotropic actions in the heart and exerts systemic hypothermic action. We explored the direct impact of T1AM on cardiomyocytes with a focus on the regulation of the intracellular temperature and natriuretic peptide (NP) expression. A thermoprobe was successfully introduced into neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and the temperature-dependent changes in the fluorescence intensity ratio were measured using a fluorescence microscope. After one-hour incubation with T1AM, the degree of change in the fluorescence intensity ratio was significantly lower in T1AM-treated cardiomyocytes than in equivalent solvent-treated controls (P < 0.01), indicating the direct hypothermic action of T1AM on cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, T1AM treatment upregulated B-type NP (BNP) gene expression comparable to treatment with endothelin-1 or phenylephrine. Of note, ERK phosphorylation was markedly increased after T1AM treatment, and inhibition of ERK phosphorylation by an MEK inhibitor completely cancelled both T1AM-induced decrease in thermoprobe-measured temperature and the increase in BNP expression. In summary, T1AM decreases fluorescent thermoprobe-measured temperatures (estimated intracellular temperatures) and increases BNP expression in cardiomyocytes by activating the MEK/ERK pathway. The present findings provide new insight into the direct myocardial cellular actions of T1AM in patients with severe heart failure.