Direct cardiotoxicity of lead.

Lead is a heavy metal pollutant that constitutes frequent exposomes. It is nonbiodegradable and has a nonsafe limit of exposure. It has multisystemic effects, and most of the cardiac effects have been discovered to be indirect. There are strong similarities between Ca2+ and Pb2+ in their chemistry. Because cardiac function is dramatically dependent in extracellular Ca2+, as well as in precise control of intracellular Ca2+, we tested if Pb2+ could antagonize Ca2+-dependent effects in a short amount of time. Acute exposure of isolated hearts showed a negative inotropic effect. In guinea pig isolated cardiomyocytes loaded with a Pb2+-specific dye (Leadmium green), our results showed that there was an associated increment in fluorescence related to extracellular stimulation blocked by 1-5 µM DHP. Calcium currents were partially blocked by extracellular Pb2+, though currents seemed to last longer after a fast inactivation. Charge movement from gating currents was slightly hastened over time, giving an appearance of a slight reduction in the Cav1.2 gating currents. Action potentials were prolonged in Pb2+ compared with Ca2+. In isolated cardiomyocytes loaded with Ca2+-sensitive dyes, Ca2+ variations promoted by extracellular stimuli were affected in space/time. As Pb2+ could interfere with Ca2+-sensitive dyes, we measured contraction of isolated cardiomyocytes under extracellular stimuli in Pb2+. In both Ca2+ dye fluorescence and contractions, Pb2+ disorganizes the pattern of contraction and intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Our results suggest that (1) Pb2+ enters to cardiomyocytes through Cav1.2 channels, and (2) once it enters the cell, Pb2+ may substitute Ca2+ in Ca2+-binding proteins. In addition to these direct mechanisms related to Pb2+ competition with Ca2+-binding sites, we cannot discard a direct contribution of Pb2+ redox properties.