Ivabradine Reduces Chemokine-Induced CD4-Positive Lymphocyte Migration

Abstract EN

Aims.

Migration of CD4-positive lymphocytes into the vessel wall is a critical step in atherogenesis.

Recent data suggest that ivabradine, a selective I(f)-channel blocker, reduces atherosclerotic plaque formation in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, hitherto nothing is known about the mechanism by which ivabradine modulates plaque formation.

Therefore, the present study investigated whether ivabradine regulates chemokine-induced migration of lymphocytes.

Methods and results.

Stimulation of CD4-positive lymphocytes with SDF-1 leads to a 2.0±0.1 fold increase in cell migration (P<.01; n=7).

Pretreatment of cells with ivabradine reduces this effect to a maximal 1.2±0.1 fold induction at 0.1 µmol/L ivabradine (P<.01 compared to SDF-1-treated cells, n=7).

The effect of ivabradine on CD4-positive lymphocyte migration was mediated through an early inhibition of chemokine-induced PI-3 kinase activity as determined by PI-3 kinase activity assays.

Downstream, ivabradine inhibits activation of the small GTPase Rac and phosphorylation of the Myosin Light Chain (MLC).

Moreover, ivabradine treatment reduces f-actin formation as well as ICAM3 translocation to the uropod of the cell, thus interfering with two important steps in T cell migration.

Conclusion.

Ivabradine inhibits chemokine-induced migration of CD4-positive lymphocytes.

Given the crucial importance of chemokine-induced T-cell migration in early atherogenesis, ivabradine may be a promising tool to modulate this effect.