Thallium interaction with the gastric (K, H)-ATPase

Single-photon agents for tumor imaging:201TI,99mTc-MIBI, and99mTc-tetrofosmin

This review aims at fostering comprehension and knowledge not only for expert physicians who can skillfully handle various techniques for tumor imaging but also for young practitioners in the field of nuclear medicine. As image processing software and hardware become smaller, faster and better, SPECT will adapt and incorporate these advances. A principal advantage of SPECT over PET is the more widespread availability of the equipment and lower cost for the introduction of the system in community-based facilities. Moreover, SPECT has become less dependent on a limited number of acknowledged experts for its interpretation owing to a variety of handy computer tools for imaging analyses. The increasing use of PET in tumor imaging is not necessarily proportional to the decline of SPECT. General physicians' attention to SPECT technology would also increase more by evoking their interest in "tracer imaging."

Distribution of sodium-potassium ATPase in the rat testis and epididymis

Sodium-potassium ATPase (Na+K(+)-ATPase) is a ubiquitous plasma membrane enzyme which uses the hydrolysis of ATP to regulate cellular Na+ and K+ levels and fluid volume. This ion pumping action is also thought to be involved in fluid movement across certain epithelia. There are several different genes for this enzyme, some of which are tissue specific. Using an antibody specific for the catalytic subunit of canine kidney Na+K(+)-ATPase, we have localized immunoreactivity in the seminiferous and epididymal epithelium of rats of various ages. There was no specific staining of 10-day-old rat testis. Faint staining was detected at 13 days and appeared to be associated with the borders of Sertoli cells. At 16 days prominent apical and lateral staining but no basal staining of Sertoli cell membranes was observed. This type of distribution continued until spermatids were present in the epithelium. In the adult rat testis, specific staining was detected in Sertoli cell crypts associated with elongating spermatids, and on the apical and lateral Sertoli cell membrane. In some instances immunoreactivity was concentrated at presumed sites of junctional specializations. In the excurrent ducts of immature and mature rats, Na+K(+)-ATPase staining was heavy in the efferent ducts and somewhat lighter in the epididymis. In all regions, the staining was basolateral although there were variations in intensity among the different parts of the epididymis. These results show 1) that rat testis and epididymal Na+K(+)-ATPase share some immunological determinants with the canine enzyme; 2) that the epididymal enzyme is located in the conventional basolateral position; and 3) that the distribution of Sertoli cell Na+K(+)-ATPase is probably apical and lateral rather than basal.

Impairment of Na+ transport across frog skin by Tl+: effects on turnover, area density and saturation kinetics of apical Na+ channels

Na+ transport across abdominal skin of the frogs, Rana temporaria and Rana esculenta was followed by measuring Na+-dependent short-circuit, current (INa) kinetics and INa fluctuations induced by triamterene, a diuretic. Exposure of the skin to serosal Tl+ led to a pronounced and irreversible drop in INa and INa-blocker noise. At low serosal Tl+ concentrations, we observed mainly a decrease in the apparent Michaelis constant for INa saturation while, at larger [Tl+], the maximal INa dropped irreversibly. Tl+ acts even when serosal Tl+ "transporters" like the Na+-K+ pump, or the K+ channel are nonfunctional. The rate constants for the triamterene/Na+ channel reaction were unchanged after Tl+ whereas the relaxation noise from channel blockage decreased in amplitude. Noise analysis in terms of a two-state blocking model suggested that Tl+ poisoning results in a small decrease in single-channel current through apical Na+ pathways, as well as in a drastic and irreversible drop in channel density. The impairment of Na+ transport by Tl+ can be attributed to the above cited concerted events at the level of the apical membrane.

Mechanism of gastric antisecretory effect of thiocyanate: further evidence for the thiocyanate-induced impediment in gastric H+,K+-ATPase function

Two hypotheses have recently been proposed for the thiocyanate inhibition of gastric acid secretion--a protonophore mechanism and an uncoupling model. The mechanistic aspects for the latter scheme have been examined on the following basis: capability of generating verifiable predictions, supporting evidence that is unambiguous, and compatibility with experimental realities. Gastric microsomes bind 5 nmol of SCN-/mg, and a "pure" and highly active fraction of H+,K+-ATPase prepared from gastric microsomes binds about 15 nmol of SCN-/mg. The affinity of SCN- binding to gastric microsomes changes from 10 to 25 mM in the presence of 20 mM K+ suggesting competition between K+ and SCN-. Potassium also displaces the bound SCN- from "pure" H+,K+-ATPase with a Ki of about 25 mM. Of the cations tested--Tl+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, NH4+, Na+, and Li+--Tl+ was the most effective in displacing bound SCN- while Na+ and Li+ were without effect. The effects of anions such as Cl-, NO3-, and gluconate were found to be nonspecific and absolutely dependent on K+ as cocation. Sulfate and OCN-, on the other hand, showed an ability to displace SCN- as both K+ and Na+ salts. For SO4(-2) the K+ form was much more effective than the Na+ salt. Besides these antagonistic effects of K+ and congeners with the H+,K+-ATPase-bound SCN-, a competition between K+ and SCN- was also observed at the level of gastric K+-stimulated pNPPase reaction. The effects of SCN- and two other unrelated anions, F- and NO2-, on artificial delta pH across the microsomal vesicles exhibited a lack of appreciable change up to 5 mM and a small (about 13%) reduction between 10 and 20 mM. However, a combination of CCCP and nigericin or valinomycin completely abolished the delta pH under identical conditions. The present data in conjunction with other reports suggest that the proton impediment model best explains the gastric antisecretory effects of SCN-.

Magnesium transport in murine S49 lymphoma cells: pharmacology and divalent cation selectivity

The murine S49 lymphoma cell transports Mg2+ by a system distinct from systems responsible for Ca2+ influx (J. Physiol. London 337: 351-371, 1983). We have now determined the ability of various cations, anions, and drugs to modulate Mg2+ influx. Neither sulfate, nitrate, phosphate, nor bicarbonate altered Mg2+ influx. Among cations only T1+, Ba2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Sc3+, and La3+ potently inhibited Mg2+ influx without causing obvious cell toxicity. Seventeen other cations were ineffective at maximal nontoxic concentrations. T1+ inhibition (Ki = 300 micron) is noncompetitive and apparently derives from its ability to dissipate membrane potential. The noncompetitive nature of and the rather poor inhibition constants for Ca2+ (Ki approximately equal to 5 mM) and Mn2+ (Ki = 200 micron) indicate that neither cation is an effective physiological antagonist of Mg2+ influx. Only Ba2+ exhibited competitive inhibition of Mg2+ influx (Ki = 1 mM). Cisplatin and Ca2+ channel antagonists also did not inhibit Mg2+ influx. These data further differentiate Mg2+ transport systems from those for Ca2+. In addition, the selectivity series for group IIa cation inhibition of influx (Mg2+ greater than Ba2+ much greater than Ca2+ greater than or equal to Sr2+) has not been observed previously in biological systems and is indicative of a very high anionic field strength at the Mg2+ recognition site.

Direct spectrophotometric detection of cation flux in membrane vesicles: stopped-flow measurements of acetylcholine-receptor-mediated ion flux

The development of a spectrophotometric stopped-flow method to measure ion flux in membrane vesicles in the millisecond to minute time region is described in detail. The technique is based on fluorescence quenching of an entrapped fluorophore (anthracene-1,5-disulfonic acid) by Cs+. The method has been applied to the measurement of acetylcholine-receptor-mediated ion flux in membrane vesicles prepared from the electric organs of both Electrophorus electricus and Torpedo californica. The method is applicable to any vesicle system in which Cs+ can substitute for either Na+ or K+. Loading of vesicles with the fluorescent dye is accomplished using the routine procedure for making the vesicles. The dye-loaded vesicles can be stored in liquid nitrogen before use. Neither the dye-loading procedure nor the presence of Cs+ changes the permeability of the membrane to ions, allowing ion-translocation measurements to be made in the millisecond to minute time region. The stopped-flow design presented allows two sequential mixings of solutions. The relationship between fluorescence quenching and ion flux as well as the interpretation of the ion flux data is described. It is shown that the data obtained with stopped-flow and Cs+ is identical to data obtained previously using a quench-flow technique and 86Rb+. The advantages of the present method over the quench-flow technique and a similar stopped-flow technique developed previously based on T1+ are described in detail.

Cadmium and thallous ion permeabilities through lipid bilayer membranes

Cadmium (Cd2+) and thallous ion (Tl+) permeabilities were measured in planar (Mueller-Rudin) lipid bilayer membranes made from diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine in decane. Permeabilities of the electroneutral Cl- complexes, measured with tracers (109Cd and 204Tl), were about 10(-8) cm X s-1 for CdCl2 and 10(-6) cm X s-1 for TlCl. Electrical conductance measurements showed that permeabilities to Cd2+ and Tl+ were approx. 10(-11) cm X s-1, similar to the Na+ permeability. The low permeabilities to both Cd2+ and CdCl2 are consistent with biological studies which suggest that Cd transport and toxicity are protein mediated and correlated with Cd2+, not CdCl2, concentration. However, the low bilayer permeability to Tl+ raises questions about recent reports that Tl+ is a lipid permeable cation in biological membranes and liposomes. An alternative explanation for the lipid permeable behavior of Tl+ is presented, based on the diffusion of TlCl and other complexes of Tl+ with inorganic and organic anions.

Thallium uptake by canine iliac arteries

Most of the thallium uptake by canine iliac arteries (70%) was inhibited by ouabain. The component sensitive to ouabain was significantly increased by incubating tissues in K+-free solution and reduced by low temperatures, metabolic inhibitors, and loading with lithium. The apparent Km for thallium for the ouabain-sensitive uptake was 0.47 +/- 0.046 mM. External K+ inhibited thallium uptake and the apparent Ki was estimated to be 6.5 mM. Thallium thus appears to have a greater affinity for the ouabain-sensitive components. The residual component of thallium uptake was unaffected by maneuvers that affected the ouabain-sensitive uptake, which thus appears to be a suitable indicator of Na+ pump activity in vascular smooth muscle.

ATP/ADP exchange activity of gastric (H+ +K+)-ATPase

The ATP/ADP exchange is shown to be a partial reaction of the (H+ +K+)-ATPase by the absence of measurable nucleoside diphosphokinase activity and the insensitivity of the reaction to P1, P5-di(adenosine-5') pentaphosphate, a myokinase inhibitor. The exchange demonstrates an absolute requirement for Mg2+ and is optimal at an ADP/ATP ratio of 2. The high ATP concentration (K0.5=116 microM) required for maximal exchange is interpreted as evidence for the involvement of a low affinity form of nucleotide site. The ATP/ADP exchange is regarded as evidence for an ADP-sensitive form of the phosphoenzyme. In native enzyme, pre-steady state kinetics show that the formation of the phosphoenzyme is partially sensitive to ADP while modification of the enzyme by pretreatment with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) in the absence of Mg2+ results in a steady-state phosphoenzyme population, a component of which is ADP sensitive. The ATP/ADP exchange reaction can be either stimulated or inhibited by the presence of K+ as a function of pH and Mg2+.