Demonstration of Na+-dependent Ca2+ efflux using low concentrations of fluorometric Ca2+ probes

Implication of the nucleus in excitation contraction coupling of heart cells

In the present study, Fluo-3 Ca2+ measurement and confocal microscopy techniques were used in order to localize cytosolic []c and nuclear []n free Ca2+ distribution in resting and spontaneously contracting single heart cells from 10-day-old chick embryos. In resting single cells, the concentration of Ca2+ in the cytoplasm was lower than that in the nucleus. Increasing cytosolic free Ca2+ from 100-1600 nM gradually increased [Ca2+]n with a maximum capacity near 1200 nM. Results from Fura-2 microfluorometry and Fluo-3 confocal microscopy suggest a potential cross talk between the increase of cytosolic free Ca2+ and the uptake and release of Ca2+ by the nucleus during spontaneous contraction of single myocytes. Calcium waves in spontaneously contracting cells were found to spread from one cell to the next with the nucleus acting as a fluorescent beacon in which Ca2+ levels remained elevated for several milliseconds even after cytosolic Ca2+ had returned to near basal values. These results strongly suggest that the nucleus plays a negative and positive feedback role in controlling cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration during excitation-contraction coupling in heart cells.

Demonstration of sodium/calcium exchange in rodent osteoblasts

Based on the inhibition of stimulated Ca release from cultured bone by several different agents that alter Na transport, we proposed that hormonally stimulated bone resorption requires Na/Ca exchange. Calcemic hormones appear to interact primarily directly with the osteoblast, which then mediates the activation of osteoclast activity. In organ culture it is not possible to determine whether Na/Ca exchange is involved in this initiating step in the osteoblast or directly in osteoclast-mediated Ca release, and there have been no prior direct measurements of Na/Ca exchange in bone or bone cells. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the presence of Na/Ca exchange transport in the osteoblast. Thus, we characterized Na-dependent Ca transport in osteoblast-like rat osteosarcoma cells (UMR-106) and primary bone cells isolated from neonatal mouse calvaria. Cells were loaded with the Ca-sensitive dye fura-2 in the presence of physiologic NaCl and the absence of Ca with or without 0.3 mM ouabain. Changes in free cytosolic Ca after the extracellular addition of 1.5 mM Ca were measured spectrofluorimetrically. An outward Na gradient was generated by decreasing extracellular Na while maintaining isotonicity. UMR-106 cells that were Na loaded by ouabain inhibition of Na,K-ATPase activity exhibited 30% greater Ca uptake than control cells. Similar results were obtained with primary bone cells. This uptake required extracellular Ca, was not inhibited by 200 microM verapamil, and was reversible upon reversal of the Na gradient. These data demonstrate the presence of a Na/Ca exchange transport system in osteoblasts.

cGMP-dependent protein kinase mediates the reduction of Ca2+ by cAMP in vascular smooth muscle cells

The major action of forskolin, the diterpine activator of adenylate cyclase, in primary (unpassaged) rat aortic smooth muscle cells is to reduce vasopressin-stimulated Ca2+ concentrations. In repetitively passaged cells, however, forskolin by itself increased Ca2+ levels by apparently stimulating Ca2+ uptake into the cell and had much smaller effects on inhibiting vasopressin-stimulated Ca2+ elevations. Both primary and passaged smooth muscle cells contained adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase. Guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase was greatly reduced or absent in passaged smooth muscle cells. The introduction of purified cGMP-dependent protein kinase into the cytoplasm of passaged cells prevented forskolin from elevating intracellular Ca2+ and restored the capacity of forskolin to reduce vasopressin-stimulated Ca2+ mobilization. Similar effects were observed for isoproterenol in passaged smooth muscle cells. When introduced into cells, the active catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase did not lead to reductions in Ca2+ levels. These results suggest that cAMP elevations lead to profound changes in Ca2+ metabolism through activation of both cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases. Activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase by cAMP leads to the reduction in intracellular Ca2+, whereas activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase may only mediate the uptake of Ca2+ from extracellular sources.

Influence of positive inotropic agents on intracellular calcium transients. Part I. Normal rat heart

This study, which was designed to evaluate the effects of positive inotropic agents on intracellular calcium transients ([Ca2+]i), is the first to analyze calcium transients in the whole heart. The positive inotropic agents that augment intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) (dibutyryl cAMP, amrinone, and isoproterenol) caused an increase in developed pressure and [Ca2+]i transients and a decrease in diastolic [Ca2+]i. On the other hand, the glycoside digoxin and the alpha-adrenoceptor agents, phenylephrine and dobutamine, also caused an increase in [Ca2+]i transients and developed pressure. However, unlike the agents that increase [cAMP]i, they induced an elevation in diastolic [Ca2+]i. With all the positive inotropic agents, developed pressure increased commensurately with the percentage changes in amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transients.