Spatial and dynamic changes in intracellular Ca2+ measured by confocal laser-scanning microscopy in bullfrog sympathetic ganglion cells

A method for estimating intracellular ion concentration using optical nanosensors and ratiometric imaging

Optical nanoparticle (NP)-based sensors have been widely implemented as tools for detection of targeted ions and biomolecules. The NP sensing platform offer a modular design that can incorporate different sensing components for greater target specificity and the ability to tune the dynamic range, as well as encapsulation of multiple dyes to generate a ratiometric signal with varying spectra. Despite these advantages, demonstrating quantitative ion imaging for intracellular measurement still possess a major challenge. Here, we describe fundamentals that enable intracellular validation of this approach using ion-selective nanosensors for investigating calcium (Ca²⁺) as a model ion. While conventional indicators can improve individual aspects of indicator performance such as Kd, wavelength, and ratiometric measurements, the use of NP sensors can achieve combined benefits of addressing these issues simultaneously. The nanosensor incorporates highly calcium-selective ionophores and two fluorescence indicators that act as signal transducers to facilitate quantitative ratiometric imaging. For intracellular Ca²⁺ application, the sensors are fine-tuned to physiological sensing range, and live-cell imaging and quantification are demonstrated in HeLa cells loaded with nanosensors and their responsiveness to carbachol-evoked store release (~400 nM). The current nanosensor design thus provides a promising sensing platform for real-time detection and optical determination of intracellular ions.

Monitoring neuronal calcium signalling using a new method for ratiometric confocal calcium imaging

Ca2+ signalling influences many processes in the adult and developing nervous system like exocytosis, synaptic plasticity, and growth cone motility. Optical techniques in combination with fluorescent Ca2+ indicators are the most frequently used methods to measure Ca2+ signalling in cells. In the present study, a new method for ratiometric confocal Ca2+ imaging was developed, and the usefulness of the system was tested with two different neuronal preparations. Developing Manduca sexta antennal lobe neurons were loaded with the Ca2+-sensitive dye Fura Red-AM, and the ratio of fluorescence excited at 457 and 488nm was measured with a confocal laser scanning microscope. During pupal stages 4-12, the antennal lobe neuropil is restructured which includes the ingrowth of olfactory receptor axons, dendritic outgrowth of antennal lobe neurons, and synaptogenesis. In antennal lobe neurons, application of the AChR agonist carbachol induced Ca2+ oscillations the amplitude and frequency of which changed during stages 4-9, while at the end of synaptogenesis, at stages 11 and 12, only single Ca2+ transients were elicited. The Ca2+ oscillations were blocked by D-tubocurarine and Cd2+, indicating that they were due to Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, activated by nAChR-mediated membrane depolarization. To test whether single action potentials can induce Ca2+ transients detectable by Fura Red, individual leech Retzius neurons were injected iontophoretically with the Ca2+ indicator, and the membrane potential was recorded during Ca2+ imaging. Single action potentials induced transient increases in the Fura Red ratio measured in the axon, while trains of action potentials elicited Ca2+ transients that could also be recorded in the cell body and the nucleus. The results show that Fura Red can be used as a ratiometric Ca2+ indicator for confocal imaging.

The endoplasmic reticulum and neuronal calcium signalling

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a multifunctional signalling organelle regulating a wide range of neuronal functional responses. The ER is intimately involved in intracellular Ca(2+) signalling, producing local or global cytosolic calcium fluctuations via Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) or inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca(2+) release (IICR). The CICR and IICR are controlled by two subsets of Ca(2+) release channels residing in the ER membrane, the Ca(2+)-gated Ca(2+) release channels, generally known as ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and InsP(3)-gated Ca(2+) release channels, referred to as InsP(3)-receptors (InsP(3)Rs). Both types of Ca(2+) release channels are expressed abundantly in nerve cells and their activation triggers cytoplasmic Ca(2+) signals important for synaptic transmission and plasticity. The RyRs and InsP(3)Rs show heterogeneous localisation in distinct cellular sub-compartments, conferring thus specificity in local Ca(2+) signals. At the same time, the ER Ca(2+) store emerges as a single interconnected pool fenced by the endomembrane. The continuity of the ER Ca(2+) store could play an important role in various aspects of neuronal signalling. For example, Ca(2+) ions may diffuse within the ER lumen with comparative ease, endowing this organelle with the capacity for "Ca(2+) tunnelling". Thus, continuous intra-ER Ca(2+) highways may be very important for the rapid replenishment of parts of the pool subjected to excessive stimulation (e.g. in small compartments within dendritic spines), the facilitated removal of localised Ca(2+) loads, and finally in conveying Ca(2+) signals from the site of entry towards the cell interior and nucleus.

Validation of confocal laser scanning microscopy for detecting intracellular calcium heterogeneity in liver slices

To investigate changes in the intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i) in liver lobules under aerobic and hypoxic conditions, we measured [Ca(2+)]i in liver slices using a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The liver lobule is divided into 3 equal parts between the central vein and portal area, Zones 1, 2, and 3 from the portal side. [Ca(2+)]i in each zone of cultured rat liver lobules was measured by CLSM and a fluorescent Ca(2+) indicator (Rhod 2 AM). After the culture solution was changed to an Na(+)-free solution under aerobic conditions, the percentage of cells showing an increase in [Ca(2+)]i was 66.0+/-9.7% in Zone 1, 70.0+/-10.5% in Zone 2, and 94.0+/-9.7% in Zone 3. The percentage was significantly higher in Zone 3 than in Zones 1 and 2 (P< .01). Under hypoxic conditions, the percentage of cells showing an increase in [Ca(2+)]i was 6.0+/-9.7% in Zone 1, 8.0+/-10.3% in Zone 2, and 10.0+/-10.5% in Zone 3. There were no differences among the 3 zones. In all zones, the percentage was higher under aerobic conditions than under hypoxic conditions (P< .01). These results indicated that the increase in [Ca(2+)]i in liver lobules was heterogeneous. Measurement of [Ca(2+)]i in liver slices by CLSM was considered useful for studying heterogeneity between liver lobules, as well as between liver cells.

The evaluation of the potential of botulinum C3 enzyme as an exogenous differentiation inducing factor to neurons

Botulinum C3 enzyme produced by Clostridium botulinum type C and D strains modifies Rho proteins. In a previous study, we observed that the LDH isozyme pattern of neurons treated with C3 enzyme was different from that induced with endogenous growth factor of neurons such as NGF [21]. This type of change is considered to have an advantage in the medical use of C3 enzyme for neural disorder. To determine the functional similarity of C3-treated neurons to control and NGF-treated neurons, we examined the responses of C3-treated neurons to various drugs, including some neurotransmitters, by measuring the rise of intracellular Ca ions into the neurons. The time course of the rise of intracellular Ca ions induced by high concentration of potassium in the C3-treated neurons was similar to that in the NGF-treated neurons. The C3-treated neurons responded to glutamic acid, aspartic acid, kainic acid, gamma-aminobutylic acid, muscarine and ACh with similar time courses and magnitudes as the control neurons. These results suggest that the C3 enzyme induces the functional differentiation of neurons, and that C3 enzyme has the potential for the medical use as an exogenous differentiation-inducing factor of neurons.

Evidence for the calcium-dependent potentiation of M-current obtained by the ratiometric measurement of the fura-2 fluorescence in bullfrog sympathetic neurons

Intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca]i) was measured following the activation of an inward Ca2+ current and subsequent potentiation of an M-type K+ current (IM) in bullfrog sympathetic neurons. Fura-2 was used as an indicator for [Ca]i. The fluorescence ratio at 340 and 380 nm (F340/F380) was elevated from 0.36 to 1.22 when IM was potentiated by 68% following the Ca2+ current. Based on the in vivo calibration curve obtained from cells permeabilized with digitonin (20 microM), the F340/F380 value of 1.22 was equivalent to a [Ca]i of 0.97 microM. We therefore propose that a rise in [Ca]i into the micromolar range can lead to the potentiation of IM in amphibian autonomic neurons.

Calcium-containing organelles display unique reactivity to chemical stimulation in cultured hippocampal neurons

Cultured rat hippocampal neurons grown on glass coverslips for 1-3 weeks were loaded with the calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye Fluo-3 and viewed with a confocal laser scanning microscope. Large pyramidal-shaped neurons were found to contain dye-accumulating organelles in their somata, primarily around nuclei and near the base of their primary dendrites. These organelles varied in size and increased in density over weeks in culture, and were not colocalized with the endoplasmic reticulum or with mitochondria. The Fluo-3 fluorescence in these calcium-containing organelles (CCOs) was transiently quenched by exposure to Mn2+, indicating that the dye is a genuine [Ca2+] reporter and is not just a site of accumulating Fluo-3 dye. Recovery of fluorescence in the CCOs after washout of Mn2+ involved activation of a thapsigargin-sensitive process. CCOs responded to stimuli that evoke a rise of cytosolic [Ca2+] ([Ca]i) in a unique manner; perfusion of caffeine caused a prolonged rise of [Ca] in the CCOs ([Ca]C), whereas it caused only a transient rise of [Ca]i. Pulse application of caffeine also caused a faster effect on [Ca]C than on [Ca]i. Glutamate caused a transient rise of both [Ca]i and [Ca]C, followed by a prolonged fall of only [Ca]C to below rest level. This fall was blocked by preincubation with thapsigargin. Ryanodine blocked the cytosolic effects of caffeine but not its effect on [C]C. A clear distinction between CCOs and the known calcium stores was seen in digitonin-permeabilized cells; in these, remaining Fluo-3 reported changes in store calcium, i.e., caffeine caused a reduction in Fluo-3 fluorescence in permeabilized cells, whereas it still caused an increase in [Ca]C. A possible role of CCOs in regulation of release of calcium from ryanodine-sensitive stores was indicated by the observation that CCO-containing cells exhibited a larger and faster response to caffeine than cells that did not have them. We propose that CCOs constitute a unique functional compartment involved in release of calcium from calcium-sensitive stores.

Separate analysis of nuclear and cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Ca2+ concentration inside human umbilical vein endothelial cells was studied separately in cytosol and nucleus by a confocal laser scanning microscopy using fluo-3. The in vivo calibration curve for cytosol and nucleus showed good linearity between fluorescence intensity and Ca2+ concentration in cytosol ([Ca2+]i) and nuclei ([Ca2+]n). After calibration, [Ca2+]n was constantly higher than [Ca2+]i before and after the chelation of extracellular Ca2+ suggesting an active Ca2+ accumulation system on nuclear membrane. [Ca2+]n was also constantly higher than [Ca2+]i after the stimulation of thrombin (0.05 U/ml), FCS (10%), and thapsigargin (Tsg, 1 microM). The temporal change of [Ca2+]n and [Ca2+]i was identical, and [Ca2+]i gradient towards the nucleus and peripheral or central [Ca2+]n rise was observed after these stimulations. From these results, [Ca2+]n is not only regulated by the active Ca2+ accumulation system on nuclear membrane at rest but also the generation of inositol-triphosphate. FCS caused heterogeneous [Ca2+]n or [Ca2+]i rise from cell to cell; single spike or oscillatory change of [Ca2+]n and [Ca2+]i was observed in about 56% of cells, which were completely abolished by the chelation of extracellular Ca2+, suggesting that FCS stimulated [Ca2+]n and [Ca2+]i rise solely depending on Ca2+ influx from extracellular medium. The higher concentration of [Ca2+]n and heterogeneous [Ca2+]n rise may have important roles in nuclear-specific cellular responses.

Intracellular free Ca2+ movements in cultured cardiac myocytes as shown by rapid scanning confocal microscopy

Two-dimensional images of intracellular free Ca2+ movements in cultured cardiac myocytes were obtained at 33-ms intervals with a Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescence probe, fluo-3, and a rapid scanning confocal laser microscope, a prototype of Nikon RCM8000. The cells used were isolated from the ventricular myocardium of neonatal mice, cultured for approximately 72 h and loaded with fluo-3. One type of cytoplasmic Ca2+ movement observed was a simultaneous increase in [Ca2+] throughout the cytoplasm, termed a "spike"; another type was a local increase in [Ca2+] propagating in the cytoplasm, termed a "wave." Cells with either spike or wave or both types of movements were observed. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) 10(-5) M, nicardipine 10(-6) M, and increased extracellular potassium concentration (40 mM) selectively inhibited spike, and ryanodine 10(-6) M and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) 3 x 10(-6) M selectively inhibited wave. These results indicate that spike was triggered by depolarization-induced Ca2+ influx across the sarcolemma, whereas wave was a propagating local increase in Ca2+ due to Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). On spike, nuclear [Ca2+] was shown to increase and decrease synchronously with cytoplasmic [Ca2+], with a delay and slower time course.

Imaging of caffeine-inducible release of intracellular calcium in cultured embryonic mouse telencephalic neurons

To gain a better understanding of Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release in central neurons, we have studied the increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) induced by application of caffeine to cells cultured from embryonic mouse telencephalon (hippocampus or cortex). The magnitudes and distributions of changes in [Ca2+]i in neuron somata were measured by quantitative video microscopy. We observed that application of caffeine to pyramidally shaped neurons typically initiated an increase in [Ca2+]i in the cytoplasmic region between the nucleus and the base of a major dendrite. [Ca2+] in this region increased over a period of 3 to 6 s and was followed by, with a slight delay, a surge of Ca2+ that moved across the soma and into or over the nucleus. Similar Ca2+ responses to caffeine were observed in Ca(2+)-containing and nominally Ca(2+)-free external solutions, suggesting that caffeine was inducing Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Ca2+ responses to caffeine were potentiated by inducing a tonic Ca2+ influx through N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors activated by 0.3 microM glutamate and multiple responses to caffeine could be elicited by using this Ca2+ influx to refill the intracellular stores. Ryanodine inhibition of caffeine-induced Ca2+ release was use- and concentration-dependent; the median effective concentration EC50 for ryanodine declined from 22 microM for the first application of caffeine to 20 nM for the fourth. We conclude, based on these responses to caffeine, that ryanodine-sensitive mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ release are active in hippocampal and cortical neurons and may be involved in generation of directed Ca2+ waves that engulf the nucleus.

Differences in features of calcium transients between the nucleus and the cytosol in cultured heart muscle cells: analyzed by confocal microscopy

We analyzed spatio-temporal characteristics of Ca2+ transients in the cytosol and the nucleus of cultured neonatal rat heart cells using confocal imaging with Indo-1 and Fluo-3. In resting heart muscle cells, nuclear [Ca2+] was maintained lower than the cytosolic level. The rise in nuclear [Ca2+], during either E-C coupling or propagation of the Ca2+ wave, began at the edge of the nucleus in the immediate vicinity of the rise in global or localized cytosolic [Ca2+], and spread inwardly. The rise in [Ca2+] was slower and smaller in the nucleus than in the cytosol. The decay in [Ca2+] was also slower in the nucleus than the cytosol, thereby reversing the initial [Ca2+] gradient between them. Caffeine markedly enhanced the rise in nuclear [Ca2+] while maintaining inward spreading. The heterogeneity of nuclear Ca2+ transients during cellular contractilities suggests that influx of Ca2+ from perinuclear stores into the nucleus plays a predominant role in the nuclear [Ca2+] rise. The results also indicated that spatio-temporal characteristics of Ca2+ transients are quite different between the nucleus and the cytosol, thereby suggesting that they are differentially regulated in the nucleus and the cytosol.

A confocal scanning laser microscope for quantitative ratiometric 3D measurements of [Ca2+] and Ca2+ diffusions in living cells stained with Fura-2

A confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM) for observation and quantitative ratiometric measurements of the intracellular dynamics of Ca2+ ions in living neurons has been developed. The instrument consists of a UV-enhanced CSLM, an optical arrangement providing simultaneous excitation at two wavelengths, an electronic arrangement for processing the simultaneous fluorescence response, and software for computing the absolute Ca2+ concentrations, ([Ca2+]). The instrument can be used for any excitation ratiometric measurements, provided that the dye substance used is excitable by wavelengths between 334 nm and 750 nm (such as, e.g. Fura-2). The spatial resolution of the CSLM, as well as a temporal resolution of 20 ms per line (maximum sampling rate) for dynamic measurements are provided by the instrument. Using Fura-2 in calibrated Ca2+ buffer solutions, the instrument measures [Ca2+] between 0 and 1.35 mumol.l-1 with an error of less than 1%. The capability of the instrument to measure absolute [Ca2+] was verified by recording fluorescence images of test solutions with well defined [Ca2+] values (Molecular Probes, Eugene, Ore., USA, C-3009 calibration solutions). In order to verify the dynamic capability of the instrument in real biological specimens, fluorescence changes of Fura-2 that were due to an intracellular flux of Ca2+ ions, and to an increase of [Ca2+]i (the intracellular Ca2+ concentration) have been recorded in Fura-2-loaded cultured cells of the line TE 671.

A UV laser-scanning confocal microscope for the measurement of intracellular Ca2+

Modifications to the optics of a conventional confocal laser-scanning microscope were made to allow imaging intracellular Ca(2+)-dependent fluorescence with a UV laser (351 or 364 nm). Modifications included: (1) a chromatic compensation lens in the laser path; (2) the design of a practically achromatic relay lens; (3) a longer tube length for the objective; and (4) highly reflective mirrors maximizing fluorescence measurement. This UV laser-scanning confocal microscope (UV-CLSM) yielded a lateral resolution of < 0.3 micron and an axial resolution of < 1.5 microns and a relevant field size of 100 microns in diameter for a 40X objective). The effects of varying the focal length of a compensation lens, the degree of the correction for the coverglass thickness of objective and the detector aperture size on the quality of image formation were examined. Finally, UV-CLSM revealed optical sections of fine and complex structures of bullfrog sympathetic neurones loaded with a Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent probe. Changes in intracellular free Ca2+ distribution in response to high [K+] or caffeine were demonstrated. In addition, an increase in the intracellular concentration of caffeine applied externally was clearly imaged in space and time and distinguished from a resultant rise in [Ca2+]i. Thus, the UV-CLSM developed is suitable for ratiometric intracellular Ca2+ measurements and other biological studies.

Fluorescence imaging of intracellular Ca2+

The measurement of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) is of critical importance, because many cellular functions are tightly regulated by [Ca2+]i. The fluorescent indicator, fura-2, has been used frequently to measure [Ca2+]i because of its sensitivity and specificity, and because it can be loaded into living cells with little disruption of function. Most importantly, the peak excitation wavelength of fura-2 changes when it binds Ca2+. As a consequence, measurements of fluorescence at two excitation wavelengths can be used to obtain an estimate of [Ca2+]i that is independent of dye concentration and cell thickness. Fura-2 acetoxymethyl ester (AM) is a lipid-soluble derivative that is often used because of its ability to pass through cell membranes. There are, however, several problems with the use of fura-2 AM such as intracellular compartmentation and incomplete deesterification. The availability of low-light-level cameras and computer hardware for the digitization of fluorescent images has made quantitative fluorescence microscopy possible. This technique has shown a striking spatial heterogeneity of [Ca2+]i in a variety of cell types, and has revealed substantial new information on dynamic intracellular biochemistry and signal transduction. However, the current imaging technology is not fully developed because of dye and instrumentation limitations. Further development of techniques and new probes are required to improve temporal and spatial resolution.

A confocal laser scanning microscope designed for indicators with ultraviolet excitation wavelengths

In this paper we describe the modifications necessary to upgrade, at affordable cost, a commercially available confocal laser scanning microscope for use with ultraviolet (UV) excitation. The optical problems associated with these modifications are described in detail, and easy solutions to solve them are suggested. The optical resolution of the instrument was tested with fluorescent beads and was found to be close to diffraction limited. The light losses due to lateral chromatic aberration were assessed in a thick fluorescent specimen and were found to be comparable to those usually observed with visible light. For a more visual example of the resolution of this instrument, isolated ventricular heart muscle cells were loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator indo 1. This allowed us to visualize subcellular structural detail and to illustrate the optical sectioning capability of the UV confocal microscope when recording indo 1 emission. Dual-emission line scans were used to perform ratiometric time-resolved detection of Ca2+ transients in voltage-clamped heart muscle cells loaded with the salt form of indo 1. The system presented in this paper should significantly broaden the range of fluorescent indicators that can be used in confocal microscopy.

Ratiometric confocal Ca(2+)-measurements with visible wavelength indicators in isolated cardiac myocytes

We present a new method for ratiometric Ca2+ measurements using indicators with excitation spectra in the visible range of wavelengths. Laser-scanning confocal microscopy was used to record intracellular Ca(2+)-signals with high temporal and spatial resolution in single cardiac myocytes. The patch-clamp technique was applied to load the cells with the fluorescent Ca(2+)-indicators and to follow the membrane currents with the fluorescence signals simultaneously. Intracellular free Ca(2+)-concentration ([Ca2+]i) was estimated with a ratiometric method. An in vitro calibration procedure was used to convert the fluorescence ratio obtained with two different Ca(2+)-indicators (Fluo-3 and Fura-Red) into Ca(2+)-concentrations. Fluo-3 showed an increase in fluorescence upon a rise in intracellular Ca(2+)-concentration, while the Fura-Red fluorescence decreased. Since the fluorescence of Fluo-3 was around 2-fold brighter than the Fura-Red signal the cells were loaded with a 1:2 mixture of the two indicators. The large increase of the fluorescence ratio during a rise in [Ca2+]i (up to 4-fold) allowed us to record time-resolved signals with this mixture even when monitored in a very small subcellular volume (around 1 micron3). Long lasting continuous recordings of the fluorescence were possible because the dye-mixture exhibited no detectable bleaching with illumination periods of up to 30 s. The use of the Fluo-3/Fura-Red ratio method should significantly facilitate and improve quantitative measurements of [Ca2+]i with high temporal and spatial resolution. Moreover, this approach is especially valuable when used with confocal microscopes which are usually equipped with lasers in the visible light range. Furthermore, it may be possible to use the same approach with mixtures of other indicators to estimate the concentration of other biologically important ions/compounds with a ratiometric calibration.

Characteristics of Ca2+ release induced by Ca2+ influx in cultured bullfrog sympathetic neurones

1. A rise in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and a Ca2+ current (ICa) induced by a depolarizing pulse were simultaneously recorded by fura-2 or indo-1 fluorescence and whole-cell patch clamp techniques in cultured bullfrog sympathetic ganglion cells. 2. [Ca2+]i (calculated from the ratio of fura-2 fluorescences excited at 380 and 340 nm and recorded with a photomultiplier at > 492 nm) rose regeneratively (in most cells) during a command pulse (from -60 to 0 mV, 100 ms), continued to rise thereafter, peaked at 666 ms (on average) and decayed slowly with a half-decay time of 22.8 s. 3. Scanning a single horizontal line across the cytoplasm with an ultraviolet argon ion laser (351 nm) and recording indo-1 fluorescences at two wavelengths (peaked at 410 and 475 nm) with a confocal microscope demonstrated that [Ca2+]i beneath the cell membrane rose much faster than that in the deeper cytoplasm. The time course of the spatial integral of [Ca2+]i, however, corresponded well with that recorded with fura-2 fluorescence using a photomultiplier. 4. [Ca2+]i measured by fura-2 fluorescence ratio using a photomultiplier did not increase during a strong depolarizing pulse (-60 to +80 mV), but sometimes rose after the pulse. A depolarization-induced rise in [Ca2+]i ([Ca2+]i transient) was blocked in a Ca(2+)-free, EGTA solution, reduced by lowering the extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o) to 0.45 or 0.9 mM and enhanced by raising [Ca2+]o to 7.2 or 14.4 nM. 5. The extracellular Ca2+ dependence was non-linear when long depolarizing pulses (up to 500 ms) were applied; the amplitude of [Ca2+]i transient/Ca2+ entry (unit [Ca2+]i transient) increased with an increase in Ca2+ entry. 6. Increasing the duration of depolarization (-50 or -60 to 0 mV) from 20 to 500 ms enhanced asymptotically the integral of ICa (due to inactivation), and progressively the magnitude of [Ca2+]i transients, leading to the apparent non-linear dependence of unit [Ca2+]i transient on Ca2+ entry as well as on the duration of membrane depolarization. The peak time of [Ca2+]i transient was unchanged for pulse durations up to 300 ms, but prolonged with an increase in pulse duration to 500 ms. 7. Inhibitors of Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ reservoirs, dantrolene (10 microM) and ryanodine (50 microM), blocked the [Ca2+]i transient to 56 and 30%, respectively, of the control. 8. The higher the basal [Ca2+]i level, the greater was the magnitude of the [Ca2+]i transients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Confocal laser microscopical images of calcium distribution and intracellular organelles in the outer hair cell isolated from the guinea pig cochlea

We report the use of a confocal laser fluorescence microscope to observe the distribution of cytosolic Ca2+ and the localization of intracellular organelles and cytoskeleton in the isolated outer hair cell (OHC). Membrane-bound Ca2+ stained by chlortetracycline was mainly seen in the subcuticular region, the infranuclear region, and the region adjacent to the lateral wall. In contrast, the central portion of the cytoplasm and nucleus were devoid of detectable fluorescence of membrane-associated Ca2+, but were relatively rich in free Ca2+. The cuticular plate showed a lack of both membrane-bound and free Ca2+. Fluorescent clusters of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were predominantly seen in the infracuticular and infranuclear regions, and some were associated with the lateral wall. These two types of cytosolic organelles which fluoresced upon chlortetracycline treatment are therefore presumed to sequester calcium. The characteristic distribution of the endoplasmic reticulum was observed in coincidence with the infracuticular network of F-actin. The subsurface cistern, which was shown to be analogous to the endoplasmic reticulum in terms of its biological function, is likely to be the source of Ca2+ for the actin-mediated process.

Effects of free radicals on the intracellular calcium concentration in the isolated outer hair cell of the guinea pig cochlea

The cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) isolated from the cochlear outer hair cell (OHC) of the guinea pig was measured using microfluorimetric imaging technique and the effects of free radicals were investigated. Hypoxanthine (HX) plus xanthine oxidase (XO) induced a rise in [Ca2+]i in the presence of external Ca2+. Elimination of external Ca2+ (pCa = 7) did not show an increase in [Ca2+i, indicating that the increased [Ca2+]i is dependent on external Ca2+. The elevation of [Ca2+]i induced by HX-XO was reduced by addition of superoxide dismutase or nifedipine but not by addition of catalase. A single admission of HX or XO failed to affect [Ca2+]i. These findings suggest that superoxide anion generated in the OHC increases the Ca2+ influx across the membrane, presumably leading to some pathological changes in the acoustic transduction by modulating the OHC motility.

Biological microscopy: the emergence of digital microscopy

The past few years have seen a tremendous renaissance in biological optical microscopy, mainly as a result of the application of digital image processing and video imaging techniques. We review recent developments in microscopy that are permitting unprecedented views of biological structure and function.

Intracellular calcium dynamics in response to action potentials in bullfrog sympathetic ganglion cells

1. Dynamic changes in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) following electrical membrane activity, were recorded from the neurone soma of the excised bullfrog sympathetic ganglion, using Fura-2 fluorescence and compared with the accompanying Ca(2+)-dependent electrical membrane responses. 2. The resting [Ca2+]i was about 100 nM, a value little changed by penetration with an intracellular electrode. 3. A net rise in fluorescence at a wavelength of 340 nm (Ca2+ transient) induced by a single action potential in Ringer solution rose almost in parallel with the initial decay phase of a slow Ca(2+)-dependent after-hyperpolarization; decayed in parallel with the late phase; and increased in amplitude and duration in the presence of tetraethylammonium (20 mM). 4. A Ca2+ transient induced by repetitive action potentials was increased asymptotically in amplitude and progressively in duration by increasing the number of spikes, and was slower in time course than the associated Ca(2+)-dependent K+ current. 5. Scanning a single horizontal line across the cytoplasm with an ultraviolet argon ion laser (351 nm) and recording Indo-1 fluorescence with a confocal microscope demonstrated an inward spread of a rise in [Ca2+]i following a tetanus. 6. Both single spike- and tetanus-induced Ca2+ transients were abolished in a Ca(2+)-free solution, while single or repetitive transient rises in [Ca2+]i induced by caffeine (5-10 mM) were generated under the same conditions. 7. Ryanodine (10-50 microM) did not affect tetanus-induced Ca2+ transients, whereas it blocked completely the caffeine-induced oscillation of [Ca2+]i. 8. Ca2+ transients induced by a tetanus in Ringer solution were independent of the interval from the preceding tetanus. The amplitude of Ca2+ transients induced by a tetanus in the presence of caffeine (5 mM) was equal to, or greater than, that generated in Ringer solution in any of the phases of [Ca2+]i oscillation. 9. It is suggested that under the physiological conditions here, the induction of action potentials does not cause the release of Ca2+ in the cells of the freshly excised bullfrog sympathetic ganglion, and that Ca(2+)-buffering systems contribute not only to lowering a transient rise in [Ca2+]i but also to sustaining an increased [Ca2+]i after a large Ca2+ load into the cell.