The key role of sodium in the ouabain-mediated potentiation of potassium-evoked catecholamine release in cat adrenal glands

Sodium/calcium exchange: its physiological implications

The Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, an ion transport protein, is expressed in the plasma membrane (PM) of virtually all animal cells. It extrudes Ca2+ in parallel with the PM ATP-driven Ca2+ pump. As a reversible transporter, it also mediates Ca2+ entry in parallel with various ion channels. The energy for net Ca2+ transport by the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and its direction depend on the Na+, Ca2+, and K+ gradients across the PM, the membrane potential, and the transport stoichiometry. In most cells, three Na+ are exchanged for one Ca2+. In vertebrate photoreceptors, some neurons, and certain other cells, K+ is transported in the same direction as Ca2+, with a coupling ratio of four Na+ to one Ca2+ plus one K+. The exchanger kinetics are affected by nontransported Ca2+, Na+, protons, ATP, and diverse other modulators. Five genes that code for the exchangers have been identified in mammals: three in the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger family (NCX1, NCX2, and NCX3) and two in the Na+/Ca2+ plus K+ family (NCKX1 and NCKX2). Genes homologous to NCX1 have been identified in frog, squid, lobster, and Drosophila. In mammals, alternatively spliced variants of NCX1 have been identified; dominant expression of these variants is cell type specific, which suggests that the variations are involved in targeting and/or functional differences. In cardiac myocytes, and probably other cell types, the exchanger serves a housekeeping role by maintaining a low intracellular Ca2+ concentration; its possible role in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling is controversial. Cellular increases in Na+ concentration lead to increases in Ca2+ concentration mediated by the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger; this is important in the therapeutic action of cardiotonic steroids like digitalis. Similarly, alterations of Na+ and Ca2+ apparently modulate basolateral K+ conductance in some epithelia, signaling in some special sense organs (e.g., photoreceptors and olfactory receptors) and Ca2+-dependent secretion in neurons and in many secretory cells. The juxtaposition of PM and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum membranes may permit the PM Na+/Ca2+ exchanger to regulate sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores and influence cellular Ca2+ signaling.

The actions of ouabain and lithium chloride on cytosolic Ca2+ in single chromaffin cells

The effects of ouabain, Li+ and veratridine on the concentration of cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) were studied in single fura-2-loaded bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Superfusion of cells with ouabain (10 microM for 60 min) caused only a delayed mild increase of the Ca2+]i, from around 0.1 microM to 0.2-0.3 microM; this increase was Nao(+)-dependent. Replacement of all NaCl of the Krebs-Hepes solution by LiCl (144 mM) produced a gradual increase of [Ca2+]i, which remained elevated at a stable plateau of 0.4-0.5 microM for 40-50 min. When ouabain (in the presence of normal Nao+) or Li+ (in the absence of Nao+) was given in Krebs-Hepes solution containing no Ca2+, the reintroduction of 2.5 mM Ca2+ produced a fast elevation of the [Ca2+]i. In the case of ouabain-treated cells, the [Ca2+]i curve exhibited an initial phasic component which inactivated to a tonic component. omega-Conotoxin MVIIC (3 microM) and R56865 (10 microM) inhibited the phasic but not the tonic component. Veratridine (30 microM) induced large [Ca2+]i oscillations. Both ouabain or Li+ abolished such oscillations. These results are compatible with ouabain causing elevation of [Ca2+]i in bovine chromaffin cells through a dual mechanism, i.e. cell depolarisation and slowing down of the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger of their plasmalemma. Through its binding to the Na+ site on the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger, Li+ ions generate powerful Cai2+ signals that might be relevant to its known effects on neurosecretory mechanisms.

The sensitivity of adrenergic varicosities to the 3H-noradrenaline-releasing effect of potassium

After the loading of incubated, homogeneously innervated tissues with 3H-noradrenaline (monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibited, calcium-containing solution) high K+ released the 3H-amine from adrenergic varicosities. In paired experiments the sensitivity of rat atria to high K+ exceeded that of vasa deferentia. In the rat vas deferens the releasing effect of high K+ was enhanced by drugs or procedures which induce a carrier-mediated outward transport of 3H-noradrenaline, i.e., by ouabain, by glucose deprivation and by hypoxia. In the presence of extracellular calcium desipramine failed to affect the releasing effect of high K+ (except in the absence of glucose or during hypoxia), but in the absence of calcium desipramine reduced it. Apparently, whenever the axoplasmic levels of 3H-noradrenaline are increased, high K+ is able to induce some carrier-mediated outward transport of the 3H-amine. It is suggested that "organ differences" with respect to the sensitivity to high K+ may well be due to hypoxia (plus some lack of glucose) of those varicosities that had been loaded with 3H-noradrenaline. The risk of storage of 3H-noradrenaline in hypoxic varicosities appears to be greater in incubated than in perfused organs, and in the former it is greater in sparsely than in densely innervated tissues.