Modulation of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger by isoprenaline, adenosine, and endothelin-1 in guinea pig ventricular myocytes

Cytosolic calcium elevation induced by orexin/hypocretin in granule cell domain cells of the rat cochlear nucleus in vitro

Using rat brain slice preparations, we examined the effect of orexin on cytosolic Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)](i)) in the granule cell domain (GCD) cells of the cochlear nucleus that carry non-auditory information to the dorsal cochlear nucleus. Application of orexin concentration-dependently increased [Ca(2+)](i), and in two thirds of GCD cells these increases persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin. There was no significant difference between the dose-response curve for orexin-A and that for orexin-B. Extracellular Ca(2+) removal abolished the [Ca(2+)](i) elevation induced by orexin-B, whereas depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) stores had no effect. The orexin-B-induced elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) was not blocked by inhibitors of reverse-mode Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) and nonselective cation channel, whereas it was blocked by lowering the extracellular Na(+) or by applying inhibitors of forward-mode NCX and voltage-gated R- and T-type Ca(2+) channels. The ORX-B-induced increase in [Ca(2+)](i) was also blocked by inhibitors of adenylcyclase (AC) and protein kinase A (PKA), but not by inhibitors of phosphatidylcholine-specific and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. In electrophysiological experiments using whole-cell patch clamp recordings, half of GCD cells were depolarized by orexin-B, and the depolarization was abolished by a forward-mode NCX inhibitor. These results suggest that orexin increases [Ca(2+)](i) postsynaptically via orexin 2 receptors, and the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) is induced via the AC-PKA-forward-mode NCX-membrane depolarization-mediated activation of voltage-gated R- and T-type Ca(2+) channels. The results further support the hypothesis that the orexin system participates in integrating neural systems that are involved in arousal, sensory processing, energy homeostasis and autonomic function.

Electrogenic Na+/Ca2+-exchange of nerve and muscle cells

The plasma membrane Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger is a bi-directional electrogenic (3Na(+):1Ca(2+)) and voltage-sensitive ion transport mechanism, which is mainly responsible for Ca(2+)-extrusion. The Na(+)-gradient, required for normal mode operation, is created by the Na(+)-pump, which is also electrogenic (3Na(+):2K(+)) and voltage-sensitive. The Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger operational modes are very similar to those of the Na(+)-pump, except that the uncoupled flux (Na(+)-influx or -efflux?) is missing. The reversal potential of the exchanger is around -40 mV; therefore, during the upstroke of the AP it is probably transiently activated, leading to Ca(2+)-influx. The Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchange is regulated by transported and non-transported external and internal cations, and shows ATP(i)-, pH- and temperature-dependence. The main problem in determining the role of Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchange in excitation-secretion/contraction coupling is the lack of specific (mode-selective) blockers. During recent years, evidence has been accumulated for co-localisation of the Na(+)-pump, and the Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger and their possible functional interaction in the "restricted" or "fuzzy space." In cardiac failure, the Na(+)-pump is down-regulated, while the exchanger is up-regulated. If the exchanger is working in normal mode (Ca(2+)-extrusion) during most of the cardiac cycle, upregulation of the exchanger may result in SR Ca(2+)-store depletion and further impairment in contractility. If so, a normal mode selective Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchange inhibitor would be useful therapy for decompensation, and unlike CGs would not increase internal Na(+). In peripheral sympathetic nerves, pre-synaptic alpha(2)-receptors may regulate not only the VSCCs but possibly the reverse Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchange as well.