Activation and inactivation of excitation-contraction coupling in rat soleus muscle

Cellular mechanism of eccentric-induced muscle injury and its relationship with sarcomere heterogeneity

Activity-induced muscle injury and dysfunction have been identified as key components of musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries often occur following eccentric contractions, when the muscle is under tension and stretched by a force that is greater than the force generated by the muscle. Many daily activities require muscles to perform eccentric contractions, including walking (or running) downhill or down stairs, lowering heavy objects, and landing from a jump. Injuries often occur when these activities are performed at high intensity or for prolonged periods of time. General features of eccentric-induced muscle injury are well documented and include disruption of intracellular muscle structure, prolonged muscle weakness and dysfunction, a delayed-onset muscle soreness, and inflammation. Several weeks are required for the affected tissue to fully regenerate and recover from eccentric-induced muscle injury. Possible mechanisms responsible for eccentric-induced muscle injury are activation impairment and structural disruption of the sarcomere. These two factors seem to be the main sources of eccentric-induced muscle injury. Rather than being separate mechanisms they may be complimentary and interact with each other. Therefore, in this review we will focus on the two main cellular mechanism of muscle cell injury following accustomed eccentric contraction.

Local calcium signals induced by hyper-osmotic stress in mammalian skeletal muscle cells

Strenuous activitiy of skeletal muscle leads to temporary osmotic dysbalance and isolated skeletal muscle fibers exposed to osmotic stress respond with characteristic micro-domain calcium signals. It has been suggested that osmotic stress targets transverse tubular (TT) dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) which normally serve as voltage-dependent activators of Ca release via ryanodine receptor (RyR1s) of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Here, we pursued this hypothesis by imaging the response to hyperosmotic solutions in both mouse skeletal muscle fibers and myotubes. Ca fluctuations in the cell periphery of fibers exposed to osmotic stress were accompanied by a substantial dilation of the peripheral TT. The Ca signals were completely inhibited by a conditioning depolarization that inactivates the DHPR. Dysgenic myotubes, lacking the DHP-receptor-alpha1-subunit, showed strongly reduced, yet not completely inhibited activity when stimulated with solutions of elevated tonicity. The results point to a modulatory, even though not essential, role of the DHP receptor for osmotic stress-induced Ca signals in skeletal muscle.

Oxidation of myosin heavy chain and reduction in force production in hyperthyroid rat soleus

We tested the hypothesis that a force reduction in hyperthyroid rat soleus muscle would be associated with oxidative modification in myosin heavy chain (MHC). Daily injection of thyroid hormone [3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3)] for 21 days depressed isometric forces of whole soleus muscle across a range of stimulus frequencies (P < 0.01). In fiber bundles, hyperthyroidism also led to pronounced reductions (P < 0.01) in both K+ - and 4-chloro-m-cresol-induced contracture forces. The degrees of the reductions were similar between these two contractures that were induced by distinct reagents. Treatment with T3 elicited a significant decrease ( approximately 14%; P < 0.05) in the relative content of MHC contained in myofibrillar proteins. The content of carbonyl groups in myofibrillar protein extracts was elevated (P < 0.05) by approximately 50% in T3-treated muscles. Immunoblot analyses on T3-treated muscles showed a greater increase (106%; P < 0.05) of the carbonyl content in MHC than in myofibrillar protein extracts. These data suggest that in hyperthyroidism the decrease in force production of skeletal muscles may stem primarily from failure in myofibrillar protein function resulting from oxidative modification of MHC.

Altered inactivation of Ca2+ current and Ca2+ release in mouse muscle fibers deficient in the DHP receptor gamma1 subunit

Functional impacts of the skeletal muscle-specific Ca2+ channel subunit gamma1 have previously been studied using coexpression with the cardiac alpha1C polypeptide in nonmuscle cells and primary-cultured myotubes of gamma1-deficient mice. Data from single adult muscle fibers of gamma-/- mice are not yet available. In the present study, we performed voltage clamp experiments on enzymatically isolated mature muscle fibers of the m. interosseus obtained from gamma+/+ and gamma-/- mice. We measured L-type Ca2+ inward currents and intracellular Ca2+ transients during 100-ms step depolarizations from a holding potential of -80 mV. Ratiometric Ca2+ transients were analyzed with a removal model fit approach to calculate the flux of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Ca2+ current density, Ca2+ release flux, and the voltage dependence of activation of both Ca2+ current and Ca2+ release were not significantly different. By varying the holding potential and recording Ca2+ current and Ca2+ release flux induced by 100-ms test depolarizations to +20 mV, we studied quasi-steady-state properties of slow voltage-dependent inactivation. For the Ca2+ current, these experiments showed a right-shifted voltage dependence of inactivation. Importantly, we could demonstrate that a very similar shift occurred also in the inactivation curve of Ca2+ release. Voltages of half maximal inactivation were altered by 16 (current) and 14 mV (release), respectively. Muscle fiber bundles, activated by elevated potassium concentration (120 mM), developed about threefold larger contracture force in gamma-/- compared with gamma+/+. This difference was independent of the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and likely results from the lower sensitivity to voltage-dependent inactivation of Ca2+ release. These results demonstrate a specific alteration of voltage-dependent inactivation of both Ca2+ entry and Ca2+ release by the gamma1 subunit of the dihydropyridine receptor in mature muscle fibers of the mouse.

Effects of disulfiram on excitation-contraction coupling in rat soleus muscle

The aim of this study was to analyze whether disulfiram could affect excitation-contraction coupling in rat slow-twitch ( soleus) muscle.In small bundles of intact fibers, the amplitude and the time constant of relaxation of twitch and potassium contractures were dose-dependently and reversibly reduced by disulfiram at concentrations up to 27 microM. At larger concentrations (up to 67.5 microM) these effects were still present but less pronounced. In the presence of disulfiram (27 microM), the relationship between the amplitude of potassium contractures and membrane potential was shifted to more positive potentials whereas, the steady state inactivation curve was unchanged. These observations suggest that disulfiram has no effect on voltage sensors. In saponin-skinned fibers, the amount of Ca(2+) taken up, estimated by using the amplitude of 10 mM of caffeine contracture, was increased by disulfiram (27 microM). By contrast no significant modification was observed in the sensitivity of the ryanodine receptors to caffeine (contractures generated at 5 mM of caffeine) and in the myofibrillar Ca(2+) sensitivity (Triton X-100 skinned fibers). These results indicate that disulfiram induces a dose-dependent reversible effect on the contractile responses of soleus mammalian skeletal muscle by acting mainly on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase activity.

Nandrolone decanoate treatment induces changes in contractile responses of rat untrained fast-twitch skeletal muscle

This investigation was designed to examine whether short-term administration of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) (nandrolone decanoate) could produce changes in contractile responses of untrained rat fast- (edl) and slow- (soleus) twitch skeletal muscle. Twenty male rats were divided into two groups, one group received weekly (for 6 weeks) an intramuscular injection of AAS, nandrolone decanoate (15 mg kg(-1)) and the second group received weekly the similar doses of vehicle (sterile peanut oil). In edl intact isolated small bundles (two to four cells), it was found that nandrolone decanoate treatment increases the K+ contracture tension (146 mM) relative to maximum tension by 56%, whereas no change was observed in the time to peak tension and in the time constant of relaxation. By contrast, in treated soleus muscle, compared with control, no significant modification was found in the K+ contracture characteristics. The change in edl contractile responses was associated with a shift to more negative potential of the voltage-dependence activation and the steady-state inactivation curves which also shifted leftward in treated soleus fibres. Furthermore, in edl skinned Triton X-100 fibres, the Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile proteins (pCa50) was increased, while electrophoresis analysis indicates no significant effect of nandrolone decanoate treatment on myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms. The present results show that nandrolone decanoate treatment produces more pronounced changes in untrained fast muscle function rather than soleus by acting at different levels of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism without changes in the MHC isoforms and that contractile responses became similar to those found in soleus muscle.

Methyl jasmonate-induced stimulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase affects contractile responses in rat slow-twitch skeletal muscle

The purpose of this study was to determine whether methyl jasmonate, a stimulator of Ca(2+)-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity of the purified ATPase from fast-twitch skeletal muscle, could affect contractile responses in small bundles of rat isolated slow-twitch (soleus) fibers. In saponin-skinned fibers, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) loading was performed in pCa 7.0 solution. The amount of Ca(2+) taken up was monitored by use of the amplitude of contraction following application of 10 mM caffeine. Results indicate that the increased loading rate in the presence of methyl jasmonate is likely due to stimulation of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase. In Triton-skinned fibers, the myofibrillar Ca(2+) sensitivity was not changed by methyl jasmonate (50-200 microM). In intact fibers, the amplitude and the time constant of relaxation of twitch and potassium contracture were reversibly reduced after 2 min of application of methyl jasmonate at a concentration of up to 125 microM. At higher concentrations (>150 microM), effects were not reversible. In the presence of methyl jasmonate (100 microM), the relationship between the amplitude of potassium contractures and the membrane potential shifted to more positive potentials, whereas the steady-state inactivation curve was unchanged. These observations suggest that methyl jasmonate has no effect on voltage sensors. Taken together, our results show that methyl jasmonate is a potent, reversible, and specific stimulator of the SR Ca(2+) pump in slow-twitch skeletal muscle and is an extremely valuable pharmacological tool for improving relaxation and studying calcium-signaling questions.

The role of K+ channels in the force recovery elicited by Na+-K+ pump stimulation in Ba2+-paralysed rat skeletal muscle

The present experiments were performed to assess the role of K+ channels in hormonal stimulation of the Na+-K+ pump and to determine the contribution of Na+-K+ pumps to the recovery of excitability and contractility in depolarized skeletal muscle. In soleus muscle, Ba2+ (0.02 and 1 mM) was found to inhibit 42K+ efflux and 42K+ influx. Both in the absence and the presence of Ba2+ (1 mM), salbutamol and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) induced a marked decrease in intracellular Na+ and stimulation of 42K+ uptake. In soleus muscles Ba2+ (0.1 and 1.0 mM) decreased twitch and tetanic force. Subsequent stimulation of the Na+-K+ pumps by salbutamol, CGRP or repeated electrical stimulation produced a highly significant restoration of force development, which was suppressed by ouabain, but not by glibenclamide. Also, in extensor digitorum longus muscles Ba2+ (0.1 mM) produced a considerable force decline, which was partly restored by salbutamol and CGRP. The area of compound action potentials (M-waves) elicited by indirect stimulation was decreased by Ba2+ (0.1 mM). This was associated with a concomitant decrease in tetanic force and depolarization. Salbutamol, CGRP or repeated electrical stimulation all elicited marked recovery of M-wave area, force and membrane potential. All recordings showed close correlations between these three parameters. The data add further support to the concept that due to its electrogenic nature and large transport capacity, the Na+-K+ pump is a rapid and efficient mechanism for the maintenance of excitability in skeletal muscle, acting independently of Ba2+- or ATP-sensitive K+ channel function.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor prevents unweighting-induced functional changes in rat soleus muscle

The purpose of the present work was to see whether changes in rat soleus characteristics due to 3 wk of hindlimb suspension could be modified by ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) treatment. Throughout the tail suspension period, the cytokine was delivered by means of an osmotic pump (flow rate 16 microg. kg(-1). h(-1)) implanted under the hindlimb skin. In contrast to extensor digitorum longus, CNTF treatment was able to reduce unweighting-induced atrophy in the soleus. Twitch and 146 mM potassium (K) tensions, measured in small bundles of unloaded soleus, decreased by 48 and 40%, respectively. Moreover, the time to peak tension and the time constant of relaxation of the twitch were 48 and 54% faster, respectively, in unloaded soleus than in normal muscle. On the contrary, twitch and 146 mM K contracture generated in CNTF-treated unloaded and normal soleus were not different. CNTF receptor-alpha mRNA expression increased in extensor digitorum longus and soleus unloaded nontreated muscles but was similar in CNTF-treated unloaded muscles. The present results demonstrate that exogenously provided CNTF could prevent functional changes occurring in soleus innervated muscle subject to unweighting.

Exogenous reactive oxygen and nitric oxide alter intracellular oxidant status of skeletal muscle fibres

To test whether exogenous oxidants alter intracellular oxidant levels in skeletal muscle fibres, we exposed rat diaphragm to donors of nitric oxide (NOx), reactive oxygen species (ROS) or hyperoxia, and monitored intracellular oxidant levels using a fluorescent probe. Fibre bundles were dissected from the diaphragm and loaded with 2', 7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH); emissions were monitored using a fluorescence microscope. DCFH-loaded muscles were exposed to either a NOx donor (1 mM S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine, SNAP; 1 mM sodium nitroprusside, SNP; 400 microM 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-3-(N-3-methyl-aminopropyl)-3-methyl-1-triazen, NOC-7), an ROS donor (100 microM hydrogen peroxide, H2O2; 100 microM tert-butyl hydroperoxide; 1 mM hypoxanthine plus 0.01 U mL-1 xanthine oxidase, HXXO) or a range of PO2s (25, 60 or 95% O2 oxygenating Krebs-Ringer solution) for 40 min; time-matched control bundles remained in Krebs-Ringer solution. Control muscles oxidized DCFH at a rate of 0.32 +/- 0.1 greyscale units min-1. SNAP (766%), SNP (1244%), NOC-7 (851%), H2O2 (543%), and HXXO (541%) increased DCFH oxidation from control levels. The increase in emissions caused by NOC-7 and SNP were blunted by the NOx scavenger haemoglobin (1 microM). DCFH oxidation by HXXO was unaffected by 1000 U mL-1 superoxide dismutase but was significantly decreased by 1000 U mL-1 catalase and 1 mM salicylate. PO2 had no effect on intracellular oxidant levels. Therefore, extracellular NOx and ROS can alter intracellular oxidant status in skeletal muscle fibres. These observations suggest that intrafibre oxidant levels could be the result of both intracellular and extracellular oxidant production.

Effects of ivermectin and midecamycin on ryanodine receptors and the Ca2+-ATPase in sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit and rat skeletal muscle

1. Ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ channels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of skeletal muscle are regulated by the 12 kDa FK506- (or rapamycin-) binding protein (FKBP12). Rapamycin can also activate RyR channels with FKBP12 removed, suggesting that compounds with macrocyclic lactone ring structures can directly activate RyRs. Here we tested this hypothesis using two other macrocyclic lactone compounds, ivermectin and midecamycin. 2. Rabbit skeletal RyRs were examined in lipid bilayers. Ivermectin (cis, 0.66-40 microM) activated six of eight native, four of four control-incubated and eleven of eleven FKBP12-'stripped' RyR channels. Midecamycin (cis, 10-30 microM) activated three of four single native channels, six of eight control-incubated channels and six of seven FKBP12-stripped channels. Activity declined when either drug was washed out. 3. Neither ivermectin nor midecamycin removed FKBP12 from RyRs. Western blots of terminal cisternae (TC), incubated for 15 min at 37 C with 40 microM ivermectin or midecamycin, showed normal amounts of FKBP12. In contrast, no FKBP12 was detected after incubation with 40 microM rapamycin. 4. Ivermectin reduced Ca2+ uptake by the SR Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase. Ca2+ uptake by TC fell to approximately 40% in the presence of ivermectin (10 microM), both with and without 10 microM Ruthenium Red. Ca2+ uptake by longitudinal SR also fell to approximately 40% with 10 microM ivermectin. Midecamycin (10 microM) reduced Ca2+ uptake by TC vesicles to approximately 76% without Ruthenium Red and to approximately 90 % with Ruthenium Red. 5. The rate of rise of extravesicular [Ca2+] increased approximately 2-fold when 10 microM ivermectin was added to TC vesicles that had been partially loaded with Ca2+ and then Ca2+ uptake blocked by 200 nM thapsigargin. Ivermectin also potentiated caffeine-induced Ca2+ release to approximately 140% of control. These increases in Ca2+ release were not seen with midecamycin. 6. Ivermectin, but not midecamycin, reversibly reduced Ca2+ loading in four of six skinned rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) fibres to approximately 90%, and reversibly increased submaximal caffeine-induced contraction in five of eight fibres by approximately 110% of control. Neither ivermectin nor midecamycin altered twitch or tetanic tension in intact EDL muscle fibres within 20 min of drug addition. 7. The results confirm the hypothesis that compounds with a macrocyclic lactone ring structure can directly activate RyRs. Unexpectedly, ivermectin also reduced Ca2+ uptake into the SR. These effects of ivermectin on SR Ca2+ handling may explain some effects of the macrolide drugs on mammals.

E-C coupling failure in mouse EDL muscle after in vivo eccentric contractions

The objectives of this research were to determine the contribution of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling failure to the decrement in maximal isometric tetanic force (Po) in mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles after eccentric contractions and to elucidate possible mechanisms. The left anterior crural muscles of female ICR mice (n = 164) were injured in vivo with 150 eccentric contractions. Po, caffeine-, 4-chloro-m-cresol-, and K+-induced contracture forces, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release and uptake rates, and intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were then measured in vitro in injured and contralateral control EDL muscles at various times after injury up to 14 days. On the basis of the disproportional reduction in Po (approximately 51%) compared with caffeine-induced force (approximately 11-21%), we estimate that E-C coupling failure can explain 57-75% of the Po decrement from 0 to 5 days postinjury. Comparable reductions in Po and K+-induced force (51%), and minor reductions (0-6%) in the maximal SR Ca2+ release rate, suggest that the E-C coupling defect site is located at the t tubule-SR interface immediately after injury. Confocal laser scanning microscopy indicated that resting [Ca2+]i was elevated and peak tetanic [Ca2+]i was reduced, whereas peak 4-chloro-m-cresol-induced [Ca2+]i was unchanged immediately after injury. By 3 days postinjury, 4-chloro-m-cresol-induced [Ca2+]i became depressed, probably because of decreased SR Ca2+ release and uptake rates (17-31%). These data indicate that the decrease in Po during the first several days after injury primarily stems from a failure in the E-C coupling process.

Effect of reactive oxygen species on K+ contractures in the rat diaphragm

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are postulated to alter low-frequency contractility of the unfatigued and fatigued diaphragm. It has been proposed that ROS affect contractility through changes in membrane excitability and excitation-contraction coupling. If this hypothesis is true, then ROS should alter depolarization-dependent K+ contractures. Xanthine oxidase (0.01 U/ml) + hypoxanthine (1 mM) were used as a source of superoxide anion eliciting oxidative stress on diaphragm fiber bundles in vitro. Diaphragm fiber bundles from 4-mo-old Fischer 344 rats were extracted and immediately placed in Krebs solution bubbled with 95% O2-5% CO2. After 10 min of equilibration, a K+ contracture (Pre; 135 mM KCl) was induced. Fiber bundles were assigned to the following treatment groups: normal Krebs-Ringer (KR; Con) and the xanthine oxidase system (XO) in KR solution. After 15 min of treatment exposure, a second (Post) K+ contracture was elicited. Mean time-to-peak tension for contractures was significantly decreased in Post vs. Pre (16.0 +/- 0.7 vs. 19.8 +/- 1.0 s) with XO; no change was noted with Con. Furthermore, peak contracture tension was significantly higher (31.5%) in the XO group Post compared with Pre; again, no significant change was found with KR. The relaxation phase was also altered with XO but not with KR. Additional experiments were conducted with application of 1 mM hypoxanthine, with results similar to the Con group. We conclude that the application of ROS altered the dynamics of K+ contractures in the rat diaphragm, indicating changes in voltage-dependent excitation-contraction coupling.

Depolarization accelerates the decay of K+ contractures in rat skeletal muscle fibers

The experiments examine the effects of membrane potential on the time course of K+ contractures in small bundles of rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle fibers. Control K+ contractures were induced by exposure to a 200 mmol/L K+ solution in polarized fibers with a resting membrane potential of -83 mV (3.5 mmol/L K+), while test contractures were evoked with 200 mmol/L K+ from -46 mV, after 5, 10, and 30 min in a 30 mmol/L K+ conditioning solution. The decay times of the test K+ contracture in depolarized fibers were faster than those of the control K+ contracture in both soleus and EDL. A maximum reduction of 60% in the time for the contracture to decay from 90% to 10% was seen in soleus fibers after depolarizations lasting 10 min, while a reduction of 45% was seen in the decay time of EDL fibers after a 5-min depolarization. The amplitudes of the test contractures were 30% less than control after 5-min and 10-min depolarization and 50% less than control after 30 min. Analysis of the results suggests that the kinetics of excitation-contraction coupling may be altered in damaged muscle fibers.

Properties of calcium currents and contraction in cultured rat diaphragm muscle

The characterization of calcium currents and contraction simultaneously measured in cultured rat diaphragm muscle cells was carried out in the present study. Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments were designed to further elucidate the mechanism of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in diaphragm which, though generally considered a skeletal-type muscle, has been reported to exhibit properties indicative of a cardiac-like E-C coupling mechanism. Normalized current/voltage (I/V) curves for two concentrations of external calcium (2.5 and 5 mM) were obtained from diaphragm myoballs. Both curves showed peaks corresponding to the activation of a T-type calcium current and a dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type calcium current. The normalized curve for the voltage dependence of the activation of contraction in diaphragm myoballs followed a typical Boltzmann-type relationship to the peak of contraction. Thereafter, the curve declined in a manner that was more pronounced in diaphragm compared to that measured in additional experiments using cultured rat limb muscle myoballs. This effect could be interpreted in terms of a more pronounced participation of the L-type current in E-C coupling in cultured diaphragm muscle. An increased likelihood of cultured diaphragm muscle to undergo depletion of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium stores during repetitive stimulation, or a heightened propensity for the voltage sensor for E-C coupling in diaphragm to enter the inactive state could also explain this effect. Maximal contractile activity was only slightly affected when the L-type current was blocked by externally applied cadmium (2 mM) or cobalt (3 mM), suggesting that a pronounced calcium-current-dependent component of contraction is unlikely in cultured diaphragm muscle. These results show that T- and L-type calcium channels are expressed in cultured rat diaphragm muscle cells and that, in contrast to cardiac muscle, the entry of calcium ions via L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels is not a prerequisite for contraction. Differences in the voltage sensitivity of contraction, observed at depolarized membrane potentials in cultured rat diaphragm and limb muscle cells, suggest that the voltage sensor for E-C coupling in diaphragm might more readily enter an inactivated configuration - possibly by a mechanism which is dependent on the concentration of external calcium.

Effects of membrane potential on just detectable movement in rat skeletal muscle: effects of denervation

The potential, Vt, at which a brief test depolarization first elicited movement was determined using two-microelectrode point voltage clamp. We expected that inactivation of excitation-contraction coupling at conditioning potentials between -60 and 0 mV would shift Vt to more positive potentials, and that fibers would become inactivatable with less conditioning depolarization in EDL than soleus. The curve relating Vt to conditioning potential had a negative slope (which was insensitive to addition of 1 mM cobalt or replacement of calcium with 20 mM CaEGTA) between -60 and -35 mV and a steep positive slope with further depolarization Unexpectedly, fibers became inactivatable with less conditioning depolarization in soleus than in EDL when Vt was measured with 50 msec test pulses. However, the positive shift in Vt became less steep as test pulse duration lengthened in soleus fibers. When Vt obtained with test pulses approaching rheobase (10 msec in EDL and 500 msec in soleus) was compared, EDL fibers became inactive with less conditioning depolarization than soleus fibers. The increase in Vt became steeper with 1 mM cobalt or 20 mM CaEGTA and was shifted to more positive potentials by denervation in soleus fibers. We conclude that inactivation (i) does not strongly influence threshold contractions at conditioning potentials between -60 and -40 mV and (ii) influences Vt between -40 and 0 mV in a manner that depends on test pulse duration.

Changes of contractile responses due to simulated weightlessness in rat soleus muscle

Some contractile and electrophysiological properties of muscle fibers isolated from the slow-twitch soleus (SOL) and fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of rats were compared with those measured in SOL muscles from suspended rats. In suspended SOL (21 days of tail-suspension) membrane potential (Em), intracellular sodium activity (aiNa) and the slope of the relationship between Em and log [K]o were typical of fast-twitch muscles. The relation between the maximal amplitude of K-contractures vs Em was steeper for control SOL than for EDL and suspended SOL muscles. After suspension, in SOL muscles the contractile threshold and the inactivation curves for K-contractures were shifted to more positive Em. Repriming of K-contractures was unaffected by suspension. The exposure of isolated fibers to perchlorate (ClO4-)-containing (6-40 mM) solutions resulted in a similar concentration-dependent shift to more negative Em of activation curves for EDL and suspended SOL muscles. On exposure to a Na-free TEA solution, SOL from control and suspended rats, in contrast to EDL muscles, generated slow contractile responses. Suspended SOL showed a reduced sensitivity to the contracture-producing effect of caffeine compared to control muscles. These results suggested that the modifications observed due to suspension could be encounted by changes in the characteristics of muscle fibers from slow to fast-twitch type.

Do independent processes control the activation and inactivation of potassium contracture tension in rat skeletal muscle?

Potassium (K+) contracture tension, measured in small bundles of rat soleus muscle fibers during maintained depolarization, increases to a peak value and then decays either to the baseline or to a pedestal level. We have tested the hypothesis that the rise and fall of tension are determined by independent activation and inactivation processes. If the "Independence" hypothesis is correct, tension during the decay of K+ contractures should equal tension predicted from the product of the activation and inactivation parameters determined from the same K+ contractures. Both the measured and predicted tensions decayed to a pedestal level that was increased in amplitude in the presence of perchlorate ions. However, the measured tensions in normal solutions and in the presence of perchlorate were three to five times smaller than the predicted tensions. This result indicates that the activation and inactivation of processes controlling the rise and decay of K+ contracture tension are not independent.

Contractile responses in rat extensor digitorum longus muscles at different times of postnatal development

Some contractile properties of small bundles (100-200 microns diameter) of muscle fibres isolated from the extensor digitorum longus muscle of rats at different times of development were compared. An increase of resting potential was observed in these muscles from -26.9 mV at 1 day of age to -72.6 mV at 3 months. Twitch tension and duration of postnatal muscles 1-7 days were diminished by reducing [Ca]o (substituted by Mg2+) or adding inorganic cations (Ni2+, Cd2+, La3+), unlike in the oldest animals (14 days-3 months postnatal) where twitch responses were unaffected. In the latter, potentiation of the twitch tension was even recorded in the presence of Ni2+ (0.5-1 mmol.1-1) and Cd2+ (0.5-2 mmol.1-1). Properties of activation and inactivation of the developed tension following elevation of [K]o to 15-200 mmol.1-1 were analysed at the same stages of postnatal development. In contrast to the tension-membrane potential curves for activation, which presented an average negative shift of -17.6 mV between 1 day postnatal and 3 months of age, a voltage dependence of inactivation similar to that encountered in adult extensor digitorum longus muscles, was already reached at 7 days of age. These results suggest an asynchronism in the maturation of the potential-dependent characteristics of the depolarization-contraction coupling mechanism. Furthermore, during the first week postnatal, in relation with poorly developed membrane systems and low [Ca]i-recycling capability, [Ca]o plays a fundamental role in maintaining contraction by replenishing the intracellular calcium pool.

Activation of a slow outward current by the calcium released during contraction of cultured rat skeletal muscle cells

A slow outward current, activated during depolarization, which induced contraction in whole-cell patch-clamped rat skeletal muscle cells in primary culture [10], was extensively characterized in the present study. This current, Io, was simultaneously recorded with the contraction as a slow outward current during the test pulse, and a slow outward bell-shaped tail after repolarization. Io never appeared below the threshold potential for contraction, and the tail amplitude displayed a similar evolution with peak contraction amplitude as a function of membrane potential. This feature is consistent with the fact that Io was suppressed when contraction was blocked by 5 microM nifedipine [10], and it suggests that Io was dependent on calcium released during contraction. This was confirmed by the fact that the presence of 10 mM EGTA in the patch pipette prevented the development of both contraction and Io, and that Io could be activated during caffeine-induced contractures without applying depolarizations. Io could be carried by K+ or Cs+ ions, but not by Na+. The pharmacology of Io was different from that of Ca(2+)-dependent BK and SK channels, since it was resistant to tetraethylammonium (135 mM), charybdotoxin (25 nM) and apamin (50 nM). Io was also insensitive to 4-aminopyridine (1 mM) but blocked by 5 mM Ba2+ without change to contraction. It was concluded that rat cultured myoballs exhibit a Cs+ permeation through an atypical K+ channel type, which is activated by the calcium released during contraction.

Actions of perchlorate ions on rat soleus muscle fibres

1. The effects of perchlorate (ClO4-) on contraction have been studied in rat soleus muscle fibres using (i) potassium (K+) contracture and (ii) two-microelectrode-point voltage clamp techniques. 2. Membrane potentials (Vm) at all external [K+] were 3-5 mV more negative in ClO4-. The hyperpolarization could not be attributed to a change in Na+, K+, or Cl- permeability, or to an effect on the Na(+)-K+ pump. 3. ClO4- shifts the voltage dependence of tension activation, and contraction threshold, to more negative membrane potentials without altering maximum tension. Consequently, twitches and submaximal K+ contractures were potentiated, whereas tetanic contractions and 200 mM-K+ contractures were unaltered. 4. The decay of K+ contractures during steady depolarization with ClO4- developed a slow exponential phase with an average time constant of 6.05 +/- 0.76 min at -38 mV, and 1.68 +/- 0.15 min at -19 mV. This slow component was (a) under the rapid control of the surface Vm and (b) did not depend on external Ca2+. 5. Inactivation of E-C coupling was measured with a test 200 mM-K+ depolarization following 3-10 min depolarizations in conditioning solutions containing 20-120 mM-K+. ClO4- induced a negative shift in the curve-relating test K+ contracture amplitude to conditioning Vm but did not alter the rate of repriming of tension upon repolarization. 6. The results suggest that ClO4- increases the amount of activator produced during depolarization and thus allows the slow inactivation step in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling to be reflected in the decay of K+ contracture tension. 7. A 'perchlorate contracture', which did not depend on the activation of E-C coupling, was observed. The contracture depended on external Ca2+, but not on voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels or Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange.