Effects of calcium channel blockers on spontaneous electrical activity of freshly isolated three-day-old embryonic chick ventricle

1996 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 921 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Prakash ◽  
P Meera ◽  
O Tripathi

The effects of four major types of organic Ca2+ channel blockers, verapamil, nifedipine, diltiazem and fendiline and of tetrodotoxin (TXX), a fast Na+ channel blocker, on the action potential (AP) of freshly isolated 3-day-old embryonic chick ventricle (3d ECV) were investigated to resolve the controversy about the ionic basis of upstroke. The APs were characterized by a maximum diastolic potential (MDP) of -60 mV, an overshoot (Eov) of 16 mV and a maximum upstroke velocity (+Vmax) of 42 V s-1. All four Ca2+ channel blockers (0.1-40 microM) and TTX (0.1-80 nM) produced a dose-dependent reduction in +Vmax and Eov. MDP was also reduced by Ca2+ channel blockers in a dose-dependent manner but was unaffected by TTX. A significant linear correlation between MDP and +Vmax was observed for verapamil (r = 0.99), nifedipine (r = 0.99), diltiazem (r = 0.96) and fendiline (r = 0.98). Surprisingly, all Ca2+ channel blockers produced a dose-dependent positive chronotropic effect leading to cessation of firing at high doses (20-40 microM). In preparations becoming quiescent with high doses of verapamil (20-40 microM), elevated extracellular concentrations of Ca2+ (up to 9.6 nM) and isoproterenol (0.5-40 microM) failed to restore spontaneous APs. Electrical stimulation also failed to elicit APs in preparations inhibited by verapamil, diltiazem and fendiline. The inhibition of +Vmax by TTX demonstrates that fast Na+ channels were involved in the upstroke of AP in 3d ECV. Voltage-dependent inactivation of fast Na+ channels during depolarization (reduction in MDP) by the Ca2+ channel blockers explains their inhibitory effect on +Vmax and indicates that L-type Ca2+ channels had no significant role in the upstroke. A positive chronotropic effect of the Ca2+ channel blockers further suggests that slow Ca2+ channels are not involved in automaticity in freshly isolated 3d ECV.

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 349-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Matzner ◽  
M. Devor

1. We used the tested fiber method to record from single myelinated afferents axons ending in a chronic nerve injury site (neuroma) in the rat sciatic nerve or L4,5 dorsal root. Axons were chosen for study that fired spontaneously with a stable tonic or interrupted (bursty) autorhythmic firing pattern. 2. Agents that block voltage-sensitive Na+ channels [tetrodotoxin (TTX), lidocaine], voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels (Cd2+, Co2+, Ni2+, verapamil, D600, nifedipine, and fluarizine), volt-age-sensitive K+ channels [tetraethylammonium (TEA), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)], and Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (gK+Ca2+;quinidine, apamine) were applied topically to the neuroma. Effects on baseline rhythmogenesis and on the duty cycle of bursting were documented. Spike pattern analysis was used to determine whether changes in firing frequency were associated with changes in impulse initiation (electrogenesis), or resulted from (partial) block of impulse propagation downstream from the site of electrogenesis. Effects of veratridine were also noted. 3. Na+ channel blockers consistently quenched neuroma firing, and they did so by suppressing the process of impulse initiation. Only rarely was propagation block the dominant process. In bursty fibers the duration of on-periods shortened as the duration of off-periods lengthened, without a significant change in the baseline interspike interval (ISI). Veratridine accelerated firing, also via the impulse generating process. 4. Ca2+ channel blockers had essentially no effect on baseline firing rate (i.e., ISI). 5. Ca2+ channel blockers, as well as blockers of gK+Ca2+, had substantial, but inconsistent effects on burst pattern. It is not clear whether this reflects variability in the experimental conditions, or heterogeneity among the fibers sampled. 6. Blockade of K+ channels failed to evoke rhythmogenesis in acutely cut axons as it does in chronically injured axons, even in the presence of veratridine. This is consistent with other evidence that ectopic neuroma firing depends on postinjury remodeling of membrane electrical properties. 7. The data indicate that, in chronically injured axons, the inward currents that underly electrogenicity, enable ectopic discharge, and, together with outward K+ currents, set the fundamental firing rhythm (ISI), operate primarily with the use of voltage-sensitive Na+ rather than Ca2+ channels. 8. The on-off duty cycle in bursty fibers was affected by Na+ channel ligands and also, although less so, and less consistently by, Ca2+ channel ligands. This indicates that both may play a role in the slow modulations of membrane potential that presumably underly interrupted autorhythmicity.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (3) ◽  
pp. F459-F465 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Okusa ◽  
H. Velazquez ◽  
F. S. Wright

In previous studies the effectiveness of amiloride (AML) in reducing K secretion has been variable. Based on studies by Cuthbert and Wong (Mol. Pharmacol. 8: 222-229, 1972) in which the Na-channel-blocking action of AML in frog skin was found to require the availability of Ca ions in extracellular fluid, we postulated that the ability of AML and its analogue, benzamil (BZA), to inhibit distal tubule K secretion depends on the presence of Ca in luminal fluid. We found that addition of Ca to a perfusion solution containing 50 microM BZA did reduce K secretion more than BZA alone. Maximal inhibition was observed with 2.5 mM free ionic Ca. Graded increases in luminal Ca in presence of AML or BZA reduced K transport in a dose-dependent manner. The decrease in K secretion with increasing luminal Ca was paralleled by a decrease in transepithelial voltage. These results support our hypothesis that the effectiveness of Na-channel blockers to reduce K secretion by the rat distal tubule depends on presence of luminal Ca and suggest an interaction between luminal Ca and Na-channel blockers on the Na channel.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darío Acuña-Castroviejo ◽  
Maria T Noguiera-Navarro ◽  
Russel J Reiter ◽  
Germaine Escames

Due to the broad distribution of extrapineal melatonin in multiple organs and tissues, we analyzed the presence and subcellular distribution of the indoleamine in the heart of rats. Groups of sham-operated and pinealectomized rats were sacrificed at different times along the day, and the melatonin content in myocardial cell membranes, cytosol, nuclei and mitochondria, were measured. Other groups of control animals were treated with different doses of melatonin to monitor its intracellular distribution. The results show that melatonin levels in the cell membrane, cytosol, nucleus, and mitochondria vary along the day, without showing a circadian rhythm. Pinealectomized animals trend to show higher values than sham-operated rats. Exogenous administration of melatonin yields its accumulation in a dose-dependent manner in all subcellular compartments analyzed, with maximal concentrations found in cell membranes at doses of 200 mg/kg bw melatonin. Interestingly, at dose of 40 mg/kg b.w, maximal concentration of melatonin was reached in the nucleus and mitochondrion. The results confirm previous data in other rat tissues including liver and brain, and support that melatonin is not uniformly distributed in the cell, whereas high doses of melatonin may be required for therapeutic purposes.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (3) ◽  
pp. R662-R668 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Ando ◽  
T. Ichijo ◽  
T. Katafuchi ◽  
T. Hori

The effects of central administration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and its selective agonists on splenic sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) were investigated in urethan- and alpha-chloralose-anesthetized rats. An intra-third-cerebroventricular (13V) injection of PGE2 (0.1-10 nmol/kg) increased splenic SNA in a dose-dependent manner. An I3V injection of an EP1 agonist, 17-phenyl-omega-trinor PGE2 (1-30 nmol/kg), also resulted in a dose-dependent increase in splenic SNA, with a time course similar to that of PGE2-induced responses. In contrast, EP2 agonists, butaprost (10-100 nmol/kg I3V) and 11-deoxy-PGE1 (10-100 nmol/kg I3V), had no effect on splenic SNA. An I3V injection of M & B-28767 (an EP3/EP1 agonist, EP3 >> EP1) increased splenic SNA only at high doses (10-100 nmol/kg). Pretreatment with an EP1 antagonist, SC-19220 (200 and 500 nmol/kg), completely blocked the responses of splenic SNA to PGE2 (0.1 nmol/kg) and M & B-28767 (10 nmol/kg), respectively. These findings indicate that brain PGE2 increases splenic SNA through its action on EP1 receptors.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (2) ◽  
pp. G223-G230
Author(s):  
L. C. Knight ◽  
A. H. Maurer ◽  
R. Wikander ◽  
B. Krevsky ◽  
L. S. Malmud ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of ethanol on gastric emptying and the trituration of solid food. With the use of a noninvasive physiological imaging technique, gastric processing of a radiolabeled solid meal was evaluated in unanesthetized dogs which ingested 6-8% ethanol solutions or received intravenous alcohol before the meal. Oral alcohol (resulting in blood levels up to 174 mg/dl) decreased the amplitude of antral contractions or completely abolished them. Alcohol did not significantly affect the fundamental frequency of contractions except at high doses, at which contractions were abolished. Alcohol lengthened the mean time to 50% of gastric emptying in a dose-dependent manner, from 132 +/- 3 min without alcohol to 160 +/- 10 min with oral alcohol at blood levels of 80-120 mg/dl (P less than 0.05). This was manifested by a lengthening of the lag phase, but there was no effect on the terminal slope of emptying (emptying rate) of the processed meal. At equal blood levels up to 120 mg/dl, orally administered alcohol had a more pronounced effect than intravenous alcohol. These data suggest that even low doses of dilute alcohol affect the ability of the antrum to process solid food and thereby contribute to impairment of gastric emptying.


Dose-Response ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 155932582091004
Author(s):  
Ainy Zehra ◽  
Muhammad Zaffar Hashmi ◽  
Abdul Majid Khan ◽  
Tariq Malik ◽  
Zaigham Abbas

The polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent and their dose-dependent toxicities studies are not well-established. In this study, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of PCB150 and PCB180 in HeLa cells were studied. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay indicated that the cell proliferation was stimulated at low doses (10−3 and 10−2 µg/mL for 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours) and inhibited at high doses (10 and 15 µg/mL for 24, 48, and 72 hours) for both PCBs. Increase in reactive oxygen species formation was observed in the HeLa cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase showed increased levels at high concentrations of PCBs over the time. Glutathione peroxidase expression was downregulated after PCBs exposure, suggested that both PCB congeners may attributable to cytotoxicity. Comet assay elicited a significant increase in genotoxicity at high concentrations of PCBs as compared to low concentrations indicating genotoxic effects. PCB150 and PCB180 showed decrease in the activity of extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase at high concentrations after 12 and 48 hours. These findings may contribute to understanding the mechanism of PCBs-induced toxicity, thereby improving the risk assessment of toxic compounds in humans.


1996 ◽  
Vol 270 (2) ◽  
pp. H518-H525 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Brotto ◽  
T. L. Creazzo

In the embryonic mammalian heart, virtually all the Ca2+ available for the Ca2+ transient comes through sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx. However, several studies in avian species indicate that the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is functional relatively early in development. For the present report we studied fura 2 Ca2+ transients elicited by field stimulation in single isolated ventricular myocytes from the day 11 embryonic chick heart to ascertain directly the roles of the SR and Ca2+ channels. A positive staircase phenomenon was observed at higher frequencies of stimulation (1 Hz). Isoproterenol (Iso) increased the peak of the transient in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum increase of 93% in 100 microM Iso. Nifedipine (10 microM) reduced the transient such that is was not observable above background noise. However, Ca2+ transients were visible when the myocytes were stimulated by Iso. These were blocked by approximately 70% with nifedipine, suggesting that most, but not all, of the transient is associated with L-type Ca2+ current. Thus a portion of the transient may result from T-type Ca2+ channels and/or reverse Na+/Ca2+ exchange. Calculations based on integration of the Ca2+ currents and cell volume indicate that as much as one-fourth of the Ca2+ entering via sarcolemmal Ca2+ channels is from T-type channels. Ryanodine at high concentrations (10-100 microM) inhibited the transients by 30%. Both Iso and ryanodine reduced the time to peak, the time constant of the exponential decay, and the total duration of the transients. Depolarizing the myocytes with high KCl induced a large and partially sustained transient when the external solution contained 1.8 mM CaCl2. CaCl2 (10 mM) in the external solution induced large cyclic Ca2+ oscillations. These results suggest that the SR is functional in the embryonic chick heart well before hatching at day 22, although most of the Ca2+ associated with the transient comes through the sarcolemmal Ca2+ channels and possibly reverse Na+/Ca2+ exchange.


1997 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 428-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ratnakumari ◽  
H. C. Hemmings

Background Previous electrophysiologic studies have implicated voltage-dependent Na+ channels as a molecular site of action for propofol. This study considered the effects of propofol on Na+ channel-mediated Na+ influx and neurotransmitter release in rat brain synaptosomes (isolated presynaptic nerve terminals). Methods Purified cerebrocortical synaptosomes from adult rats were used to determine the effects of propofol on Na+ influx through voltage-dependent Na+ channels (measured using 22Na+) and intracellular [Na+] (measured by ion-specific spectrofluorimetry). For comparison, the effects of propofol on synaptosomal glutamate release evoked by 4-aminopyridine (Na+ channel dependent), veratridine (Na+ channel dependent), KCi (Na+ channel independent) were studied using enzyme-coupled fluorimetry. Results Propofol inhibited veratridine-evoked 22Na+ influx (inhibitory concentration of 50% [IC50] = 46 microM; 8.9 microM free) and changes in intracellular [Na+] (IC50 = 13 microM; 6.3 microM free) in synaptosomes in a dose-dependent manner. Propofol also inhibited 4-aminopyridine-evoked (IC50 = 39 microM; 19 microM free) and veratridine (20 microM)-evoked (IC50 = 30 microM; 14 microM free), but not KCi-evoked (up to 100 microM) glutamate release from synaptosomes. Conclusions Inhibition of Na+ channel-mediated Na+ influx, increased in intracellular [Na+], and glutamate release occurred in synaptosomes at concentrations of propofol achieved clinically. These results support a role for neuronal voltage-dependent Na+ channels as a molecular target for presynaptic general anesthetic effects.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijayapandi Pandy ◽  
Megala Narasingam ◽  
Thubasni Kunasegaran ◽  
Dharmani Devi Murugan ◽  
Zahurin Mohamed

This study examined the effect of methanolic extract ofMorinda citrifoliaLinn. (MMC) and its bioactive principles, scopoletin and rutin, on dopamine- and noradrenaline-evoked contractility in isolated rat vas deferens preparations. MMC (1–40 mg/mL), scopoletin (1–200 μg/mL), and rutin hydrate (0.6–312.6 μg/mL) dose-dependently inhibited the contractility evoked by submaximal concentrations of both dopamine and noradrenaline, respectively. Haloperidol and prazosin, reference dopamine D2, andα1-adrenoceptors antagonists significantly reversed the dopamine- and noradrenaline-induced contractions, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, MMCper seat higher doses (60–100 mg/mL) showed dose-dependent contractile response in rat vas deferens which was partially inhibited by high doses of haloperidol but not by prazosin. These results demonstrated the biphasic effects of MMC on dopaminergic system; that is, antidopaminergic effect at lower concentrations (<40 mg/mL) and dopaminergic agonistic effect at higher concentrations (>60 mg/mL). However, similar contractile response at high doses of scopoletin (0.5–5 mg/mL) and rutin hydrate (0.5–5 mg/mL)per sewas not observed. Therefore, it can be concluded that the bioactive principles of MMC, scopoletin, and rutin might be responsible for the antidopaminergic and antiadrenergic activities of MMC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 555-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaoqian Ying ◽  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Shan Gong ◽  
Zhigang Chang ◽  
Xiaofeng Zhou ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Nesfatin-1 (NF-1), an anorexic nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2)-derived hypothalamic peptide, acts as a peripheral cardiac modulator and it can induce negative inotropic effects. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects in cardiomyocytes remain unclear. Methods: Using patch clamp, protein kinase assays, and western blot analysis, we studied the effect of NF-1 on L-type Ca2+ currents (ICa,L) and to explore the regulatory mechanisms of this effect in adult ventricular myocytes. Results: NF-1 reversibly decreased ICa,L in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was mediated by melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4-R) and was associated with a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage-dependence of inactivation. Dialysis of cells with GDP-β-S or anti-Gβ antibody as well as pertussis toxin pretreatment abolished the inhibitory effects of NF-1 on ICa,L. Protein kinase C (PKC) antagonists abolished NF-1-induced responses, whereas inhibition of PKA activity or intracellular application of the fast Ca2+-chelator BAPTA elicited no such effects. Application of NF-1 increased membrane abundance of PKC theta isoform (PKCθ), and PKCθ inhibition abolished the decrease in ICa,L induced by NF-1. Conclusion: These data suggest that NF-1 suppresses L-type Ca2+ channels via the MC4-R that couples sequentially to the βγ subunits of Gi/o-protein and the novel PKCθ isoform in adult ventricular myocytes.


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