scholarly journals Talking about bioelectrical potentials using rings of the mesenteric artery without glass micropipettes

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 336-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. V. Ribeiro-Filho ◽  
T. S. Brito ◽  
F. J. B. Lima ◽  
J. P. M. Pinho ◽  
D. F. Sousa ◽  
...  

In the present study, a practical activity is proposed to adopt an experimental approach to demonstrate the relationship between the equilibrium potential for K+ and transmembrane electrical potential without glass micropipettes. A conventional setup for recording contractile activity of isolated smooth muscle preparations was used based on the events elegantly described by Somlyo and Somlyo in the 1960s. They showed that, in response to a given stimulus, smooth muscle cells may contract, recruiting electromechanical or pharmacomechanical coupling by mechanisms that involve, or not, changes in transmembrane potential, respectively. By means of contractions and relaxations of a ring-like preparation from the rat mesenteric artery, it is possible to observe the functional consequences of handling K+ concentration in the extracellular compartment and the effects caused by opening K+ channels in that preparation, which are significant when the cell membrane establishes an electrical potential difference between intra- and extracellular compartments (driven mainly by K+ permeability under resting conditions). The effects observed by students fit well with values predicted by Nernst and Goldman-Hodgin-Katz equations, and we demonstrated that the activity is able to improve students' comprehension regarding basic principles of bioelectricity.

Life Sciences ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 80 (22) ◽  
pp. 2060-2066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benzhi Cai ◽  
Dongmei Gong ◽  
Zhenwei Pan ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Hong Qian ◽  
...  

1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (5) ◽  
pp. F758-F767
Author(s):  
G. A. Ahearn ◽  
P. Franco

Na uptake by short-circuited epithelial brush-border membrane vesicles of Atlantic lobster (Homarus americanus) antennal gland labyrinth was Cl independent, amiloride sensitive, and stimulated by a transmembrane H+ gradient [( H]i greater than [H]o; i is internal, o is external). Na influx (2.5-s uptake) was a sigmoidal function of [Na]o (25-400 mM) when pHi = 5.0 and pHo = 8.0 and followed the Hill equation for binding cooperatively [apparent maximal influx (Jmax) = 271 nmol.mg protein-1.s-1, apparent affinity constant for Na (KNa) = 310 mM Na, and Hill coefficient (n) = 2.41]. Amiloride acted as a competitive inhibitor of Na binding to two external sites with markedly dissimilar apparent amiloride affinities (Ki1 = 14 microM; Ki2 = 1,340 mM). Electrogenic Na-H antiport by these vesicles was demonstrated by equilibrium-shift experiments in which an imposed transmembrane electrical potential difference was the only driving force for exchange. A transport stoichiometry of 2 Na to 1 H was demonstrated with the static-head technique in which a balance of driving forces was attained with 10:1 Na gradient and 100:1 H gradient. External Ca, like amiloride, was a strong competitive inhibitor of Na-H exchange, acting at two sites on the outer vesicular face with markedly different apparent divalent cation affinities (Ki1 = 20 microM; Ki2 = 500 microM). Ca-H exchange by electrogenic Na-H antiporter was demonstrated in complete absence of Na by use of an outward H gradient in presence and absence of amiloride. Both external amiloride (Ki1 = 70 microM; Ki2 = 500 microM) and Na (Ki1 = 12 mM; Ki2 = 380 mM) were competitive inhibitors of Ca-H exchange. These results suggest that the electrogenic 2 Na-1 H exchanger characterized for this crustacean epithelium may also have a role in organismic Ca balance.


1989 ◽  
Vol 257 (1) ◽  
pp. R180-R188
Author(s):  
P. M. Romano ◽  
G. A. Ahearn ◽  
C. Storelli

L-[3H]glutamate uptake into eel (Anguilla anguilla) intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) was a sigmoidal function of extravesicular Na, suggesting that two or more cations accompanied the amino acid during transport. L-[3H]glutamate influx illustrated the following kinetic constants: apparent membrane binding affinity (Kapp) = 0.80 +/- 0.12 mM; influx velocity (Jmax) = 2.61 +/- 0.31 nmol.mg protein-1.min-1; and permeability coefficient (P) = 0.65 +/- 0.10 microliters.mg protein-1. min-1. Results from the imposition of diffusion potentials across vesicle membranes using K-valinomycin or H-carbonyl-cyanide p-chloromethoxyphenylhydrazone suggested that Na-dependent L-glutamate transport was sensitive to transmembrane electrical potential difference. Extravesicular aspartate was a competitive inhibitor of L-[3H]glutamate influx [inhibitory constant (Ki) = 0.28 +/- 0.04 mM]. Intravesicular K and extravesicular Cl ions enhanced maximal amino acid influx and transient L-glutamate accumulation against a concentration gradient (overshoot). Intravesicular K reduced the Kapp of the membrane to L-glutamate, whereas extravesicular Cl increased L-glutamate Jmax. A model for L-[3H]glutamate transport is suggested involving the cotransport of at least two Na and one L-glutamate that is activated by one intravesicular K ion and at least two extravesicular Cl ions.


2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 745-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisashi Yokoshiki ◽  
Takashi Seki ◽  
Masanori Sunagawa ◽  
Nicholas Sperelakis

To investigate the possible regulation of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BKCa) by tyrosine phosphatases (Tyr-PPs), single-channel currents of myocytes from rat mesenteric artery were recorded in open cell-attached patches. Two structurally different Tyr-PP inhibitors, sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4) and dephostatin, were used. The channels (236 pS) evoked at +40 mV and pCa 6, were significantly inhibited by 1 mM Na3VO4 (-81 ± 3%, n = 10; P < 0.005). Similarly, 100 µM dephostatin strongly inhibited the BKCa channels (-80 ± 7%, n = 7 ; P < 0.05). Therefore, BKCa channels in vascular smooth muscle cells may be regulated by tyrosine phosphatase-dependent signal transduction pathways, whose inhibition could attenuate the channel activity.Key words: Ca2+-activated K+ channel, vascular smooth muscle, tyrosine phosphatase, vanadate, dephostatin.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (1) ◽  
pp. H2-H8 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Nishimura ◽  
R. A. Khalil ◽  
J. P. Drenth ◽  
C. van Breemen

The agonist-induced change in Ca2+ sensitivity of smooth muscle myofilaments was investigated in intact and permeabilized vascular preparations isolated from the rat and the rabbit. In intact rat mesenteric artery, membrane depolarization by 80 mM K+ solution or alpha-adrenergic stimulation by norepinephrine (NE) increased tension monotonically with increasing extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]e). The [Ca2+]e-tension curve generated during activation by NE was located to the left of that during activation by high K+. The protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) shifted the high K+ [Ca2+]e-tension curve to the left but did not affect the NE curve. In rat mesenteric artery permeabilized by alpha-toxin, tension was measured while the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was controlled using 2 mM ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N'N'-tetraacetic acid and Ca2+ buffer solutions. The alpha-toxin-permeabilized fibers developed tension as a function of Ca2+ concentration. TPA and guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP gamma S, a nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue) significantly shifted the pCa-tension curve to the left. In intact rabbit inferior vena cava, tension was recorded simultaneously with [Ca2+]i as measured by fura-2. TPA caused a gradual increase in tension without change in [Ca2+]i. In rabbit mesenteric artery permeabilized by alpha-toxin, the tissue still responded to NE, indicating that alpha-adrenergic receptors remained intact. The response to NE was augmented by GTP and inhibited by guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP beta S, a nonhydrolyzable GDP analogue) suggesting that a G protein is coupled with the alpha-adrenergic receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingyun Wu

Methylglyoxal (MG), a highly reactive metabolite of glucose, causes non-enzymatic glycation of proteins to form irreversible advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). The present study investigated whether methylglyoxal induced oxidative stress and activated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in freshly isolated and cultured smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from rat mesenteric artery. The treatment of cells with MG (50 or 100 µmol/L) induced a significant increase in AGE formation and oxidation of DCF. MG-enhanced generation of AGEs and the oxidation of DCF was markedly inhibited by antioxidant n-acetylcysteine (NAC, 600 µmol/L). MG at a concentration of 100 µmol/L increased the heme-oxygenase-1 expression in these cells. Moreover, MG activated NF-κB p65, indicated by an increased im muno cytochemistry stain for NF-κB p65 located in the nucleus after the treatment of mesenteric artery SMCs with MG. MG-induced activation of NF-κB p65 was inhibited by NAC. In summary, MG significantly increases oxidative stress and activates NF-κB p65 in mesenteric artery SMCs. The pro-oxidant role of methylglyoxal may contribute to various pathological changes of SMCs from resistance arteries.Key words: methylglyoxal, oxidative stress, NF-κB p65, vascular smooth muscle cells, mesenteric artery.


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