Recent reports revealed that the Na+/-Ca2+ exchangers and feet structures of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) are located in close vicinity in the specific compartment. Therefore, we investigated the possibility that the Na+/-Ca2+ exchanger may decrease the tension development by transporting the Ca2+ out of the cell right after it released from SR, on the basis of this anatomical proximity. We examined the negative force-frequency relationship of the developed tension in the electrically field stimulated left atria of postnatal developing rat (1, 3 day, 1 week and 4 week old after birth). Cyclopiazonic acid (3 X 10(-5) M) treatment decreased the developed tension further according to postnatal age. Monensin (3 X 10(-6) M) treatment did not increase the maximal tension in 4 week-old rat, preserving negative staircase, while the negative staircase in the younger rat were flattened. Ca2+ depletion in the buffer elicited more suppression of the maximal tension according to the frequency in all groups except the 4 week-old group. The % decrease of the maximal developed tension of 4 week-old group at 1 Hz to that of 0.1 Hz after Na+ and Ca2+ depletion was only a half of those of the younger groups. Taken together, it is concluded that the Na+/-Ca2+ exchange transports more Ca2+ released from SR out of the cell in proportion to the frequency, and this is responsible for the negative staircase effect of the rat heart.
Animals ; Foot ; Heart* ; Monensin ; Rats* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

The effects of nifedipine, a dihydropyridine Ca2+ antagonist, on the eleetrically-evoked twitch response, train-of-four and tetanic stimulation were studied in the isolated rat hemidiaphragm preparation. Nifedipine, in concentrations ranging from 3 to 100 uM, increased the electrically-evoked (nerve stimulation, 0.1 Hz, 0.5 ms, 10 V) twitch response and train-of-four ratio in a dose-relat- ed fashion, and the potentiating effects were inhibited by d-tubocurarine preteratment. The effect of nifedipine was not affected by reducing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration from 2.5 mM to 1.25 mM. In cases of the direct(muscle, 0.1 Hz, 5 ms, 10 V) stimulation, nifedipine increased the twitch response in a dose-dependent manner, but the amplitudes were smaller than those in indirect stimulation. Nifedipine 30 uM potentiated the contractile response induced by 70 mM KC1 and caffeine(10 mM)-induced isometric contractile responses were markedly potentiated by nifedipine treatmeat. Nifedipine 70 upotentiated the effect of l mM caffeine on the electrically-evoked twitch response and the potentiating effect was also seen in reverse treatment. On the basis of these findings, the result of present study suggests that the potentiating contractile response by nifedipine is mediated by two distinctive mechanisms. One is the acetylcholine release from presynaptic nerve terminal and the other may be due to the releases of Ca2+ in sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Caffeine ; Nifedipine* ; Rats* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Tubocurarine

No abstract available.
Muscle, Skeletal* ; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel* ; Ryanodine* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum*

In order to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the intracellular Ca2+ overload frequently reported from diabetic heart, diabetic rats were induced by the administration of streptozotocin, the membrane vesicles of junctional SR (heavy SR, HSR) were isolated from the ventricular myocytes, and SR Ca2+ uptake and SR Ca2+ release were measured. The activity of SR Ca2+-ATPase was 562 +/- 14 nmol/min/mg protein in control heart. The activity was decreased to 413 +/- 30 nmol/min/mg protein in diabetic heart and it was partially recovered to 485 +/- 18 nmol/min/mg protein in insulin-treated diabetic heart. A similar pattern was observed in SR 45Ca2+ uptakes; the specific uptake was the highest in control heart and it was the lowest in diabetic heart. In SR 45Ca2+ release experiment, the highest release, 45% of SR 45Ca2+, was observed in control heart. The release of diabetic heart was 20% and it was 30% in insulin-treated diabetic heart. Our results showed that the activitiesof both SR Ca2+-ATPase and SR Ca2+ release channel were decreased in diabetic heart. In order to evaluate how these two factors contribute to SR Ca2+ storage, the activity of SR Ca2+-ATPase was measured in the uncoupled leaky vesicles. The uncoupling effect which is able to increase the activity of SR Ca2+-ATPase was observed in control heart; however, no significant increments of SR Ca2+-ATPase activities were measured in both diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic rats. These results represent that the Ca2+ storage in SR is significantly depressed and, therefore, Ca2+-sequestering activity of SR may be also depressed in diabetic heart.
Animals ; Heart ; Membranes ; Muscle Cells ; Rats* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum* ; Streptozocin

The underlying mechanism commonly applicable for both the positive and negative force-frequency relationships (FFR) was pursued in left atria (LA) of rat and rabbit. The species differences in the roles of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), which are major intracellular Ca2+ regulatory mechanisms in the heart, were examined in the amplitude accommodation to the frequency that changed from 3 Hz to the variable test frequencies for 5 minutes in the electrically field stimulated left atria (LA) of rat and rabbit. Norepinephrine strongly increased the frequency-related amplitude accommodation in both of rat and rabbit LA, while monensin, oubain or the reduced Na+ and 0 mM Ca2+ containing Tyrode solution increased the frequency-related amplitude accommodation only in the rabbit LA. Monenisn was also able to increase the frequency-related amplitude accommodation only in 1-day old rat LA but not in 4-week old rat LA that had 75% less Na+/Ca2+ exchanger with 97% higher SR than 1-day old rat LA. Taken together, it is concluded that the differences in the prevalence between myocardial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and SR in the amplitude accommodation to the frequency-change determine the difference in the FFR between rat and rabbit heart.
Animals ; Heart ; Monensin ; Norepinephrine ; Prevalence ; Rats* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

This study is to investigate the mechanism of inhibitory effect of imipramine on the calcium utilization in single cells isolated from canine detrusor. 2 mm thick smooth muscle chops were incubated in 0.12% collagenase solution at 36degreeC, and aerated with 95% O2/5% CO2, and then cell suspension was examined Acetylcholine (ACh) evoked a concentration-dependent contraction of the isolated detrusor cells in normal physiologic salt solution (PSS), and the ACh-induced contraction was significantly inhibited by imipramine. In Ca2+-free PSS, ACh-induced contraction was less than those in normal PSS and it was not affected by the pretreatment with imipramine. Ca2+-induced contraction in Ca2+-free PSS was supressed by imipramine, but addition of A 23187, a calcium ionophore, overcomed the inhibitory effect of imipramine. High potassium-depolarization (40 mM KCl) evoked cell contraction, which was inhibited by imipramine. Caffeine, a releasing agent of the stored Ca2+ from sarcoplasmic reticulum, evoked a contraction of the cells that was not blocked by the pretreatment with imipramine. These results suggest that imipramine inhibits the influx of calcium in the detrusor cells through both the receptor-operated- and voltage-gated-calcium channels, but does not affect the release of calcium from intracellular storage site.
Acetylcholine ; Caffeine ; Calcimycin ; Calcium* ; Collagenases ; Imipramine* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

Using lipid bilayer reconstitution technique, we investigated the oxidation effect of t-butyl hydrogen peroxide (tBHP) on the single channel activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release channels isolated from canine latissimus dorsi muscles. When 0.7% tBHP was added in the cytosolic side, the channel activity became suppressed (n = 7), and it was recovered by changing the solution to the control solution. The suppression was due to the change in the gating mode of the channel: before tBHP the channel opened to four sub-conductance levels, but it opened to only one level after tBHP. These effects by tBHP were different from the previous finding using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which may be explained by different oxidation patterns between the two oxidants.
Animal ; Calcium Channels/drug effects* ; Dogs ; Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology ; Peroxides/pharmacology* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum/drug effects* ; tert-Butylhydroperoxide

It has been shown that mitochondria not only control their own Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]), but also exert an influence over Ca(2+) signaling of the entire cell, including the endoplasmic reticulum or the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the plasma membrane, and the nucleus. That is to say, mitochondria couple cellular metabolic state with Ca(2+) transport processes. This review focuses on the ways in which the mitochondrial Ca(2+) handling system provides integrity and modulation for the cell to cope with the complex actions throughout its life cycle, enumerates some indeterminate aspects about it, and finally, prospects directions of future research.
Biological Transport ; Calcium Signaling ; Cell Membrane ; physiology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; physiology ; Mitochondria ; physiology ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of curcumin on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase in heart failure rabbits.

METHODSRabbit heart failure model was made with aortic regurgitation and abdominal aorta constriction and 40 rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups including: (1) heart failure treated with curcumin; (2) heart failure treated with placebo; (3) healthy control treated with curcumin and (4) healthy control treated with placebo. All rabbits were administrated with curcumin capsules or placebo capsules 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), respectively. All groups were sacrificed after eight weeks. Myocardial ultrastructural organization was detected by transmission electron microscope. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase in mRNA and protein levels, respectively. Malachite green colorimetric assay was used to evaluate the activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase.

RESULTSAll detected parameters were similar between control curcumin group and control placebo group. Compared with the control groups (Groups 3 and 4), the heart/body weight ratio was significantly increased in the heart failure-curcumin group (Group 1) and the heart failure-placebo group (Group 2, all P < 0.05), but the ratio was significantly lower in heart failure-curcumin group than in heart failure-placebo group (P < 0.05). The degree of heart failure was decreased by curcumin. Activity and mRNA and protein expression for sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase were significantly reduced in the heart failure-placebo group and which could be significantly attenuated by curcumin (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCurcumin could improve cardiac function via upregulating the expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase in this model.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Heart Failure ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rabbits ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the abnormal abundances of calcium regulatory proteins in rabbit myocytes with failing hearts.

METHODSSixteen rabbits were divided into two groups: 8 rabbits with heart failure induced by volume plus pressure overload and 8 sham-operated animals. The hemodynamic parameters and cardiac structure and function were detected via catheterization and echocardiography respectively. L-type calcium channel (LTCC), Ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2), Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a), and Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) protein abundances were determined by Western blot analysis.

RESULTSThe ratio of left ventricular mass to body weight, heart rate and left ventricular end diastolic pressure in heart failure rabbits were significantly increased compared with sham-operated rabbits (P < 0.01), but their left ventricular shorten fraction [(21.3 +/- 4.00)% vs. (36.5 +/- 1.36)%] and ejection fraction (0.45 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.02) were decreased (P < 0.01). In heart failure rabbits, the abundances of LTCC and RyR2 were significantly decreased (R(LTCC/actin): 0.287 +/- 0.029 vs. 0.624 +/- 0.009; R(RyR2/actin): 0.106 +/- 0.001 vs. 0.203 +/- 0.011; P < 0.01), whereas the expressions of SERCA2a and NCX were markedly increased (R(NCX/actin): 0.497 +/- 0.015 vs. 0.221 +/- 0.014; R(SERCA2a/actin): 0.611 +/- 0.036 vs. 0.433 +/- 0.008; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSReductions of LTCC and RyR2 might contribute to risk factors of systolic dysfunction in failing hearts. In early stage of heart failure, upregulated SERCA2a and NCX protein levels may be helpful for maintaining cardiac performance.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Female ; Heart Failure ; metabolism ; Male ; Rabbits ; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel ; metabolism ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; chemistry ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; metabolism