title: Developmental changes in calcium currents of rabbit ventricular cells.
abstract: We investigated the postnatal development of L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) in enzymatically isolated adult (AD) and newborn (NB) (1-3-day-old) rabbit ventricular cells using the whole-cell, patch-clamp method. ICa was recorded with Cs(+)-rich pipettes and a Na(+)- and K(+)-free bath solution at 36 degrees C to eliminate other currents. ICa density (obtained by normalizing ICa to the cell capacitance) was significantly higher in AD cells than in NB cells at potential levels between 0 and +50 mV with 1.8 mM Ca2+ as the charge carrier. There was no shift in the current-voltage relation between AD and NB cells. The maximum ICa density was 9.9 +/- 2.0 pA/pF at 14 +/- 5 mV in AD cells (n = 11) compared with 5.6 +/- 2.0 pA/pF at 13 +/- 5 mV in NB cells (n = 7) (mean +/- SD). Time to half inactivation (T 1/2) showed a nearly U-shaped relation to membrane potentials from -10 to +30 mV with the shortest T 1/2 at the potential giving the maximum ICa density in both groups. T 1/2 at 0 and +10 mV was slightly but significantly longer in NB cells (16.8 +/- 4.6 and 13.5 +/- 2.4 msec, respectively) than in AD cells (12.6 +/- 3.0 and 10.6 +/0 1.5 msec).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Todd Franklin Cardiac Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osaka
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Joyner
mesh_terms: D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006706:Homeostasis; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D012964:Sodium; D009543:Nifedipine