title: Electrophysiological effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide in bull-frog and guinea-pig atrial myocytes.
abstract: 1. Electrophysiological effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on action potentials and corresponding transmembrane currents in single myocytes from bull-frog and guinea-pig atria were studied using a whole-cell voltage-clamp method. 2. CGRP at relatively low concentrations increased the height of the action potential plateau in a dose-dependent manner in both bull-frog and guinea-pig myocytes. In addition, in bull-frog cells CGRP accelerated the early phase of repolarization, thus shortening the overall duration of the action potential. In contrast, in guinea-pig myocytes CGRP prolonged the action potential duration at all concentrations that were studied. 3. Voltage-clamp measurements demonstrated that CGRP increased transmembrane calcium current (ICa) in guinea-pig myocytes without a significant change in its voltage dependence. The ED50 value for this effect on ICa was 1.28 +/- 0.55 X 10(-8) M (n = 4). The time course of the inactivation of ICa was not affected by CGRP. 4. CGRP increased the delayed rectifier K+ current (IK) at relatively low concentrations in bull-frog atria, whereas relatively high concentrations were needed to increase IK in guinea-pig myocytes. This effect was observed even after complete inhibition of ICa. 5. CGRP had no significant effect on the inwardly rectifying background K+ current, IK1, even at very high concentrations. 6. Comparison of the time course of ICa augmentation in bull-frog and guinea-pig myocytes revealed an important difference in the effect of CGRP in these two types of cells. CGRP at maximal concentrations increased ICa transiently in bull-frog myocytes, whereas this response was sustained in guinea-pig myocytes. Isoprenaline (Iso) induced sustained increase in ICa in both species. When ICa was fully activated by Iso, CGRP at high concentrations strongly inhibited ICa in the bull-frog, whereas it had little effect on ICa in guinea-pig myocytes. 7. Intracellular application of GTP gamma S (guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) 10(-4) M) greatly potentiated the CGRP effect on ICa; in contrast, GDP beta S (guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate), 2 x 10(-3) M) partially inhibited the CGRP-induced augmentation of ICa. Taken together, these results indicate that the stimulation of ICa by CGRP is mediated by a GTP-binding protein. 8. The observed dose-dependent changes in ICa and IK in bull-frog and guinea-pig myocytes can explain the different patterns of CGRP-induced changes in action potential shape in these two myocyte preparations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, University of Calgary School of Medicine, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Giles
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D011892:Rana catesbeiana; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium