title: Effect of low temperature on the cytosolic free Ca2+ in rat ventricular myocytes.
abstract: The effect of low temperature on the cytosolic free Ca2+ [( Ca2+]i) has been investigated in isolated ventricular myocytes from adult rats using the fluorescent probe Indo-1. The distribution of Indo-1 between the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic compartments was first determined in the isolated myocytes using the digitonin and Triton X-100 treatments. By subtracting the mitochondrial [Ca2+]i from the total [Ca2+]i measured with Indo-1, the average cytosolic [Ca2+]i was found to increase significantly (P less than 0.05) from 139 nM to 255 and 297 nM when the temperature was decreased from 37 degrees C to 15 degrees and 5 degrees C, respectively. A marked increase in cytosolic [Ca2+]i to a new steady state level was observed when the membrane of myocytes was depolarized by 60 mM KCI; the average magnitude of increase being 110, 243 and 186 nM, at 37 degrees, 15 degrees and 5 degrees C respectively. Our results support the hypothesis that the cardiac arrhythmia typically observed in the hypothermic rat is due to an increased cytosolic [Ca2+]i with decreasing body temperature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Belke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007211:Indoles; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007211:Indoles; D004533:Egtazic Acid; C048960:indo-1; D002118:Calcium