title: Na+/Ca2+ exchange in cardiac myocytes. Effect of ouabain on voltage dependence.
abstract: Sarcolemmal sodium/calcium exchange activity was examined in individual chick embryonic myocardial cell aggregates that were loaded with quin 2. The baseline [Ca2+]i was 68 +/- 4 nM (n = 29). Abrupt superfusion with sodium-free lithium solution produced a fourfold increase in steady-state [Ca2+]i to 290 +/- 19 nM, which was reversible upon sodium restitution. Other methods of increasing [Ca2+]i such as KCl-depolarization or caffeine produced a dose-dependent increase in quin 2 fluorescence, accompanied by sustained contracture. The [Ca2+]i increase in zero sodium was linear, and its half-time (t1/2) of 15.1 +/- 0.1 s was similar to that of the sodium-free contracture (t1/2 = 14.4 +/- 0.5 s) under the same conditions. The sodium-dependent [Ca2+]i increase was not significantly greater when potassium served as the sodium substitute instead of lithium. This suggests that sodium/calcium exchange has little voltage dependence in this situation. However, in aggregates pretreated with ouabain (2.5 microM), the [Ca2+]i increase was almost threefold greater with potassium than with lithium (P less than 0.007). Ouabain therefore potentiated the effect of membrane potential on calcium influx. We propose that elevation of [Na2+]i is a prerequisite for voltage dependence of the sodium/calcium exchange under the conditions studied. Sodium loading will then drastically increase calcium influx during the action potential while inducing an outward membrane current that could accelerate repolarization.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D010042:Ouabain / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012508:Sarcolemma / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; D016276:Ventricular Function
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; D010042:Ouabain; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium