title: The effect of melittin on Na+ and Rb+ transport in cultured skin fibroblasts of the spontaneously hypertensive rat.
abstract: Melittin effect on transport of Na+ and Rb+(K+ analog) was examined in cultured skin fibroblasts originating from the Spontaneously Hypertensive, Wistar Kyoto and Wistar rats. Melittin increased both Na+ (22Na+) uptake and 86Rb+ efflux as well as the activity of the Na+-pump (ouabain sensitive 86Rb+ uptake) in all three preparations. The effect of the toxin was maximal at a dose of 160-240ng/10(5) cells/ml. At this dose, fibroblasts of the Spontaneously Hypertensive rat demonstrated the greatest response to melittin with respect to the increase in Na+ and Rb+ fluxes and increase in the intracellular Na+ concentrations. It is concluded that melittin can be utilized as a probe to delineate subtle differences in the cellular regulation of Na+ and K+ in the Spontaneously Hypertensive rat as compared with its normotensive controls.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D008555:Melitten / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010042:Ouabain / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012413:Rubidium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001514:Bee Venoms; D008555:Melitten; D010042:Ouabain; D012964:Sodium; D012413:Rubidium