title: Bursting electrical activity in pancreatic beta-cells: evidence that the channel underlying the burst is sensitive to Ca2+ influx through L-type Ca2+ channels.
abstract: In glucose-stimulated pancreatic beta-cells, the membrane potential alternates between a hyperpolarized silent phase and a depolarized phase with Ca2+ action potentials. The molecular and ionic mechanisms underlying these bursts of electrical activity remain unknown. We have observed that 10.2-12.8 mM Ca2+, 1 microM Bay K 8644 and 2 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) trigger bursts of electrical activity and oscillations of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the presence of 100 microM tolbutamide. The [Ca2+]i was monitored from single islets of Langerhans using fura-2 microfluorescence techniques. Both the high-Ca(2+)- and Bay-K-8644-evoked [Ca2+]i oscillations overshot the [Ca2+]i recorded in tolbutamide. Nifedipine (10-20 microM) caused an immediate membrane hyperpolarization, which was followed by a slow depolarization to a level close to the burst active phase potential. The latter depolarization was accompanied by suppression of spiking activity. Exposure to high Ca2+ in the presence of nifedipine caused a steady depolarization of approximately 8 mV. Ionomycin (10 microM) caused membrane hyperpolarization in the presence of 7.7 mM Ca2+, which was not abolished by nifedipine. Charybdotoxin (CTX, 40-80 nM), TEA (2 mM) and quinine (200 microM) did not suppress the high-Ca(2+)-evoked bursts. It is concluded that: (1) the channel underlying the burst is sensitive to [Ca2+]i rises mediated by Ca2+ influx through L-type Ca2+ channels, (2) both the ATP-dependent K+ channel and the CTX- and TEA-sensitive Ca(2+)-dependent K+ channel are highly unlikely to provide the pacemaker current underlying the burst.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Rosário
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Abrunhosa
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D018999:Charybdotoxin; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D011803:Quinine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D013757:Tetraethylammonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D013757:Tetraethylammonium Compounds; D018999:Charybdotoxin; D015759:Ionomycin; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester; D011803:Quinine; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium