title: Sphingosine stimulates calcium mobilization and modulates calcium signals evoked by thapsigargin in glioma C6 cells.
abstract: The effect of sphingosine on intracellular calcium signalling in glioma C6 cells was studied with Fura-2 video imaging technique. Sphingosine had a direct effect on changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration only when applied at high concentration of 100 microM, causing the cytosolic Ca2+ level to rise. However, at a much lower concentration of 15 microM sphingosine diminished calcium responses triggered by thapsigargin (a specific inhibitor of calcium pump in the endoplasmic reticulum) and ionomycin (calcium ionophore). Since responses to thapsigargin and ionomycin were blocked in Ca(2+)-free medium, we postulate that sphingosine is acting on the intracellular calcium stores. Additionally, sphingosine (at 15 microM and 100 microM) markedly decreases thapsigargin-induced sustained elevation in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, indicating its inhibitory effect on thapsigargin-evoked Ca2+ influx. Sphingosine is a known inhibitor of protein kinase C and the involvement of this enzyme is postulated in the modulatory effects of sphingosine on intracellular calcium dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sabała
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiktorek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Czarny
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chaban
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barańska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002460:Cell Line; D003600:Cytosol / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016257:Fura-2; D005910:Glioma; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019284:Thapsigargin; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014741:Video Recording
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D013729:Terpenes; D015759:Ionomycin; D019284:Thapsigargin; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D013110:Sphingosine; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2