title: Intracellular pH and calcium signalling in rat pancreatic acinar cells.
abstract: Intracellular free Ca2+ signals, which occur in many secretory cell types after the binding of some secretagogues to their membrane receptors, are due to Ca2+ mobilization from internal stores and Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space. There is also growing evidence for a modulatory role of intracellular pH in Ca2+ metabolism. In fact it has been proposed that Ca2+ stores in pancreatic acinar cells may be loaded by Ca2+/H+ exchange. The aim of this paper was to establish the effect of intracellular pH on Ca2+ signalling in pancreatic acinar cells. Application of the proton carrier nigericin impairs Ca2+ mobilization in response to cholecystokinin (CCK-8), and application of membrane-permeant bases or acids inhibits CCK-8-evoked intracellular Ca2+ oscillations. Both nigericin and a cell-permeant weak base release Ca2+ from internal stores. However, cytosolic acidification by removal of extracellular Na+ had no effect on the resting or stimulated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. After depletion of Ca2+ stores by a maximal concentration of CCK-8, nigericin and ionomycin released a residual Ca2+ pool. Taken together, our results show that in pancreatic acinar cells Ca2+ signals require the existence of subcellular gradients of pH and indicate the presence of acidic pools of Ca2+.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pariente
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Salido
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Camello
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012844:Sincalide / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D012844:Sincalide; D002118:Calcium