title: Alpha-tocopherol prevents ethanol-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i in cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Exposure of cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells to ethanol (10-400 mM) for 1-5 days results in concentration-dependent elevation in resting intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) levels. Preincubation of these cultured vascular cells with alpha-tocopherol (20 microM), alone, did not produce any apparent changes from control resting levels of [Ca2+]i. However, after concomitant addition of alpha-tocopherol (20 microM) and ethanol (10-400 mM), the rises of [Ca2+]i induced by ethanol were attenuated markedly. These results suggest that alcohol-induced lipid peroxidation of cerebral vascular muscle cell membranes triggers membrane entry of extracellular Ca2+, which could play an important role in ethanol-induced cerebrovasospasm, brain ischemia and stroke. Moreover, these new results support the concept recently advanced to suggest that alpha-tocopherol-induced amelioration of membrane lipid alterations of cerebral vascular cells can prevent ethanol-induced excessive accumulation of [Ca2+]i.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Altura
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Altura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004285:Dogs; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D014810:Vitamin E; D000431:Ethanol; D002118:Calcium