title: Diminished blocking effect of acute lead exposure on high-threshold voltage-gated calcium currents in PC12 cells chronically exposed to the heavy metal.
abstract: Rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were grown in 0, 10, 25, or 50 microM lead-containing growth media for up to twelve weeks. High-threshold whole-cell calcium currents from these PC12 cells were recorded in lead-free recording media (control), then in 1 microM lead-containing recording media (acute challenge), and finally again in lead-free recording media (wash). The acute lead challenge decreased calcium currents in all treatment groups (including 0 microM lead). However, this blocking effect of acute lead application diminished with prolonged chronic exposure to 25 and 50 microM lead. Although the acute lead challenge mainly caused a decrease in calcium currents, in some chronically exposed PC12 cells increased calcium currents were recorded during the application of 1 microM lead acetate. In other chronically exposed PC12 cells, the acute lead challenge caused the peak of the current-voltage curve to shift from +10 mV to 0 mV. The number of cells exhibiting either an increase in calcium current or a shift in the current-voltage relationship following acute lead challenge increased with prolonged chronic exposure to the heavy metal. The time-dependent increase in calcium influx may be responsible for at least one manifestation of lead neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706-1102, USA.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hegg
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miletic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000506:poisoning*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D016716:PC12 Cells; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers