title: Ca2+ regulation by the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger in retinal horizontal cells depolarized by L-glutamate.
abstract: This study is concerned with regulation of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of horizontal cells isolated from cyprinid fish retinae, with the main emphasis on the role of the (Na+)-Ca2+ exchanger. An inward current was blocked by Ca2+ (4 mM) during prolonged (> 1 h) depolarization by L-glutamate (100 microM) in the whole-cell voltage-clamp configuration, suggesting the persistent activation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. This (Co2+)-sensitive current was absent when extracellular Na+ was replaced by Li+ to suppress (Na+)-Ca2+ exchange. Measurement of [Ca2+]i using the Fura-2 ratiometric method gave the following results. (1) L-Glutamate (100 microM) caused [Ca2+]i to increase from the resting level of 75.4+/-36.8 nM (mean +/-S.D., n = 11) to the maximum level (2.2+/-1.4 microM, n = 11) within 15 s and then to decrease to a steady level of 0.59+/-0.23 microM (n = 11). (2) Nifedipine (100 microM) lowered the L-glutamate-induced steady [Ca2+]i level, which was still higher than the resting level. (3) L-Glutamate caused [Ca2+]i to increase even after blockading the voltage-gated Ca2+ channels by nifedipine or by clamping the membrane voltage at -55 mV. (4) (Na+)-free superfusate elevated the L-glutamate-induced steady [Ca2+]i level. (5) The time course of the [Ca2+]i decrease from the L-glutamate-induced steady level to the resting level was prolonged in the (Na+)-free superfusate. These results suggest that the (Na+)-Ca2+ exchanger extrudes intracellular Ca2+ to maintain a low [Ca2+]i level by counteracting the continuous Ca2+ influx through the voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and glutamate-gated channels when horizontal cells in situ are tonically depolarized by L-glutamate released from the photoreceptors. The (Na+)-Ca2+ exchange current isolated by a voltage-clamp experiment depends exponentially on the membrane potential.
authors.affiliation: Neurosystems Laboratory, Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016257:Fura-2; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2