title: Voltage-independent changes in L-type Ca(2+) current uncoupled from SR Ca(2+) release in cardiac myocytes.
abstract: To determine the effect of voltage-independent alterations of L-type Ca(2+) current (I(Ca)) on the sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) Ca(2+) release in cardiac myocytes, we measured I(Ca) and cytosolic Ca(2+) transients (Ca(i)(2+); intracellular Ca(2+) concentration) in voltage-clamped rat ventricular myocytes during 1) an abrupt increase of extracellular [Ca(2+)] (Ca(o)(2+)) or 2) application of 1 microM FPL-64176, a Ca(2+) channel agonist, to selectively alter I(Ca) in the absence of changes in SR Ca(2+) loading. On the first depolarization in higher Ca(o)(2+), peak I(Ca) was increased by 46 +/- 6% (P < 0.001), but the increases in the maximal rate of rise of Ca(i)(2+) (dCa(i)(2+)/dt(max), where t is time; an index of SR Ca(2+) release flux) and the Ca(i)(2+) transient amplitude were not significant. Rapid exposure to FPL-64176 greatly slowed inactivation of I(Ca), increasing its time integral by 117 +/- 8% (P < 0.001) without significantly increasing peak I(Ca), dCa(i)(2+)/dt(max), or amplitude of the corresponding Ca(i)(2+) transient. Prolongation of exposure to higher Ca(o)(2+) or FPL-64176 did not further increase peak I(Ca) but greatly increased dCa(i)(2+)/dt(max), Ca(i)(2+) transient amplitude, and the gain of Ca(2+) release (dCa(i)(2+)/dt(max)/I(Ca)), evidently due to augmentation of the SR Ca(2+) loading. Also, the time to peak dCa(i)(2+)/dt(max) was significantly increased in the continuous presence of higher Ca(o)(2+) (by 37 +/- 5%, P < 0.001) or FPL-64176 (by 63 +/- 5%, P < 0.002). Our experiments provide the first evidence of a marked disparity between an increased peak I(Ca) and the corresponding SR Ca(2+) release. We attribute this to saturation of the SR Ca(2+) release flux as predicted by local control theory. Prolongation of the SR Ca(2+) release flux, caused by combined actions of a larger I(Ca) and maximally augmented SR Ca(2+) loading, might reflect additional Ca(2+) release from corbular SR.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Janczewski
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Lakatta
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002120:Calcium Channel Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002120:Calcium Channel Agonists; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D002614:Chelating Agents; D011758:Pyrroles; C071658:FPL 64176; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D002118:Calcium