title: Slow intercellular Ca(2+) signaling in wild-type and Cx43-null neonatal mouse cardiac myocytes.
abstract: Focal mechanical stimulation of single neonatal mouse cardiac myocytes in culture induced intercellular Ca(2+) waves that propagated with mean velocities of approximately 14 micrometer/s, reaching approximately 80% of the cells in the field. Deletion of connexin43 (Cx43), the main cardiac gap junction channel protein, did not prevent communication of mechanically induced Ca(2+) waves, although the velocity and number of cells communicated by the Ca(2+) signal were significantly reduced. Similar effects were observed in wild-type cardiac myocytes treated with heptanol, a gap junction channel blocker. Fewer cells were involved in intercellular Ca(2+) signaling in both wild-type and Cx43-null cultures in the presence of suramin, a P(2)-receptor blocker; blockage was more effective in Cx43-null than in wild-type cells. Thus gap junction channels provide the main pathway for communication of slow intercellular Ca(2+) signals in wild-type neonatal mouse cardiac myocytes. Activation of P(2)-receptors induced by ATP release contributes a secondary, extracellular pathway for transmission of Ca(2+) signals. The importance of such ATP-mediated Ca(2+) signaling would be expected to be enhanced under ischemic conditions, when release of ATP is increased and gap junction channels conductance is significantly reduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Suadicani
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Vink
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Spray
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001081:Apyrase / Q000494:pharmacology; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D011983:Receptors, Purinergic / Q000378:metabolism; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013498:Suramin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018031:Connexin 43; D011983:Receptors, Purinergic; D013498:Suramin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D001081:Apyrase