title: Characterization of action potential-evoked calcium transients in mouse postganglionic sympathetic axon bundles.
abstract: 1. Action potential-evoked Ca(2+) transients in postganglionic sympathetic axon bundles in mouse vas deferens have been characterized using confocal microscopy and Ca(2+) imaging. 2. Axonal Ca(2+) transients were tetrodotoxin sensitive. The amplitude depended on both the frequency of stimulation and the number of stimuli in a train. 3. Removal of extracellular Ca(2+) abolished the Ca(2+) transient. Cd(2+)(100 microM) inhibited the Ca(2+) transient by 78 +/- 10 %. The N-type Ca(2+) channel blocker omega-conotoxin GVIA (0.1 microM) reduced the amplitude by -35 +/-4 %, whereas nifedipine (10 microM; L-type) and omega-conotoxin MVIIC (0.1 microM; P/Q type) were ineffective. 4. Caffeine (10 mM), ryanodine (10 microM), cyclopiazonic acid (30 microM) or CCCP (10 microM) had no detectable effects. 5. Blockade of large and small conductance Ca(2+)-dependent K+ channels with iberiotoxin (0.1 microM) and apamin (1 microM), respectively, or Ca(2+)-dependent Cl(-) channels by niflumic acid (100 microM) did not alter Ca(2+) transients. 6. In contrast, the non-specific K+ channel blockers tetraethylammonium (10 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (10 mM) markedly increased the amplitude of the Ca(2+) transient. Blockade of delayed rectifiers and A-like K+ channels, by tityustoxin-K (alpha) (0.1 microM) and pandinustoxin-K (alpha) (10 nM), respectively, also increased the Ca(2+) transient amplitude. 7. Thus, Ca(2+) transients are evoked by Na(+)-dependent action potentials in axons. These transients originate mainly from Ca(2+) entry through voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels (80 % Cd(2+) sensitive of which 40 % was attributable to N-type). Twenty per cent of the Ca(2+) transient was not due to Ca(2+) entry through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. Intracellular stores and mitochondria were not involved in the generation of the transient. Ca(2+) transients are modulated by A-like K+ channels and delayed rectifiers (possibly K(V)1.2) but not by Ca(2+)-activated ion channels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Trout
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Brain
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Cunnane
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005724:Ganglia / Q000502:physiology*; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D018118:Chloride Channels; D007476:Ionophores; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D015221:Potassium Channels; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D015759:Ionomycin; D002118:Calcium