title: Spatiotemporal features of Ca2+ buffering and diffusion in atrial cardiac myocytes with inhibited sarcoplasmic reticulum.
abstract: Ca(2+) signaling in cells is largely governed by Ca(2+) diffusion and Ca(2+) binding to mobile and stationary Ca(2+) buffers, including organelles. To examine Ca(2+) signaling in cardiac atrial myocytes, a mathematical model of Ca(2+) diffusion was developed which represents several subcellular compartments, including a subsarcolemmal space with restricted diffusion, a myofilament space, and the cytosol. The model was used to quantitatively simulate experimental Ca(2+) signals in terms of amplitude, time course, and spatial features. For experimental reference data, L-type Ca(2+) currents were recorded from atrial cells with the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique. Ca(2+) signals were simultaneously imaged with the fluorescent Ca(2+) indicator Fluo-3 and a laser-scanning confocal microscope. The simulations indicate that in atrial myocytes lacking T-tubules, Ca(2+) movement from the cell membrane to the center of the cells relies strongly on the presence of mobile Ca(2+) buffers, particularly when the sarcoplasmic reticulum is inhibited pharmacologically. Furthermore, during the influx of Ca(2+) large and steep concentration gradients are predicted between the cytosol and the submicroscopically narrow subsarcolemmal space. In addition, the computations revealed that, despite its low Ca(2+) affinity, ATP acts as a significant buffer and carrier for Ca(2+), even at the modest elevations of [Ca(2+)](i) reached during influx of Ca(2+).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Buehlplatz 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. niggli@pyl.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Anushka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michailova
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: DelPrincipe
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Niggli
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002021:Buffers; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D008956:Models, Chemical; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D012433:Ryanodine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D012433:Ryanodine; D019284:Thapsigargin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002118:Calcium