title: Effects of Li+ transport and intracellular binding on Li+/Mg2+ competition in bovine chromaffin cells.
abstract: Li(+) transport, intracellular immobilisation and Li(+)/Mg(2+) competition were studied in Li(+)-loaded bovine chromaffin cells. Li(+) influx rate constants, k(i), obtained by atomic absorption (AA) spectrophotometry, in control (without and with ouabain) and depolarising (without and with nitrendipine) conditions, showed that L-type voltage-sensitive Ca(2+) channels have an important role in Li(+) uptake under depolarising conditions. The Li(+) influx apparent rate constant, k(iapp), determined under control conditions by (7)Li NMR spectroscopy with the cells immobilised and perfused, was much lower than the AA-determined value for the cells in suspension. Loading of cell suspensions with 15 mmol l(-1) LiCl led, within 90 min, to a AA-measured total intracellular Li(+) concentration, [Li(+)](iT)=11.39+/-0.56 mmol (l cells)(-1), very close to the steady state value. The intracellular Li(+) T(1)/T(2) ratio of (7)Li NMR relaxation times of the Li(+)-loaded cells reflected a high degree of Li(+) immobilisation in bovine chromaffin cells, similar to neuroblastoma, but larger than for lymphoblastoma and erythrocyte cells. A 52% increase in the intracellular free Mg(2+) concentration, Delta[Mg(2+)](f)=0.27+/-0.05 mmol (l cells)(-1) was measured for chromaffin cells loaded with the Mg(2+)-specific fluorescent probe furaptra, after 90-min loading with 15 mmol l(-1) LiCl, using fluorescence spectroscopy, indicating significant displacement of Mg(2+) by Li(+) from its intracellular binding sites. Comparison with other cell types showed that the extent of intracellular Li(+)/Mg(2+) competition at the same Li(+) loading level depends on intracellular Li(+) transport and immobilisation in a cell-specific manner, being maximal for neuroblastoma cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Centre for Neuroscience of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, P.O. Box 3126, 3001-401 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Montezinho
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nabais
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tomé
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: C F G C
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Geraldes
authors.forename: M M C A
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008094:Lithium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009568:Nitrendipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D009568:Nitrendipine; D008094:Lithium; D008274:Magnesium