Dantrolene prevents the malignant hyperthermic syndrome by reducing free intracellular calcium concentration in skeletal muscle of susceptible swine

Cell Calcium ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R Lopez ◽  
P Allen ◽  
L Alamo ◽  
J.F Ryan ◽  
D.E Jones ◽  
...  
1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 2625-2637 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Ziv ◽  
M. E. Spira

1. Axonal transection triggers a cascade of pathological processes that frequently lead to the degeneration of the injured neuron. It is generally believed that the degenerative process is triggered by an overwhelming influx of calcium through the cut end of the axon. 2. Theoretical considerations and indirect observations suggest that axotomy is followed by an increase in the free intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) to the millimolar level. In contrast, only relatively modest and transient elevation in [Ca2+]i to the micromolar level was revealed by recent fura-2 studies. 3. In the current study we used the low-affinity Ca2+ indicator mag-fura-2 to reexamine the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of Ca2+ after axotomy and to map the free intracellular Mg2+ concentration gradients. 4. We report that axotomy elevates [Ca2+]i well beyond the "physiological" range of calcium concentrations, to levels > 1 mM near the tip of the cut axon and to hundreds of micromolars along the axon further away from the cut end. Nevertheless, [Ca2+]i recovers to the control levels within 2-3 min after the resealing of the cut end. 5. A comparison of the behavior of fura-2 and mag-fura-2 in the cytosol of the axotomized neurons reveals that the determination of [Ca2+]i by fura-2 largely underestimates the actual intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. 6. Experiments in which one branch of a bifurcated axon was transected revealed that the elevation in [Ca2+]i is confined to the transected axonal branch and does not spread beyond the bifurcation point. 7. After axotomy, the intracellular Mg2+ concentration equilibrates rapidly with the external concentration and then recovers at a rate somewhat slower than that of [Ca2+]i. 8. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first direct demonstration that axotomy elevates [Ca2+]i to the millimolar range and that neurons are able to recover from these extreme calcium concentrations.


2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 678-687
Author(s):  
ROLAND NITSCHKE ◽  
ANNA HENGER ◽  
SIGRID RICKEN ◽  
VICTORIA MÜLLER ◽  
MICHAEL KÖTTGEN ◽  
...  

Abstract. The effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on the free intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) of microdissected glomeruli were investigated using fura-2 fluorescence digital imaging and two-photon confocal microscopy. ACh caused a concentration-dependent [Ca2+]i increases with an initial peak followed by a sustained plateau, which was suppressed by reduced extracellular Ca2+ concentrations. The [Ca2+]i plateau was not affected by the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nicardipine, whereas gadolinium and lanthanum (both at 1 μM) blocked the plateau. Diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide (100 nM), an M3/M5 receptor antagonist, and pirenzepine (1 μM), an M1 receptor antagonist, completely inhibited the effect of ACh. [Ca2+]i measurements using two-photon excitation of fluo-3 and staining of the cells with calcein/acetoxymethyl ester, for observation of the capillary network together with the glomerular cells, showed that [Ca2+]i was increased in single podocytes. Immunohistochemical studies did not demonstrate M3 receptor expression in glomerular cells. M1 receptors could be detected only in the parietal sheet of Bowman's capsule, whereas M5 receptors were found only in podocytes. The data show that ACh increases [Ca2+]i in podocytes of intact glomeruli, most likely via muscarinic M5 receptors.


2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (3) ◽  
pp. H1088-H1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Schuster ◽  
Hirotaka Oishi ◽  
Jean-Louis Bény ◽  
Nikolaos Stergiopulos ◽  
Jean-Jacques Meister

The goal of the present study was to analyze the intercellular calcium communication between smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) by simultaneously monitoring artery diameter and intracellular calcium concentration in a rat mesenteric arterial segment in vitro under physiological pressure (50 mmHg) and flow (50 μl/min) in a specially developed system. Intracellular calcium was expressed as the fura 2 ratio. The diameter was measured using a digital image acquisition system. Stimulation of SMCs with the α1-agonist phenylephrine (PE) caused not only an increase in the free intracellular calcium concentration of the SMCs as expected but also in the ECs, suggesting a calcium flux from the SMCs to the ECs. The gap junction uncoupler palmitoleic acid greatly reduced this increase in calcium in the ECs on stimulation of the SMCs with PE. This indicates that the signaling pathway passes through the gap junctions. Similarly, although vasomotion originates in the SMCs, calcium oscillates in both SMCs and ECs during vasomotion, suggesting again a calcium flux from the SMCs to the ECs.


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