The role of extracellular calcium in the pathophysiology of myotonic dystrophy

Abstract Background and Aims Uromodulin (UMOD) is the most abundantly secreted protein found within the urine, primarily produced by medullary thick ascending limb (mTAL) epithelial cells of the kidneys. There is accruing genetic evidence implicating UMOD in blood pressure regulation and consequently hypertension. The molecular signaling induced by calcium in the kidney and its influence on blood pressure are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of extracellular calcium and the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in mTAL on UMOD production and secretion in TAL cells with the hope of defining novel clinical targets for the treatment of hypertension. Method Kidneys were harvested from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHRSP) female rats. To determine the effect of extracellular calcium on UMOD secretion, mTAL tubules were incubated in media with and without 1mM calcium, nifedipine (10µM), NPS2143 (1 or 5 µM) and spermine (2mM). Extracellular and intracellular UMOD protein levels were detected by Western blot. Gene expression of Umod was determined by qRT-PCR. Results Calcium increased mTAL tubule UMOD secretion in WKY and SHRSP. Nifedipine slightly decreased UMOD secretion in WKY without calcium. In both strains, NPS2143 increased calcium-induced UMOD secretion, with an enhanced effect in SHRSP. Stimulation of CaSR with spermine decreased UMOD secretion in WKY. Analysis of intracellular UMOD levels in these conditions demonstrated increased accumulation when extracellular secretion was low, and vice versa. Incubation of primary mTAL cells with calcium confirmed increased localisation of UMOD at the membrane compared to the cytosol, without any major differences in cell morphology. The Umod mRNA level changes were not statistically significant among conditions. Conclusion Trafficking of UMOD in the mTAL is influenced by the type of CaSR ligand and the biased nature of G-protein coupled CaSR signalling. Unravelling the signalling events post-calcium will be necessary for identification of key regulators of UMOD secretion and provide new sites for therapeutic intervention in hypertension.

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Role of calcium channels and protein kinase C for release of norepinephrine and neuropeptide Y

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.1990.259.5.r925 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 259 (5) ◽

pp. R925-R930

Author(s):

M. Haass ◽

C. Forster ◽

G. Richardt ◽

R. Kranzhofer ◽

A. Schomig

Keyword(s):

Protein Kinase C ◽

Protein Kinase ◽

Calcium Channels ◽

Calcium Channel ◽

Neuropeptide Y ◽

Nerve Fibers ◽

Extracellular Calcium ◽

Minor Effect ◽

Kinase C

The role of calcium for the release of norepinephrine (NE, determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography) and neuropeptide Y (NPY, determined by radioimmunoassay) was investigated in guinea pig perfused hearts with intact sympathetic innervation. In the presence of extracellular calcium (1.85 mM), electrical stimulation of the left stellate ganglion (12 Hz, 1 min) induced a closely related release of NE and NPY with the molar ratio of approximately 400-600 (NE) to 1 (NPY). The stimulation-evoked overflow of both transmitters was dependent from the extracellular calcium concentration and was almost completely suppressed by calcium-free perfusion. The corelease of both transmitters was not affected by the L-type calcium channel blocker felodipine (1-10 microM). However, the overflow of NE and NPY was markedly attenuated by the unselective calcium antagonist flunarizine (1-10 microM) and completely prevented by the neuronal (N-type) calcium channel blockers omega-conotoxin (1-100 nM) and cadmium chloride (10-100 microM), indicating a key role for N-type calcium channels in the exocytotic release of transmitters from cardiac sympathetic nerve fibers. Possibly due to unspecific actions, such as interference with sodium channels or uptake1-blocking properties, the phenylalkylamines verapamil (0.01-10 microM) and gallopamil (1-10 microM) reduced NPY overflow with only a minor effect on NE overflow. The stimulation-induced transmitter release was increased up to twofold by activation of protein kinase C (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, 3 nM-3 microM) and completely suppressed by inhibition of protein kinase C (polymyxin B, 100 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Role of extracellular calcium in endothelin-1-induced vasoconstriction

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.1007/bf00820225 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 116 (3) ◽

pp. 1086-1089 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D. V. Zagulova ◽

V. G. Pinelis ◽

Kh. M. Markov ◽

T. P. Storozhevykh ◽

M. A. Medvedev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Calcium ◽

Endothelin 1

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Abstract 191: Deletion or Knockdown of Myotonic Dystrophy Protein Kinase Does Not Affect Cardiac Conduction or Ejection Fraction in Mice

Circulation Research ◽

10.1161/res.117.suppl_1.191 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 117 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Samuel Carrell ◽

David Auerbach ◽

Sanjay Pandey ◽

Frank Bennett ◽

Robert Dirksen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ejection Fraction ◽

Myotonic Dystrophy ◽

Cardiac Conduction ◽

Nuclear Retention ◽

Rna Toxicity ◽

Lv Dysfunction ◽

Av Conduction ◽

Myotonic Dystrophy Protein Kinase ◽

Toxic Rna

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, causes dominantly-inherited muscle weakness, defects of cardiac conduction, variable LV dysfunction, and risk of sudden death. The genetic basis is an expanded CTG repeat in the 3’ untranslated region of DMPK. DM1 patients are functionally hemizygous for DMPK protein, due to nuclear retention of mRNA having expanded repeats. The cardiac aspects are attributed to DMPK loss, toxicity of RNA with expanded repeats, or both. Dmpk heterozygous (+/-) and homozygous knockout (-/-) mice were reported to show AV conduction abnormalities resembling DM1 (Berul et al, JCI, 1999). In an effort to reduce RNA toxicity, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting DMPK mRNA have recently entered clinical trials. DM1 phenotypes in skeletal muscle were corrected by ASO knockdown of toxic RNA in mice (Wheeler et al, Nature, 2012). While ASOs may have similar potential to mitigate RNA toxicity in the heart, there is risk of aggravated DMPK deficiency. To reexamine the role of DMPK in the conduction system we studied mice with Dmpk gene deletion or ASO knockdown. We obtained ECGs and echocardiograms on Dmpk -/- and +/- mice, compared to WT littermates. The +/- mice were treated with Dmpk-targeting ASOs or saline. Subcutaneous injection of 50 mg/kg/wk ASO was started at age 2 months, then shifted to biweekly injections after 6 weeks. Dmpk expression in hearts of +/- mice was ~50% of WT, and was further reduced by ASOs (84 ± 3% decrease of mRNA, 93 ± 2% decrease of protein, relative to WT). Surface ECGs and echocardiography at 6 and 10 months showed no differences of heart rate, cardiac conduction, or ejection fraction in WT, saline-treated +/-, ASO-treated +/-, or -/- mice. Conscious, unrestrained ECGs obtained at 11-12 months by radiotelemetry showed no differences among WT, saline-treated +/-, ASO-treated +/-, or -/- mice. We conclude that ASOs can induce posttranscriptional silencing of Dmpk in murine hearts. Constitutive absence of DMPK did not impact cardiac conduction or contractility, and the same was true for ASO knockdown to levels <15% of WT. Our data support the idea that cardiac dysfunction in DM1 results mainly from RNA toxicity, which potentially could be prevented or alleviated by ASOs.

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Expression of extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in human osteoblastic MG-63 cell line

AJP Cell Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpcell.2001.280.2.c382 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 280 (2) ◽

pp. C382-C393 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

Toru Yamaguchi ◽

Naibedya Chattopadhyay ◽

Olga Kifor ◽

Chianping Ye ◽

Peter M. Vassilev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Line ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Northern Blot Analysis ◽

Pcr Primers ◽

Extracellular Calcium ◽

Calcium Sensing Receptor ◽

Patch Clamp Technique ◽

Calcium Sensing ◽

Specific Affinity

We have previously shown the expression of the extracellular calcium (Cao 2+)-sensing receptor (CaR) in osteoblast-like cell lines, and others have documented its expression in sections of murine, bovine, and rat bone. The existence of the CaR in osteoblasts remains controversial, however, since some studies have failed to document its expression in the same osteoblast-like cell lines. The goals of the present study were twofold. 1) We sought to determine whether the CaR is expressed in the human osteoblast-like cell line, MG-63, which has recently been reported by others not to express this receptor. 2) We investigated whether the CaR, if present in MG-63 cells, is functionally active, since most previous studies have not proven the role of the CaR in mediating known actions of Cao 2+ on osteoblast-like cells. We used immunocytochemistry and Western blotting with the specific, affinity-purified anti-CaR antiserum 4637 as well as Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR using a riboprobe and PCR primers specific for the human CaR, respectively, to show readily detectable CaR protein and mRNA expression in MG-63 cells. Finally, we employed the patch-clamp technique to show that an elevation in Cao 2+ as well as the specific, allosteric CaR activator NPS R-467 (0.5 μM), but not its less active stereoisomer NPS S-467 (0.5 μM), activate an outward K+ channel in MG-63 cells, strongly suggesting that the CaR in MG-63 cells is not only expressed but is functionally active.

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Extracellular Calcium And Platelets

10.1055/s-0038-1652787 ◽

1981 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P M Taylor ◽

S Heptinstall

Keyword(s):

Divalent Cation ◽

Binding Sites ◽

Divalent Cations ◽

Extracellular Calcium ◽

Time Dependent ◽

Aggregation Process ◽

Platelet Surface ◽

Intracellular Pool ◽

Continuous Movement

To gain more information on the role of extracellular Ca in platelet behaviour, the movement of 45Ca between plasma and platelets has been studied. Ttoo experimental procedures have been used: platelets were either studied in plasma that contained near-physiological levels of divalent cations or were studied in divalent cation-depleted plasma.There was a continuous movement of Ca from plasma into platelets when the latter were suspended in plasma that contained near-physiological levels of divalent cations. The iptake was linear with time (2.0 to 2.5 ng ion Ca/109 platelets/60 mins) and was faster at 37°C than at 25°C. The amount of Ca taken up by the platelets increased as the extracellular Ca level was increased and was markedly inhibited by Mg. Sr did not affect the uptake. EGTA displaced only a small amount of the Ca that associated with the plater lets which indicated that Ca was taken up into an intracellular pool rather than sinply bound to the platelet surface. The relevance of this movement of Ca into the cells to platelet behaviour has not been established.Studies using platelets suspended in divalent cation- depleted plasma shewed that extracellular Ca was in equilibrium with Ca bound at or near the platelet surface. The binding of Ca was time-dependent but saturable (0.30 to 0.50 ng ion Ca/109 platelets/30 mins), and the majority was readily displaced by EGTA. The amount of Ca bound to the cells increased as the extracellular Ca level was increased but was little affected by an excess of either Mg or Sr. Mare Ca bound to platelets when they were incubated at 25°C than at 37°C. This was because platelets lost their ability to bind Ca when they were incubated at 37°C in divalent cation-depleted plasma. This phenomenon was time-dependent and irreversible and was paralleled by a loss in the ability of the platelets to aggregate. These Ca binding sites would seem to be relevant to the aggregation process.

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