Effects of Ca^(2+) channel blockers on store-operated Ca^(2+) channel currents of Kupffer cells after hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

AIM： To study the effects of hepatic ischemia/ reperfusion （I/R） injury on store-operated calcium channel （SOC） currents （Isoc） in freshly isolated rat Kupffer cells, and the effects of Ca^2＋ channel blockers, 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate （2-APB）, SK＆F96365, econazole and miconazole, on Isoc in isolated rat Kupffer cells after hepatic I/R injury.METHODS： The model of rat hepatic I/R injury was established. Whole-cell patch-clamp techniques were performed to investigate the effects of 2-APB, SK＆F96365, econazole and miconazole on Isoc in isolated rat Kupffer cells after hepatic I/R injury.RESULTS： I/R injury significantly increased Isoc from -80.4±25.2pA to -159.5±34.5pA （^bp 〈 0.01, n = 30）. 2-APB （20, 40, 60, 80, 100 pmol/L）, SK＆F96365 （5, 10, 20, 40, 50 pmol/L）, econazole （0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10 μmol/L） and miconazole （0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10 μmol/L） inhibited Isoc in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 of 37.41 μmol/L （n = 8）, 5.89 μmol/L （n = 11）, 0.21 μmol/L （n = 13）, and 0.28 μmol/L （n = 10）. The peak value of Isoc in the I-V relationship was decreased by the blockers in different concentrations, but the reverse potential of Isoc was not transformed. CONCLUSION： SOC is the main channel for the influx of Ca^2＋ during hepatic I/R injuries. Calcium channel blockers, 2-APB, SK＆F96365, econazole and miconazole,have obviously protective effects on I/R injury, probably by inhibiting Isoc in Kupffer cells and preventing the activation of Kupffer cells.

Occurrence of cGMP/nitric oxide-sensitive store-operated calcium entry in fibroblasts and its effect on matrix metalloproteinase secretion

AIM： To examine the existence of Nitric oxide/ cGMP sensitive store-operated Ca^2＋ entry in mouse fibroblast NIH/3T3 cells and its influence on matrix metalloproteinase （MMP） production and adhesion ability of fibroblasts. METHODS： NIH/3T3 cells were cultured. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to examine the existence of thapsigargin-induced store-operated Ca^2＋ entry in fibroblasts. Gelatin zymography and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction （RTPCR） were employed to detect the involvement of [Ca^2＋]i and NO/cGMP in MMP secretion. The involvement of NO/ cGMP-sensitive Ca^2＋ entry in adhesion was determined using matrigel-coated culture plates. RESULTS： 8-bromo-cGMP inhibited the thapsigargin-induced Ca^2＋ entry in 3T3 cells. The cGMP-induced inhibition was abolished by an inhibitor of protein kinase G, KT5823 （1μmol/L）. A similar effect on the Ca^2＋ entry was observed in 3T3 cells in response to a NO donor, （±）-S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine （SNAP）. The inhibitory effect of SNAP on the thapsigargin-induced Ca^2＋ entry was also observed, indicating NO/cGMP-regulated Ca^2＋ entry in 3T3 cells. Results of gelatin zymography assay showed that addition of extracellular Ca^2＋ concentration induced MMP release and activation in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR also showed that cGMP and SNAP reduced the production of MMP mRNA in 3T3 cells. Experiments investigating adhesion potentials demonstrated that cGMP and SNAP could upgrade 3T3 cell attachment rate to the matrigel-coated culture plates.CONCLUSION： NO/cGMP sensitive store-operated Ca^2＋ entry occurs in fibroblasts, and attenuates their adhesion potentials through its influence on MMP secretion.

Sources of calcium in agonist-induced contraction of rat distal colon smooth muscle in vitro

AIM: To study the origin of calcium necessary for agonist-induced contraction of the distal colon in rats.METHODS: The change in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) evoked by elevating external Ca2+ was detected by fura 2/AM fluorescence. Contractile activity was measured with a force displacement transducer. Tension was continuously monitored and recorded using a Powerlab 4/25T data acquisition system with an ML110 bridge bioelectric physiographic amplifier.RESULTS: Store depletion induced Ca2+ influx had an effect on [Ca2+]i. In nominally Ca2+-free medium, the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin (1 μmol/L) increased [Ca2+]i from 68 to 241 nmol/L, and to 458 (P < 0.01) and 1006 nmol/L (P < 0.01), respectively, when 1.5 mmol/L and 3.0 mmol/L extracellular Ca2+ was reintroduced. Furthermore, the change in [Ca2+]i was observed with verapamil (5 μmol/L), La3+ (1 mmol/L) or KCl (40 mmol/L) in the bathing solution. These channels were sensitive to La3+ (P < 0.01), insensitive to verapamil, and voltage independent. In isolated distal colons we found that in normal Krebs solution, contraction induced by acetylcholine (ACh) was partially inhibited by verapamil, and the inhibitory rate was 41% (P < 0.05). On the other hand, in Ca2+-free Krebs solution, ACh induced transient contraction due to Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores. The transient contraction lasted until the Ca2+ store was depleted. Restoration of extracellular Ca2+ in the presence of atropine produced contraction, mainly due to Ca2+ influx. Such contraction was not inhibited by verapamil, but was decreased by La3+ (50 μmol/L) from 0.96 to 0.72 g (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The predominant source of activator Ca2+ for the contractile response to agonist is extracellular Ca2+, and intracellular Ca2+ has little role to play in mediating excitation-contraction coupling by agonists in rat distal colon smooth muscle in vitro. The influx of extracellular Ca2+ is mainly mediated through voltage-, receptor- and store-operated Ca2+ channels, which can be used as an alternative to develop new drugs targeted on the dysfunction of digestive tract motility.